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Round 2 - Game 6
Capitals Lead Series 3-2
Monday May 7 Washington Capitals @ Pittsburgh Penguins
Place: PPG Paints Arena
Time: 7:00 p.m.
TV: NBCSN, SN, TVAS
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, Capitals Radio 24/7
NHL.COM (https://www.nhl.com/gamecenter/2017030226) for Live Box Score
Last Game: May 5 Capitals Won 6-3 in regulation
8-Ovechkin 92-Kuznetsov 18-Stephenson
13-Vrana 20-Eller 77-Oshie
10-Connolly 72-Boyd 25-Smith-Pelly
79-Walker 83-Beagle 39-Chiasson
9-Orlov 2-Niskanen
6-Kempny 74-Carlson
44-Orpik 29-Djoos
70-Holtby (starter)
31-Grubauer
-- SCRATCH --
43-Wilson (Suspended, 0 games remaining)
19-Bäckström ("upper-body")
65-Burakovsky ("upper-body")
63-Gersich
64-Pinho
28-Jerabek
22-Bowey
1-Copley
-- 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: Kelly Sutherland (#11), Eric Furlatt (#27)
Linesmen: Scott Cherrey (#50), Matt MacPherson (#83)
Pittsburgh’s Projected Lineup
Names in italics changes since Game 5
Forwards
Jake Guentzel - Sidney Crosby - Dominik Simon
Carl Hagelin - Evgeny Malkin - Patric Hornqvist
Connor Sheary - Riley Sheahan - Phil Kessel
Bryan Rust - Derick Brassard - Tom Kuhnhackl
Defensemen
Brian Dumoulin - Kris Letang
Olli Maatta - Justin Schultz
Jamie Oleksiak - Chad Ruhwedel
Goaltenders
Matt Murray (starter)
Casey DeSmith
Scratches:
Zach Aston-Reese (concussion, broken jaw)
Carter Rowney
Matt Hunwick
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1st Period
None
2nd Period
02:13 GOAL 39-Chiasson, assists 79-Walker & 83-Beagle 1-0 WSH
11:52 Hens GOAL Letang, assists Dumoulin & Crosby 1-1 TIE
3rd Period
None
OT
05:27 GOAL 92-Kuznetsov, assists 8-Ovechkin & 9-Orlov 2-1 WSH
FINAL: 2-1 WSH
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by Isabelle Khurshudyan, Roman Stubbs, Scott Allen and Neil Greenberg May 7 at 1:23 PM
Capitals-Penguins Game 6: Nicklas Backstrom will be a ‘game-time decision’
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Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals can wrap up their second-round series against the Penguins Monday night. (Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post)
Game 6
Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
Capitals Lead Series 3-2
Monday May 7, 7:00 p.m. ET, PPG Paints Arena
TV: NBCSN, SN, TVAS
Remaining schedule
Game 6: at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. Monday May 7
Game 7 (if necessary): at Washington, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday May 9
- Nicklas Backstrom’s status for Game 6 is in doubt after he suffered an “upper-body” injury on Saturday night. (Read more (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capitals-insider/wp/2018/05/07/2018-nhl-playoffs-capitals-penguins-game-6-analysis/?utm_term=.01bb7bdd4257#story))
- Capitals center Lars Eller could get more responsibility with Backstrom potentially out. (Read more (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capitals-insider/wp/2018/05/07/2018-nhl-playoffs-capitals-penguins-game-6-analysis/?utm_term=.01bb7bdd4257#players))
- Washington has shown its resiliency throughout this rocky season. (Read more (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capitals-insider/wp/2018/05/07/2018-nhl-playoffs-capitals-penguins-game-6-analysis/?utm_term=.01bb7bdd4257#links))
Top story lines
Backstrom: Capitals Coach Barry Trotz said Backstrom is a “game-time decision.” He didn’t play most of the third period on Saturday night, and he seemed to get hurt blocking a shot with his hand during a penalty kill in the first period. Left wing Chandler Stephenson took faceoffs for Backstrom for the rest of the game. With Washington already down two top-six forwards — Andre Burakovsky is injured and Tom Wilson is suspended — the loss of Backstrom could be devastating. He has 13 points in 11 playoff games, and he plays on the Capitals’ top power play unit as well as the penalty kill.
“I think he’s in,” captain Alex Ovechkin said.
In line rushes on Monday morning, Lars Eller centered a second line with Jakub Vrana and T.J. Oshie. Rookie Travis Boyd was the third-line center with Brett Connolly and Devante Smith-Pelly, and left wing Nathan Walker replaced Shane Gersich on the fourth line. If that holds, the Capitals will have two players — Walker and Boyd — making their playoff debut in Game 6.
“Obviously, we know more than anyone how valuable Nick is, what kind of player he is,” goaltender Braden Hotlby said. “You can’t replace that. I have no idea what his status is or whatever, but the thing is we still have Travis Boyd if he has to step in, and he’s a great center. He’s a guy that just hasn’t gotten a lot of time because we’ve been a pretty healthy team up the middle. He’s a player, so he can fill in and there’s a lot of other guys who can step up. Obviously, we always love to have Nick in the lineup, but if he’s not in, if that’s the case, then we’re still a confident group.”
• Top line: On Sunday, Trotz was coy about if he’d keep Vrana on the first line with Evgeny Kuznetsov and Ovechkin. The 22-year-old rookie set up the game-tying goal and then he scored the game-winning one. But Vrana can also be a defensive liability, and with Penguins Coach Mike Sullivan controlling the matchups on Monday night at PPG Paints Arena, Trotz seems to have opted for Stephenson in the first-line right wing spot. Sullivan will almost certainly want captain Sidney Crosby on the ice against Kuznetsov, and Stephenson is considered a more responsible player.
“I’m not going to tell you exactly what I’m going to do, but we’ll see where we are,” Trotz said Sunday. “For me, it’s situational a little bit more. When you’re looking for a bump, [Vrana’s] a real good guy to go there. …
“There’s certain matchups that we had control of [Saturday] that we don’t have. That does make a difference. It’s not really fantasy hockey. It’s real-life hockey, and you’ve got to try to make the right adjustments, and we do as a group. We talk about every situation, what seems to work and what might give us the best chance.”
• Game 7: The Capitals haven’t had two chances to advance past the Penguins since 1995, but while Washington has what Trotz referred to as more “wiggle room,” the team would rather not use it. Pittsburgh is desperate, on the edge of elimination after winning back-to-back Stanley Cups the past two years. “It feels like a Game 7,” forward Tom Kuhnhackl said.
Capitals center Jay Beagle echoed that.
“They’re a dangerous team over there,” Beagle said. “We know them well. We’ve ran into them obviously in the past a lot. We have to treat it like a Game 7, do or die, and come out in that first and play like it.”
Players to watch
Lars Eller: If Backstrom is indeed out, Eller is expected to see an uptick in minutes playing beside Vrana and Oshie on a second line. But Washington will look to the center for offense regardless of where he’s playing in the lineup. He scored a career-high 38 points this season with 18 goals, and he has seven points in 11 games this postseason. One of the reasons the Capitals have an edge in the series is that they’ve had better secondary scoring.
“I think history shows that other guys can step up when need be for a short period of time,” Eller said. “When you’re missing some of your best players, other guys step up and fill in some roles and play more minutes. Regardless of if Nick is playing or not, we’re confident we can get a win here today.”
Kris Letang: Pittsburgh’s top defenseman was on the ice when center Evgeny Kuznetsov got a breakaway to tie Game 5, and he was also on the ice for Vrana’s game-winning goal. Letang was critical of his third-period play in Game 5, but he’s got roughly a point per game for the Penguins this postseason while averaging nearly 25 minutes per game. He and Brian Dumoulin are expected to face Washington’s top line with Ovechkin again in Game 5.
“I did talk to him,” Sullivan said. “I told him how important he is to our team and how good he is. Tanger’s a guy who takes a lot of pride in his game. He’s helped this team win a lot of games. He’s helped this team win championships, and that’s the player we know and love. It’s a game of mistakes. Everyone makes them. It’s about reacting the right way, responding the right way, putting it behind you and looking forward to the next opportunity, and that’s what we talked about.”
Pregame reading
Immerse yourself in the Capitals’ postseason with The Post’s coverage of the Stanley Cup playoffs:
This Capitals team could be different, because its path to get here was harder (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capitals-insider/wp/2018/05/06/this-capitals-team-could-be-different-because-its-path-to-get-here-was-harder/?utm_term=.a651b0bbad59)
Barry Svrluga: the Capitals better win this series in six games (https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/capitals/the-capitals-better-win-this-series-in-six-games/2018/05/06/26a413b6-5162-11e8-abd8-265bd07a9859_story.html?utm_term=.485daa13ed77)
The 13 excruciating playoff losses that have D.C. sports fans starving for one more Caps win (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc-sports-bog/wp/2018/05/07/the-13-excruciating-playoff-losses-that-have-d-c-sports-fans-starving-for-one-more-caps-win/?utm_term=.c8b7232bcfbd)
The Caps could end the stupidest streak in sports. Heck yeah it matters. (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc-sports-bog/wp/2018/05/07/the-caps-could-end-the-stupidest-streak-in-sports-heck-yeah-it-matters/?utm_term=.3aa6a3197626)
Penguins now in desperation mode — but they’ve succeeded in these spots before (https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/capitals/penguins-now-in-desparation-mode--but-theyve-succeeded-in-these-spots-before/2018/05/06/0122b7b2-4fed-11e8-af46-b1d6dc0d9bfe_story.html?utm_term=.50cc588e3ae9)
Fancy Stats: The two big problems pushing the Penguins to the brink of elimination (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fancy-stats/wp/2018/05/07/the-two-big-problems-pushing-the-penguins-to-the-brink-of-elimination/?utm_term=.3761dca961ee)
‘The goalie is everything for us’: Caps’ Game 5 triumph started and ended with Braden Holtby (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capitals-insider/wp/2018/05/06/the-goalie-is-everything-for-us-the-capitals-game-5-triumph-starts-and-ends-with-braden-holtby/?utm_term=.266086757102)
As the Capitals enter uncharted territory, one thing is clear: They believe (https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/capitals/as-the-capitals-enter-uncharted-territory-one-thing-is-clear-they-believe/2018/05/06/84047ce4-50a4-11e8-af46-b1d6dc0d9bfe_story.html?utm_term=.94c6b797a649)
Penguins-Capitals Game 5: Washington wins, 6-3, and Caps have two chances to clinch series (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capitals-insider/wp/2018/05/05/2018-nhl-playoffs-penguins-capitals-game-5-analysis/?utm_term=.e7a911ae016e)
For Capitals, Game 5 focus will be on reigniting top line (http://game%205)
Andre Burakovsky skates, but unlikely to return by end of Penguins series (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capitals-insider/wp/2018/05/04/andre-burakovsky-skates-but-unlikely-to-return-by-end-of-penguins-series/)
Penguins dismiss fatigue factor after 59 playoff games in three seasons (https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/penguins-dismiss-fatigue-factor-after-59-playoff-games-in-three-seasons/2018/05/04/10a743d4-4fa1-11e8-af46-b1d6dc0d9bfe_story.html?utm_term=.9e74f7b0d7f0)
Crosby again has a hand in everything as Penguins knot series with Capitals (https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/crosby-again-has-a-hand-in-everything-as-penguins-knot-series-with-capitals/2018/05/03/ccd4eac8-4f0d-11e8-af46-b1d6dc0d9bfe_story.html?utm_term=.c39dc3ee466d)
Capitals-Penguins means compelling hockey — and the focus on everything else (https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/capitals/capitals-penguins-means-compelling-hockey--and-the-focus-on-everything-else/2018/05/02/770221e8-4e3a-11e8-84a0-458a1aa9ac0a_story.html?utm_term=.ab331802444c)
Tom Wilson suspended three games by NHL for hit on Zach Aston-Reese (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capitals-insider/wp/2018/05/02/capitals-tom-wilson-will-have-hearing-for-hit-to-head-of-penguins-zach-aston-reese/?utm_term=.6fe7335e917e)
Tom Wilson’s most controversial hits, from Brayden Schenn to Zach Aston-Reese (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc-sports-bog/wp/2018/05/02/tom-wilsons-most-controversial-hits-from-brayden-schenn-to-zach-aston-reese/?utm_term=.7d2e6bcf323f)
‘Hell yeah!’ Max Scherzer and the Nats remain all-in on the Capitals (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc-sports-bog/wp/2018/05/01/the-nationals-are-all-in-on-the-capitals-except-for-bryce-harper/?utm_term=.c33b8e781807)
For one fan base at least in Capitals-Penguins series, Tom Wilson is a big hit (https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/capitals/for-one-fan-base-at-least-in-capitals-penguins-series-tom-wilson-is-a-big-hit/2018/05/01/ca835dd4-4d7a-11e8-84a0-458a1aa9ac0a_story.html?utm_term=.5afcbbcf2161)
The subtle secret to Sidney Crosby’s greatness (https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/the-subtle-secret-to-sidney-crosbys-greatness/2018/04/30/785a9d28-4c7c-11e8-b725-92c89fe3ca4c_story.html?utm_term=.8b004ce66d2b)
Speedy Jakub Vrana could be the Capitals’ X-factor — if he gets on the ice (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capitals-insider/wp/2018/04/30/speedy-jakub-vrana-could-be-the-capitals-x-factor-if-he-gets-on-the-ice/?utm_term=.799d6c8f5b8d)
How the Capitals improved their defensive play in time for the postseason (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capitals-insider/wp/2018/04/28/how-the-capitals-improved-their-defensive-play-in-time-for-the-postseason/?utm_term=.a5a11e09ee9a)