Defenseman John Carlson scored his fourth goal of the postseason in the Washington Capitals’ 3-2 overtime loss to the Penguins in Pittsburgh Wednesday night.
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The Penguins controlled the tempo through their first two games against the Capitals, going on the road to earn a split in Washington with a win in Game 2.
Penguins star Sidney Crosby, who picked up his first point of the series by assisting on the Daley goal, went to the dressing room briefly in the third period after taking an Ovechkin stick to his left wrist – and Crosby angrily broke his own stick in frustration as he walked down a rampway.
Trevor Daley assumed the biggest load in his absence, totalling almost 29 minutes while also scoring the first Pittsburgh goal.
Two years ago, the Penguins blew a 3-1 series lead against the Rangers in a second-round series. As far as how we play as a team, I don’t think that changes.
Weber, back in the lineup for the first time since the opening-round series against the Philadelphia Flyers, was trying to get the puck out when it flew directly to Hornqvist in the right circle for his fifth goal of the playoffs and first playoff overtime victor.
Was the Caps’ Tom Wilson showing Pittsburgh’s Conor Sheary “respect” when he nearly took the kid’s knee out during a leg-on-leg incident in Game 1 of this best-of-seven second round series, a flagrant foul that incredulously earned Wilson no minor penalty on the play and, subsequently, just a fine?
But he was back on the bench four minutes later, and the Penguins picked their game up.
Kuznetsov has racked up only two points – one goal and one assist – in 10 post-season games this year and has yet to register an even-strength point after finishing third in the National Hockey League in 5-on-5 points during the regular season. Braden Holtby will counter for Washington after yielding three goals on 23 shots last time out. But seven minutes later Trevor Daley would answer for Pittsburgh.
Marcus Johansson – Played for the Washington Capitals, which shouldn’t come as a surprise, since he returned to the lineup after he was leveled by Kris Letang in Game Three, but remember that Johanson was held out of practice Tuesday, while the league was weighing whether or not to suspend Letang for the hit. The Penguins hope to keep things rolling at home with another win in Game 4 against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday.
By the time the 39-year-old Cullen won a center-ice faceoff against Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom, beat Backstrom down ice and slid a puck through Holtby’s five-hole, Pittsburgh had a 2-1 second-period lead and the capacity crowd roared. “I thought he was good all game; there was no question”, Washington coach Barry Trotz said.
Holtby might have faced only two shots, but quick puck movement left him struggling to get from his right to his left, and he had no chance to stop Hornqvist’s game-winning shot.
They will try to become the 29th team (out of 290) to win a best-of-7 Stanley Cup Playoff series after trailing 3-1. Beagle received a cross-corner feed from Tom Wilson and backhanded the puck top-shelf on goaltender Matt Murray’s blocker side. Justin Williams stripped Derrick Pouliot deep in the Pittsburgh zone and slipped it across the ice to Carlson, who had little trouble firing it over Murray’s extended glove set the stage for the latest dramatic moment in a series that is living up to its considerable hype. “I’m not sure that we’ll get to one unless we catch a break for a couple days”. Weber started the game with Taylor Chorney on the Capitals’ No. 3 defensive pairing.
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That’s what made Game 4 that much more crucial. “What I liked about our game tonight was we got a real solid effort throughout our lineup, from the forward position on back”. Sullivan said Olli Maatta, out since that Brooks Orpik hit, was a game-time decision.
