Pittsburgh Penguins Finally Won in OT Without Big Guns
Before last night, the Pittsburgh Penguins had lost eight straight playoff overtime games. What clicked for them to finally break that streak?
Last night, the Pittsburgh Penguins took a 3-1 series lead over the Washington Capitals in a nail-biting overtime victory. In doing so, they defied the odds – and a few different unfortunate statistics that all pointed to a probable loss.
First of all, the Pens were missing their top two defensemen, Kris Letang and Olli Maatta. Pittsburgh went into the game with a dismal record of 2-8-1 when Letang was missing from the lineup, and the fact that he played 35 minutes in the previous game didn’t make his absence any easier.
Then, the Penguins gave up their one-goal lead and the game went to overtime. They had lost eight straight playoff overtime games, including the first game of this series.
I can’t say the win was miraculous, because miracles had nothing to do with it. The Pens just can’t lose – thanks to their hard work and resilience. Like, you know that feeling you get sometimes when you’re watching games and just can feel a goal coming? That’s how I feel whenever I watch the Pens play now.
You just kind of know things are going to turn out all right.
In the past, I didn’t really get that feeling very much. I approached Pens games with the mindset of “if you have low expectations, you can’t be too disappointed.” Even when they were winning in recent years, it’s never been this decisive or, dare I say, reliable.
Trevor Daley, who played about 28 minutes last night, was a big reason the Pens got the “W.” He ate up most of Letang’s minutes and provided a bit of the speed and offensive pressure that Letang brings. Daley got the Pens on the board for their first goal of the game, too.
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Sidney Crosby made the impact he needed to as well. He didn’t put one in the net, but he majorly helped with the Daley goal and wasn’t afraid to get into puck battles. You can easily see the contrast between his style of play and his counterpart, Alex Ovechkin‘s.
Neither has really gotten on the scoresheet as much as expected, but Crosby has a bigger impact on his team’s overall game. He’s much more of a playmaker than Ovechkin, and as a center he has more defensive responsibility too. Even when he doesn’t get on the scoresheet, he makes his presence felt in all aspects of the game.
Meanwhile, Ovechkin is more of a pure goal scorer. There’s nothing wrong with that; he’s obviously one of the best in the world at what he does. His shot is lethal and he plays a more physical game than Crosby often does. But he hasn’t really shown up in the playoffs, and that hurts the Caps’ high-powered offense since that’s where his skill lies.
Of course, Matt Murray‘s infallible goaltending is also a big reason that that offense has been shut down. The Caps are undeniably frustrated with his skill, even getting up in his face last night and exchanging some pleasantries.
(Marc-Andre “I Want To Be In A Goalie Fight” Fleury was surely proud of his protégé at that point.)
The Pens have a great mindset and a great roster. Those are both big reasons why they were able to battle through and get the best of those bad statistics that pockmarked last night’s game.
Their depth is phenomenal. Their speed is otherworldly. Their physicality is improving without sacrificing other facets of their game. They believe in themselves and their teammates. They don’t give up.
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And now, thanks to those things, they have their first playoff overtime win in CONSOL Energy Center under their belts, and are going back to Washington with a commanding series lead.
Last year, the 3-1 lead was an Achilles heel for the Penguins. This year, it’s easily taken care of. Old statistics mean little for this new Pittsburgh team.