Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals in Game Five of the Eastern Conference series.
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Ovechkin was a force all over the ice with the Capitals on the brink of elimination and yet another early playoff exit.
“You can take a page out of what the Rangers did and stuck with what they were doing past year”, goaltender Braden Holtby said.
“But we have to find another way to not really reinvent the game, but just execute better, be a little sharper”.
While Cole’s retaliatory penalty was a mistake, teammate Brian Dumoulin was guilty of a more glaring one to make Washington’s third goal possible as the middle of the period approached.
Pittsburgh had been on the wrong end of sudden death overtime eight straight times since beating the New York Islanders in Game 6 of the first round in 2013.
“I know we’ve done well on the road, but we’ve set ourselves up well to go home and win a game”, Elliott said after his seventh win of these playoffs and 13th overall.
For those who perceive Justin Williams to be the type of franchise saviour who can walk on water, don’t expect to see him striding across the rippling surface of the nearby Potomac River any time soon.
Coach Mike Sullivan was noncommittal about his Game 6 starter but praised Murray’s play. A day after saying “it’s not all roses” on the way to the Cup, the Cobourg, Ontario, native led the way to one of the more important victories in the Alex Ovechkin era for the Capitals. When you learn about your character the most is when it’s win or go home. “(The Flyers) were desperate, they were playing hard. Three times they pestered Holtby with bang-bang attempts, including two follow-ups within 15 feet of the Vezina Trophy finalist.
Braden Holtby has the second-best save percentage in the playoffs with a.945 and his goals against average stands at a microscopic 1.59. He talked about erring on the side of enthusiasm and not apprehension and exuded calm confidence. I’m not seeing three consecutive losses now, not even against a club as powerful as the Capitals. It seemed to be holding back the team from its true potential.
“I don’t think we’re panicking at all in here”, Holtby said.
The Penguins will get another chance in Game 6 of this round when the series will shift once more to Pittsburgh. Matt Murray allowed three goals on 19 shots, looking like a rookie for the first time in the playoffs. Hornqvist has three points through four games, two more than Crosby, though the two-time MVP occupied Holtby’s attention just long enough that the goaltender couldn’t get in proper position to stop the Game 4 victor.
AlexOvechkin has been off all series as he has only scored one goal.
San Jose Sharks’ Melker Karlsson (68) scores past Nashville Predators goalie Carter Hutton during the third period of Game 5 in an NHL hockey Stanley Cup Western Conference semifinal series Saturday, May 7, 2016, in San Jose, Calif. San Jose won 5-1. The team that rests the best has the opportunity to take control of the series.
Then again, when Ovechkin and Holtby play like this, it’s tough for anyone to beat them. St. Louis plays with better structure, and when it gets its forechecking game going like it did in the second period, it wins the game.
But a amusing thing has happened since the 39-year-old journeyman hitched his wagon to a star-studded roster: He’s made a difference.
Four minutes into the second period, T.J.
“He’s going to bring a lot to our team”. The penalty was killed off and the Pens got a great chance just moments later.
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Letang, of course, was serving a one-game suspension for his illegal hit on the Caps’ Marcus Johansson in Game 3, while the Penguins were also without Olli Maatta, still suffering the effects of the headshot he absorbed from Brooks Orpik in Game 2.
