You could argue every team that lost on Saturday could turn right around and obliterate their opponents in Game 6. After trying to trade scoring chances with the Dallas Stars in the first period, the Blues adjusted their forecheck in the second period, completely disrupting the Stars in a 4-1 victory at American Airlines Arena. Penguins coach Mike Sullivan was complimentary of Murray but would not confirm him as the starter. “And that’s the way that we’re going to have to play if we’re going to have success in this series”.
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“We knew the fans, the families, all the organization was believing in us and we were believing as well”, Ovechkin said afterward in the crowded Capitals dressing room. “You’re going to see probably the best hockey that this team has played this year”.
The St. Louis Blues moved ahead against the Dallas Stars, while the Washington Capitals kept their series against Pittsburgh alive.
In just under 20 minutes of ice time, he had a goal, an assist, six shots on goal and even blocked a shot.
It was Friday morning at the Kettler Iceplex and the Washington Capitals had just finished their hour-long practice, all the while knowing that the only way their season could be saved would be with three consecutive victories.
“Just with the way the games have been going in this series, just the weird bounces, sometimes it feels the game is against you”, Holtby said Saturday night after a season-saving Game 5 win for the Washington Capitals over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
“We have the experience, the composure, ” said Holtby, who has allowed three or more goals in three of the four games.
“I don’t think we’re panicking at all in here”, Holtby said.
Alex Ovechkin and T.J. Oshie each had a goal and assist for the Capitals, while Justin Williams added an insurance marker midway through the second period. But the Capitals were confident, mostly happy with how they’d played the past two games in Pittsburgh. The next three games have all been decided by a single goal including two overtime winners, and all three have been won by the Penguins.
“That’s a lot of pressure, to come in and have everybody think that you’re the guy that gets us over the hump that we’ve had”, Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner said. We finally got our D activating more than we want in the offence. They haven’t been horrendous at 5-on-5 and have not given up an abundance of shots against. But, the NHL is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately league, leaving question as to whether Fleury will replace Murray for Game 6 on Tuesday night in Pittsburgh.
The Capitals have recovered from a 3-1 deficit to win a series once in the 11-year Ovechkin era, rallying past the New York Rangers in the 2009 quarterfinals before falling to eventual Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh in the second round. The team that rests the best has the opportunity to take control of the series.
The Stars are 1-2 in overtime in the playoffs and the Blues are 2-2. “We’re pretty deep, we rely on our goalie to make some saves, and he did exactly what we needed there”.
If the Penguins can duplicate their Game 2 effort, an effort which saw them lead in the shot department 28-10 at the end of two periods, then this should be elementary.
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Patrick Sharp set up the victor and also scored for the Stars, coming off a 6-1 loss in Game 3. The key for Ovechkin and the Capitals will be battling those demons on Saturday night. The Caps got their top line away as much as possible from Crosby, who had been doing such a good job defensively on them. The third Capitals goal – a Justin Williams dribbler through the five-hole off an egregious Brian Dumoulin turnover – looked worse than it was since a Penguins defender got ahold of Williams’ stick in the shot sequence, leading to an unexpectedly slower shot.
