What a playoff game.
The Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins opened their second-round series Thursday night with what can only be described as a thrilling game of spring puck. T.J. Oshie scored three times, including the winner - barely - in overtime on a wraparound. It needed review - the good kind - and Washington now needs to win three of six.
And you need not worry: It was only 70 minutes, but this series is already living up to the hype. And neither Alex Ovechkin nor Sidney Crosby were factors in Game 1.
Supporting casts
Turns out, this series is going to be about a lot more than Sid and Ovie.
Nick Bonino had a night in Game 1, stapling poor Dmitry Orlov to the bench in the process. T.J. Oshie went to the rink Thursday with six playoff goals to his name in 36 games, and made it nine in 37. Phil Kessel had six shots and an assist. Matt Niskanen - the former Penguin - played 32:13, including 27:24 at even strength. Kris Letang did him even better, skating 34 minutes, 30 at five on five. Brooks Orpik stepped back into the Caps lineup and played almost 26 minutes. Carl Hagelin had two assists.
Crosby dominated the faceoff circle Thursday night, but if you weren't paying attention to the puck drops, you'd be forgiven for wondering whether Sid was out there at all. It was an uncharacteristically quiet game for No. 87, even though his 57.5 Corsi For rating says otherwise. And, yeah, plus-minus is a flawed statistic, but it's hard to ignore Crosby's minus-3 (we tried).
After the game, talk focused on what Ovechkin didn't do, as rookie Matt Murray stopped No. 8 twice on breakaways. Ask Ovechkin and there's no way Game 1 should have been more than 60 minutes.
But it was, and any extra hockey played by these two teams is a gift. These are two excellent teams, with skill - and brawn - up and down their lineups.
"You can expect a good series here," Oshie said after the game, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston. "The momentum shifts, the big hits, the goals, overtime, the big saves. This is what the playoffs are all about," Oshie added, tweeted the Associated Press' Stephen Whyno.
Amen.
Solving Braden
Murray played well between the Pittsburgh pipes. Especially in the first period, when he stopped 14 of 15 shots, weathering the early Capitals onslaught with aplomb. He had no chance on Andre Burakovsky's goal, which opened the scoring, as it came on a rebound. And we all know goalies can't be faulted for rebounds.
The second and third periods, though, were about the Penguins and their march. Pittsburgh outshot Washington 30-12 in the game's final 40 minutes, solving Braden Holtby three times - a feat in and of itself.
Holtby was perfect in overtime, stopping all six Penguins shots he faced, and he finished with 42 saves. Let's face it: He's better when he faces 40 or more shots. It was the first time Holtby allowed more than two goals in a game this spring and for the Penguins to come away without a win hurts, because he's not going to do it often.
Murray's a good goalie with a bright future and it appears as though he'll be the man, as Marc-Andre Fleury remains in a suit. But to ask him to outplay Holtby is a task that he's unlikely to live up to.
For as much digital ink is spilled about Ovechkin and Crosby and superstars in supporting roles like Evgeni Malkin and Nicklas Backstrom, this series may come down - like so many do at this time of year - to the men in the crease. And you're fooling only yourself if you think the Capitals don't have a marked advantage.
Looking ahead
It was a physical game. Seventy-two hits. Numerous penalties. A knee-on-knee hit. And what makes the playoffs beautiful is that they'll do it again after only one day off.
Game 2 goes Saturday at 8 p.m. in D.C. If you're a hockey fan, you're rooting for the Penguins. Because this series deserves to go as long as it possibly can.
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