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Capitals start slow again — but finish fast once more to beat Penguins Capitals start slow again — but finish fast once more to beat Penguins
(35 minutes later)
If the playoffs started now, the Washington Capitals would be playing their rival Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round. A lot can change before mid-April, but this early-March meeting was as tight as you’d expect between two contending teams. The Washington Capitals discussed it in morning meetings: If the playoffs started now, they would be playing their rival Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round.
On a power play late in the third period, Matt Niskanen fired a one-timer from the point that found the net to beat his old team, 3-2, giving the Capitals at least one point in 12 straight games against Metropolitan Division opponents. Their 46th win Tuesday night eclipsed their victory total from all of last season — and there’s still 20 more games to go. “It’s the most likely first-round matchup, based on the percentage of 33.1, I think it is,” Capitals Coach Barry Trotz said. “But I didn’t mention it.”
The game was a rescheduled affair from late January, when a weekend blizzard forced the postponement. Instead, it kicks off a stretch of four games in five nights for the Capitals. After falling into a two-goal hole, the Capitals scored three unanswered goals to beat the Penguins, 3-2. Their 46th win Tuesday night eclipsed their victory total from all of last season — and there’s still 20 games remaining. They also sent a message to a team they could see again in mid-April.
Although the Penguins had played Monday night, they appeared to be the fresher team early. Slow starts have been a common narrative for Washington, as it has allowed the first goal in seven of its past nine games. The Capitals won five of those seven games in which they trailed early, which speaks to their resiliency, but in the locker room Coach Barry Trotz continues to preach the importance of coming out strong to open games. [Ovechkin earns NHL honors for February]
It was, again, to no avail Tuesday. Barely six minutes in, Brooks Orpik went in for a hit by the teams’ benches, taking himself out of the play as a two-on-one rush barreled toward goaltender Braden Holtby. Defenseman Dmitry Orlov laid down in the crease, hoping to cut off what he expected would be a Evgeni Malkin pass. Instead, Malkin maneuvered the puck through Holtby’s legs, giving the Penguins an early 1-0 lead. “We’re always trying to lay some groundwork here and put doubts in teams’ minds,” defenseman Karl Alzner said. “We’ve done a good job of it against most teams this year, so we’re feeling good about that. This is one of those teams that you really want to put down, if possible.”
Washington didn’t have its first shot on goal until 8 minutes and 52 seconds into the period, and that snapper by Marcus Johansson was greeted by a Bronx cheer from the Verizon Center faithful. By that point, the Penguins had seven shots on goal. With less than eight minutes left in the game, Evgeni Malkin committed a high-sticking penalty on T.J. Oshie, giving the Capitals a prime power play opportunity in a tied game. As the Capitals buzzed, the Penguins gravitated toward Alex Ovechkin at the left faceoff circle. When the puck instead found Matt Niskanen at the point, he fired a one-timer for the game-winning goal against his former team.
Not four minutes into the second period, Patric Hornqvist made it a two-goal deficit, taking a pass from Olli Maatta and tucking the puck in under Holtby’s pad. “Everybody’s cheating over to Ovi,” Trotz said. “. . . If they want to give us that lane, we’re going to have to take that a little more often.”
The game came after an emotional weekend for the Capitals. After a loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday afternoon, Brooks Laich, the team’s longest-tenured player, was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs, a contract dump as a way to clear cap room for offseason re-signings. Tuesday night was the Capitals’ first game without him. Although the Penguins had played Monday night, they appeared to be the fresher team early. Slow starts have been a common narrative for Washington, as it has allowed the first goal in seven of its past nine games. This one was especially hard to watch.
Forward Daniel Winnik, whom the Capitals acquired in the Laich trade, arrived just before the game, watching with other scratched players. Defenseman Mike Weber, an addition from last week in a trade with Buffalo, made his debut, skating on the third pair with Nate Schmidt. The changes were minor as far as the on-ice product, but this team is the one the Capitals hope to make a Stanley Cup run with. [Steinberg: Why Brooks Laich mattered on D.C. sports landscape]
Less than a minute after Hornqvist’s goal put Washington down, 2-0, Mike Richards halved the deficit. With Tom Wilson screening goaltender Matt Murray, Richards scored his second goal of the year from the high slot. Then with 3:57 left in the second period, Justin Williams attempted a wraparound, and Evgeny Kuznetsov swatted in the rebound. Comeback complete. “We couldn’t string two passes together today,” Trotz said. “We’re going to have to readjust our alarm clocks or whatever.”
Malkin was called for high-sticking T.J. Oshie with 7:15 left in the game, and Washington capitalized on the opportunity. Nickas Backstrom glided to Niskanen, who wound up and slammed it in. As is often the case with the Capitals, a strong finish made up for a slow start. After not recording a shot on goal for nearly nine minutes, Washington finished with a whopping 37. Barely six minutes in, Brooks Orpik went in for a hit by the teams’ benches, taking himself out of the play as a two-on-one rush barreled toward goaltender Braden Holtby. Defenseman Dmitry Orlov laid down in the crease, hoping to cut off what he expected would be a pass from Malkin. Instead, Malkin maneuvered the puck through Holtby’s legs, giving the Penguins an early 1-0 lead.
Washington didn’t have its first shot on goal until 8 minutes and 52 seconds into the period, and that snapper by Marcus Johansson was greeted by a Bronx cheer from the Verizon Center faithful. By that point, the Penguins had seven shots on goal. Washington finished the game with 37 shots.
“You probably don’t want to make a habit of [early deficits] any more than it already is, especially when you’re facing some good teams down the stretch,” Mike Richards said. “One time it’s going to bite us in the butt, especially come playoff time.”
[Ex-teammates wish Brooks Laich well]
Patric Hornqvist made it a two-goal deficit less than four minutes into the second period. But with the lines shuffled, that second Penguins goal seemed to finally jolt the Capitals. Less than a minute later, Richards halved the deficit. With Tom Wilson screening goaltender Matt Murray, Richards scored his second goal of the year from the high slot.
Then with 3:57 left in the second period, Justin Williams attempted a wraparound, and Evgeny Kuznetsov swatted in the rebound. Comeback complete.
“I’d like to say no matter who you’re playing, you play to win,” Niskanen said. “But it feels good to beat those guys, for everybody in the room. The biggest thing is we just can’t coast right now, this time of year. We’ve got to keep pushing to get better. As games get tighter and tighter, you can’t have mental lapses or times of the game, periods of the game where you’re just not into it physically or have your battle level very high.
“We talk about it a lot and it hasn’t come to fruition a lot at the start of games. But the best characteristic we have on this team this year is we’re resilient and we play to win.”