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Pittsburgh Penguins: These Washington Capitals Aren’t That Scary

By Matthew Rodrigopulle

Apr 27, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Capitals goalie Braden Holtby (70) makes a save on Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Bryan Rust (17) in the second period in game one of the second round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 27, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Capitals goalie Braden Holtby (70) makes a save on Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Bryan Rust (17) in the second period in game one of the second round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Pittsburgh Penguins seem to be facing their hardest opponent in the entire playoffs in the second round.

The Washington Capitals were poised to be the Stanley Cup favourites for this season since September, while the Pittsburgh Penguins garnered only a few votes to repeat. They have it all apparently. Offence, defence, goaltending, and a Presidents’ Trophy to back up the fact that they are the best team in the league.

But being the best in the regular season isn’t the same as being the best in the playoffs. Despite the hype, these Capitals aren’t any reason for the Penguins to worry.

Third Round?

The Capitals may be one of the most dominant regular season teams in hockey for the last few years, but the playoffs are a whole different story for them.

Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins /

Pittsburgh Penguins

Ever since the Penguins and Capitals rivalry renewed with the arrival of Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby in 2005, the Penguins have seen three Stanley Cup Finals appearances and two Stanley Cup wins. The Capitals….haven’t seen past the second round.

Now I’m not trying to mock the Capitals or downgrade them as a team. They are a very well built team, and they have been for many seasons now. However, what good is it to have such a good team if you can’t get it done in the playoffs?

The Penguins, along with many other teams, have shown they could eliminate the Capitals despite being having more holes in their roster. The losing mindset is definitely something that carries over year after year. The Capitals face a lot of pressure this year to get it done. The Penguins shouldn’t worry too much, and they can steal another series from the Caps.

First Round Trip-Ups

The Washington Capitals faced the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of this year’s post-season. Many analysts and fans pegged the Capitals to sweep the young Leafs who just squeaked into the last playoff spot in the East.

However, things didn’t go as planned for the Capitals. The Leafs were able to take the Capitals to six games in arguably the most intense series of the first-round. The Capitals found it hard to score on Toronto’s evidently flawed (and still developing) defensive core, as every game in the series was decided by only a one goal difference.

Toronto is a young and flawed team. They have very skillful players, but they are inexperienced and bound to make mistakes. The Capitals ended up being the ones making a few mistakes and letting the Leafs steal two games from them. Not such a big and scary first seed after all, huh?

Despite Injuries, Penguins Still Got It

The Penguins core has been facing injuries all season. Carl Hagelin’s injury is weighing down our offensive core, and the loss of Kris Letang significantly weakens our defence.

But has this stopped us from being the second best team in the league this season? Has this stopped us from defeating Columbus in five games in round one? Nope.

Injuries aside, this Penguins team plays with a hunger to win. We’re experienced, skilled, and we know how to play as a team. If we keep playing the way we’ve been playing, these Capitals really shouldn’t be that bad. We can take ’em.

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