Round 2 - Game 2
Pittsburgh Leads Series 1-0
Sun. April 29 Washington Capitals @ Pittsburgh Penguins
Place: Capital One Arena
Time: 3:00 p.m.
TV: NBCSN, CBC, SN, TVAS
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, Capitals Radio 24/7
NHL.COM for Live Box Score
Last Game: Apr 26 Penguins Won 3-2 in regulation
8-Ovechkin 92-Kuznetsov 43-Wilson
18-Stephenson 19-Bäckström 77-Oshie
10-Connolly 20-Eller 25-Smith-Pelly
13-Vrana 83-Beagle 39-Chiasson
9-Orlov 2-Niskanen
6-Kempny 74-Carlson
44-Orpik 29-Djoos
70-Holtby (starter)
31-Grubauer
-- SCRATCH --
65-Burakovsky ("upper-body")
63-Gersich
72-Boyd
64-Pinho
28-Jerabek
22-Bowey
1-Copley
-- INJURED RESERVE --
-- 1st Powerplay Unit --
20-Eller 19-Bäckström 92-Kuznetsov
8-Ovechkin 74-Carlson
-- 2nd Powerplay Unit --
13-Vrana 18-Stephenson 10-Connolly
2-Niskanen 9-Orlov
Referees: Gord Dwyer (#19), Chris Rooney (#5)
Linesmen: Mark Shewchyk (#92), Derek Amell (#75)
Pittsburgh’s expected lineup Forwards Jake Guentzel - Sidney Crosby - Patric Hornqvist
Dominik Simon - Riley Sheahan - Phil Kessel
Connor Sheary - Derick Brassard - Bryan Rust
Zach Aston-Reese - Carter Rowney - Tom Kuhnhackl
Defensemen Brian Dumoulin - Kris Letang
Olli Maatta - Justin Schultz
Jamie Oleksiak - Chad Ruhwedel
Goaltenders Murray
Casey DeSmith
Scratches: Evgeny Malkin (lower body) or Carter Rowney
Carl Hagelin (upper-body)
Matt Hunwick
1st Period01:26 GOAL 8-Ovechkin, unassisted 1-0 WSH
14:54 PP GOAL 13-Vrana, assists 20-Eller & 70-Holtby 2-0 WSH
2nd Period02:08 GOAL 10-Connolly, assists 20-Eller 3-0 WSH
13:04 Hens GOAL Letang, assists Schultz & Guentzel 3-1 WSH
3rd Period19:53 EN GOAL 19-Bäckström, assists 43-Wilson & 20-Eller 4-1 WSH
FINAL: 4-1 WSH
by Isabelle Khurshudyan, Roman Stubbs, Scott Allen and Neil Greenberg April 29 at 2:15 PM
Penguins-Capitals Game 2: Washington looks to even the series after sorry finish to Game 1
The Capitals will look to put Game 1’s horror-filled third period behind them. (Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post)
Game 2
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Washington Capitals
Series: Pittsburgh Leads Series 1-0
Sunday, 3:00 p.m. ET, Capital One Arena
TV: NBC, CBC, TVAS
Remaining schedule
Game 2: at Washington, 3 p.m. Sunday Apr 29
Game 3: at Pittsburgh 7:30 p.m. Tuesday May 1
Game 4: at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. Thursday May 3
Game 5 (if necessary): at Washington, 7 p.m. Saturday May 5
Game 6 (if necessary): at Pittsburgh, TBD Monday May 7
Game 7 (if necessary): at Washington, TBD Wednesday May 9
- Evgeni Malkin will miss Game 2. (Read more)
- Jake Guentzel has been masterful in his past two playoff games. Can he keep his hot goal-scoring going in Game 2? (Read more)
- The Capitals’ defense has evolved from the start of the season. (Read more)
Top story lines
Malkin out: Evgeni Malkin will not play in Sunday’s Game 2, Pittsburgh Coach Mike Sullivan said during his pregame press conference. It had appeared hat Malkin might be ready after practicing with a full-contact jersey on Saturday, which marked the first time he was able to do so in more than a week after suffering an undisclosed lower body injury in the Penguins’ first-round series against Philadelphia. Malkin has now missed two games – the clinching Game 6 win over the Flyers and Thursday’s Game 1 win over the Capitals. Also out for the Penguins is Carl Hagelin, who suffered an upper body injury in Game 6 against the Flyers and did not make the trip to Washington for Games 1 and 2 against Washington.
“We’re a better team when [Malkin] is in our lineup. That’s an obvious statement. Having said that, I don’t think our team looks for any sort of excuses. I think we try to rally around one another,” Sullivan said on Sunday prior to Game 2. “It’s a next-man-up attitude, we have capable people in our lineup, it provides opportunities for others to play a more significant role and they want to take advantage of those opportunities. That’s how our players look at it, that’s certainly how our team looks at it and we’re going to put our very best lineup at our disposal on the ice today and we’re going to try to win.”
Matchups: Capitals Coach Barry Trotz seemed fairly pleased with how the matchups went in the first game. He went with power vs. power, Evgeny Kuznetsov’s top line against Sidney Crosby’s. Washington scored the first two goals, but then Pittsburgh scored the next three to win the game.
“Well, they actually probably could have had three before they scored the first one,” said defenseman Matt Niskanen, who’s been tasked with playing against the Penguins top trio. “I think we had pretty good awareness through two periods and even on the goals, at least the first two, we had pretty good coverage. So I’m not going to overanalyze it. I don’t think there’s a big adjustment to be made. It’s just you’ve got to be all over them because they’re good.”
Said Trotz: “Both sides got a lot. I flipped it even on the third goal they were out against [Nicklas Backstrom’s] line. For the most part, if you look at it analytically, it was not bad. But at the same time, the only thing that matters is what’s on the board, the big scoreboard. At that point Kuzy and Sid’s line were even with two each. I don’t think I’m going to be set on any matchups. They’ve got two good lines; we have two good lines, and that’s just what we started with. We did it with Columbus and we switched halfway through and we may do the same thing.”
Two hole: The Capitals can’t afford to lose this game and fall into another 2-0 hole. It’s unlikely they’ll climb out of it, given Pittsburgh’s impressive playoff history with a two-games-to-none edge.
Players to watch
Tom Wilson: The Caps will need Wilson to continue to impact this series with his reputable physicality, but they could also use an offensive awakening from the first-liner. He had a pair of assists in Game 1, which was a promising start. “He’s a good player,” Pittsburgh Coach Mike Sullivan said. “The Capitals are a tough team to play against. They’re a competitive team. We’ve had a history of hard-fought battles against them since I’ve been coach of the Penguins. They’re a good hockey team.”
Jake Guentzel: As long as the 23-year-old, second-year player continues his torrid pace – he’s scored seven goals in as many games and eight points in the last two games alone, including the game-winning goal in Game 1 – the Penguins will be difficult to beat. Pittsburgh might already be better than Washington with star center Evgeni Malkin out – he will miss Game 2 with a lower body injury but could be ready for Tuesday’s Game 3 – but Guentzel has proven to be a prolific complement alongside Sidney Crosby and Phil Kessel.
Postgame reading
Immerse yourself in the Capitals’ postseason with The Post’s coverage of the Stanley Cup playoffs:
How the Capitals improved their defensive play in time for the postseason‘When the pressure is on,’ so is Penguins goalie Matt MurrayA two-goal lead is hockey’s most dangerous. For the Capitals, it’s a grenade.Capitals and Penguins: A landscape of pain and agony‘We’re actually quite excited about it’: Caps want their Cup quest to go through PensFor the Capitals to make a leap, Braden Holtby must provide safety in netSo they meet again: Five top moments in the Alex Ovechkin-Sidney Crosby rivalryPenguins’ Evgeni Malkin will miss Game 1 against CapitalsNo doubt: Capitals’ Braden Holtby kept his confidence amid a season of strugglesThese Penguins fans have more sympathy than hatred for the CapitalsFancy Stats: Three reasons this Capitals-Penguins series will be differentAn early look at the Penguins-Capitals Stanley Cup playoff clash, part 11Alex Ovechkin delivers in the clutch, and ‘a huge opportunity’ awaitsCapitals-Blue Jackets Game 6: Washington wins series; Pittsburgh, Sidney Crosby nextChandler Stephenson’s breakout moment comes at the perfect time for the CapitalsIt’s not just you: The Caps really do play an absurd number of overtime playoff gamesNicklas Backstrom, the picture of the Capitals’ playoff pain, is now the image of their joyJohn Carlson continues to build on stellar postseason reputation
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