Patric Hornqvist scored 2:34 into overtime and the Pittsburgh Penguins seized a 3-1 series lead over the National Hockey League regular season champion Washington Capitals, winning 3-2 in the Eastern Conference semifinals on Wednesday night.
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The 200-pound Letang put an illegal hit on Johanson, who is the same size.
The Capitals held an optional skate prior to Wednesday’s game.
Despite the victory on Monday night, Game Three was visibly frustrating for Letang throughout. Maatta was hit and appeared to be concussed, although the team is only saying it is an upper body injury. “We’ve got to keep going forward and keep getting better as we go along”. Letang, feisty and strong, has had his own setbacks, suffering a small stroke in 2014. He had 19 points (3G-16A) in 62 regular-season contests and one helper in seven playoff games as a Capital.
Letang does everything for the Penguins.
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The Penguins have won three straight games since Washington took the opener of the series.
Despite receiving subsequent suspensions, Orpik and Letang each were given just two-minute minors on the ice, the same penalty a player receives for shooting a puck over the glass. The Capitals believed a similar punishment was owed Letang. “We’re out there playing with speed, trying to make their forwards and their D uncomfortable with smart decisions and lots of speed”.
Johansson didn’t practice for Washington on Tuesday morning and his status for Game 4 is unclear.
Marc-Andre Fleury dressed as the backup in Game 3 and is expected to be on the bench again tonight. Pouliot felt rusty early, better as the game wore on.
Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan has a discussion with linesman Brian Murphy, (93) during the first period of Game 4 in an NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference semifinals in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, May 4, 2016. “If I get in, I’ll be ready”.
When our team is at its best, our defense starts 190 feet from our net with our puck pursuit, hanging onto pucks down low in the offensive zone, controlling territory, and using our foot speed to our advantage.
If it comes as a surprise to observers and fans that the Caps are on the brink this quickly, I wonder, in fact, if it is a surprise to a Capitals team that really hasn’t been tested or pushed in the way it has been tested and pushed in this series. The Penguins acquired Schultz from Edmonton in February and he hadn’t played since Game 1 of the opening playoff series against the Rangers. The 25-year-old former Edmonton Oiler hasn’t suited up since, not quite finding a fit after a mid-season trade to Pittsburgh.
“It’s tough to replace a guy that has that much of an influence on our team”, coach Mike Sullivan said.
This isn’t about taking physical play out of the game.
Pittsburgh can handle their business effectively in the physical domain they just choose to do other things better that do have predictive value to winning.
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Letang should have been suspended and based on how the leagues doles out its punishments (weakly) one game was the most likely result from that hit. “We knew that going into this series, too, but going into this next game, we have to look forward and make sure we regroup here”. They had the puck all night – and we didn’t.
