Caps-Pens Game 7 Versus Preview


Why the Capitals Will Win:

They have demonstrated an incredible ability to overcome adversity, winning all 4 elimination games that they have faced thus far through the playoffs. Faced with the prospect of being dispatched yet again in Game 7, the Capitals will have the benefit of have home ice advantage. Carrying the momentum from Game 6, expect Washington to leave nothing on the ice.


Why the Penguins Will Lose:

Having failed to eliminate Washington on home ice in Game 6, the Penguins will be in difficult versus a Capitals squad that has been nothing short of excellent when they are at home. Fatigue will play a huge role for Pittsburgh as they have been dressing 7 D per game, leaving themselves one forward short. Matching the Caps energy level at home will be the Penguins biggest challenge of this series.


Inside the Capitals for Game 6:

They are riding the emotional high of winning Game 6 in overtime in Pittsburgh as well as equalling the Pens at 3 games apiece. The positive energy is flowing for Washington and each player is feeding off the other. The Caps know that they can match the Pens, yet their most important challenge will be getting ahead of the Pens in Game 7 and keeping the lead.


Inside their Heads:

No longer the only team facing elimination in this series, the Capitals possess the advantage of knowing how to rebound when facing this type of pressure. The Pens, on the other hand, will be facing their first elimination game of these playoffs. With the fans at their side, the Caps know that they must play a very physical game. They have gotten to Fleury when they needed to and have worked hard on improving their discipline. For a win in Game 7, the Caps are aware that they must score first, protect Varlamov and the lead and remain extremely disciplined.


Inside their Positives:

With a huge win in Game 6, the Capitals are carrying the momentum with them back to the Verizion Center. Staying alive when facing elimination provides the Caps with incredible positive energy. Heading into Game 7, Washington’s players have the inside track on how to play with their backs up against the wall. Varlamov has been excellent when needed to be and the secondary scoring and play from players like Steckel, Laich, Kozlov, Fedorov and Bradley has breathed invigorating life into this ‘never say die’ team. Ovechkin, the NHL’s force of nature, along with Nick Backstrom have been the backbone of the Capitals scoring, combining for 20 points against the Pens in only 6 games.


Inside their Adjustments:

Following 3 straight losses, the Caps rebounded into form thanks to Boudreau’s efforts to match his defensive players against the Penguins more dangerous scorers. Despite allowing 4 goals, it worked as the Capitals defense held off late 3rd period surges by Pittsburgh, giving them the opportunity to finish things off in overtime. Game 7 will require better insulation of Varlamov as well as continued improvement in terms of discipline, yet so long as all the players dressed for action play their parts, the Capitals can advance to the Conference Finals with a strong performance at home Wednesday night.


Inside their Trends:

With 12 and 8 points in 6 games, respectively, Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom have overwhelmed the Penguins defense all series long. With secondary support kicking in almost every game, the offense has not failed to deliver(20 goals in 6 games). Yet, it has been the defense and discipline that have cost the Caps, allowing 21 goals in 6 games and an average of 29.2 shots against per game. With a total of 64 penalties through 13 games(a little under 6 per game), the Caps will need to be better disciplined in Game 7 and will need to take advantage of their power play which is clicking at 19.6%.


Inside their Words:

"If I wasn't behind the bench, I would sure enjoy watching," Caps Coach Bruce Boudreau said. "It's fun now, it might not have been fun if they had scored. This is so good for our game. When our best players can shine on a bright stage like this, I just wish it was for the Cup." – Bruce Boudreau on Simeon Varlamov’s play and the anticipation of Game 7.

Boudreau, who was just as elated, if not more, than his fellow players following their Game 6 overtime win in Pittsburgh was very pleased with his goaltender’s ability to fight off the late 3rd period charge by the Penguins. It was Varly’s play in the last 2 minutes of the game that propelled the Capitals into overtime with the momentum.

Reaction to Game 7:


“I mean, there was a lot of [hype] before the series started, and it's everything it was made up to be…Let's just say I'm not surprised it's going seven." – Sidney Crosby’s reaction to being forced into a do or die Game 7.

"I think league wants us to play seven games, Pittsburgh-Washington, so they got it,…Fans probably happy, too." – Alex Ovechkin on the final and deciding game of this series.

"I kind of had a sense before the series started it would go to Game 7, and here we are," Green said. "But as far as an encore, I'm not sure. It's gonna be a great game, that's all I can say." – Mike Green echoes Ovechkin’s comments on Game 7.

Neither club seem too surprised that this series has pushed itself into a final and climactic game. The Capitals and Penguins are both aware that they have pushed each other to the brink and that Game 7 will be the most intense game of the season. The fans wanted it, the players delivered. Cliches aside, the winner of Game 7 will receive an invitation to participate in the Conference Finals, while the loser will have nothing but time on their hands to think about how and why they lost.


Inside their Trainer's Room:

With a win in Game 6, it is unlikely that there will any changes to the Capitals lineup for Game 7. Jay Beagle and John Erskine should remain in the lineup following a day off to rest, while Michael Nylander and Donald Brashear will be healthy scratches. Defenseman Jeff Schultz and goaltender Brent Johnson remain unavailable, out with injuries.


Inside their Bench:

Win. Win. Win. That is all that is on the Capitals minds. Having lived by the “no tomorrow” moniker for a majority of this post-season, Washington is more than prepared to face-off with the Penguins in the ultimate winner-take-all Game 7. They know that they are equal to the Pens pound for pound, therefore they also know that to beat the Penguins in this deciding game, they will have to dig deep to come up with their most impressive game of the season. The Caps are a very tight-knit team and play for each other, with that in mind, expect every single Capital player to play their hearts out Wednesday night.


Career Game 7 Player and Goaltender Statistics: Washington vs. Pittsburgh


Washington | GP | W-L | G | A | Pts.

Nicklas Backstrom | 2 | 1-1 | 1 | 1 | 2
Matt Bradley | 3 | 1-2 | 0 | 1 | 1
Donald Brashear | 3 | 1-2 | 0 | 0 | 0
Chris Clark | 3 | 2-1 | 0 | 0 | 0
John Erskine | 2 | 1-1 | 0 | 0 | 0
Sergei Fedorov | 8 | 4-4 | 3 | 3 | 6
Eric Fehr | 2 | 1-1 | 0 | 0 | 0
Tomas Fleischmann | 1 | 1-0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Boyd Gordon | 2 | 1-1 | 0 | 0 | 0
Mike Green | 2 | 1-1 | 0 | 1 | 1
Milan Jurcina | 2 | 1-1 | 0 | 0 | 0
Viktor Kozlov | 2 | 1-1 | 0 | 1 | 1
Brooks Laich | 2 | 1-1 | 0 | 1 | 1
Shaone Morrisonn | 2 | 1-1 | 0 | 0 | 0
Michael Nylander | 2 | 0-2 | 0 | 1 | 1
Alex Ovechkin | 2 | 1-1 | 1 | 1 | 2
Brian Pothier | 2 | 1-1 | 0 | 0 | 0
Tom Poti | 2 | 1-1 | 0 | 0 | 0
Alexander Semin | 2 | 1-1 | 1 | 0 | 1
Dave Steckel | 2 | 1-1 | 0 | 0 | 0


Washington Goaltenders


GP Mins W-L GAA SO Sv%

Jose Theodore 1 60 1-0 0.00 1 1.000
Simeon Varlamov 1 60 1-0 1.00 0 .933
Brent Johnson - - - - - -


Jose Theodore

Date Score Dec. Shots

4/19/04 MTL 2 at BOS 0 Win 32


Simeon Varlamov

Date Score Dec. Shots

4/28/09 NYR 1 at WSH 2 Win 15


Washington Head Coach

Bruce Boudreau (1-1)


Date Score Dec.

4/28/09 NYR 1 at WSH 2 Win
4/22/08 PHI 3 at WSH 2 (OT) Loss



Pittsburgh | GP | W-L | G | A | Pts.

Craig Adams | 2 | 2-0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Philippe Boucher | 3 | 0-3 | 1 | 0 | 1
Matt Cooke | 4 | 1-3 | 2 | 0 | 2
Pascal Dupuis | 2 | 2-0 | 3 | 0 | 3
Ruslan Fedotenko | 2 | 2-0 | 3 | 0 | 3
Hal Gill | 1 | 0-1 | 0 | 0 | 0
Sergei Gonchar | 2 | 0-2 | 0 | 0 | 0
Bill Guerin | 4 | 2-2 | 2 | 0 | 2
Chris Kunitz | 1 | 1-0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Miroslav Satan | 1 | 0-1 | 0 | 0 | 0
Petr Sykora | 5 | 2-3 | 1 | 3 | 4


Pittsburgh Goaltenders

GP Mins W-L GAA SO Sv%


Marc-Andre Fleury - - - - - -
Mathieu Garon - - - - - -


Pittsburgh Head Coach

Dan Bylsma (0-0)


WASHINGTON, PITTSBURGH RECORDS IN GAME 7


Washington Capitals (2-5)


4/28/09, Eastern Conference QF vs. NY Rangers (NYR 1 at WSH 2)
4/22/08, Eastern Conference QF vs. Philadelphia (PHI 3 at WSH 2, OT)
5/18/95, Eastern Conference QF vs. Pittsburgh (WSH 0 at PIT 3)
5/1/92, Patrick Division SF vs. Pittsburgh (PIT 3 at WSH 1)
4/30/88, Patrick Division Final vs. New Jersey (N.J. 3 at WSH 2)
4/16/88, Patrick Division SF vs. Philadelphia (PHI 4 at WSH 5, OT)
4/18/87, Patrick Division SF vs. NY Islanders (NYI 3 at WSH 2, 4OT)


Pittsburgh Penguins (5-4)


5/10/01, Eastern Conference SF vs. Buffalo (PIT 3 at BUF 2, OT)
5/4/99, Eastern Conference QF vs. New Jersey (PIT 4 at N.J. 2)
6/1/96, Eastern Conference Final vs. Florida (FLA 3 at PIT 1)
5/18/95, Eastern Conference QF vs. Washington (WSH 0 at PIT 3)
5/14/93, Patrick Division Final vs. NY Islanders (NYI 4 at PIT 3, OT)
5/1/92, Patrick Division SF vs. Washington (PIT 3 at WSH 1)
4/15/91, Patrick Division SF vs. New Jersey (N.J. 0 at PIT 4)
4/29/89, Patrick Division Final vs. Philadelphia (PHI 4 at PIT 1)
4/26/75, Quarterfinal vs. NY Islanders (NYI 1 at PIT 0)


OVERTIME IN GAME 7

Date | Winning Club | Goal Scorer | Result | Series | Time |


April 22, 2008 | Philadelphia | Joffrey Lupul | Phi 3 at Wsh 2 | Eastern Conf. QF | 6:06
April 19, 2004 | Calgary | Martin Gelinas | Cgy 3 at Van 2 | Western Conf. QF | 1:25
April 22, 2003 | Minnesota | Andrew Brunette | Min 3 at Col 2 | Western Conf. QF| 3:25
May 10, 2001 | Pittsburgh | Darius Kasparaitis | Pit 3 at Buf 2 | Eastern Conf. SF | 13:01
May 4, 1999 | St. Louis | Pierre Turgeon | St.L 1 at Phx 0 | Western Conf. QF | 17:59
April 29, 1997 | Buffalo | Derek Plante | Ott 2 at Buf 3 | Eastern Conf. QF | 5:24
April 29, 1997 | Edmonton | Todd Marchant | Edm 4 at Dal 3 | Western Conf. QF | 12:26
May 16, 1996 | Detroit | Steve Yzerman | St.L 0 at Det 1 | Western Conf. SF | 21:15
May 19, 1995 | San Jose | Ray Whitney | S.J. 5 at Cgy 4 | Western Conf. QF | 21:54
May 27, 1994 | NY Rangers | Stephane Matteau | N.J. 1 at NYR 2 | Eastern Conf. F | 24:24
Apr. 30, 1994 | Vancouver | Pavel Bure | Van 4 at Cgy 3 | Western Conf. QF | 22:20
May 14, 1993 | NY Islanders | David Volek | NYI 4 at Pit 3 | Patrick Div. F | 5:16
May 1, 1993 | Toronto | Nikolai Borschevsky | Tor 4 at Det 3 | Norris Div. SF | 2:35
May 1, 1992 | Montreal | Russ Courtnall | Hfd 2 at Mtl 3 | Adams Div. SF | 25:26
April 16, 1991 | Edmonton | Esa Tikkanen | Edm 5 at Cgy 4 | Smythe Div. SF | 6:58
April 15, 1989 | Calgary | Joel Otto | Van 3 at Cgy 4 | Smythe Div. SF | 19:21
April 16, 1988 | Washington | Dale Hunter | Phi 4 at Wsh 5 | Patrick Div. SF | 5:57
April 18, 1987 | NY Islanders | Pat LaFontaine | NYI 3 at Wsh 2 | Patrick Div. SF | 68:47
April 29, 1986 | Montreal | Claude Lemieux | Hfd 1 at Mtl 2 | Adams Div. F | 5:55
May 2, 1985 | Quebec | Peter Stastny | Que 3 at Mtl 2 | Adams Div. F | 2:22
April 22, 1984 | Minnesota | Steve Payne | StL 3 at Min 4 | Norris Div. F | 6:00
April 24, 1983 | Boston | Brad Park | Buf 2 at Bos 3 | Adams Div. F | 1:52
May 10, 1979 | Montreal | Yvon Lambert | Bos 4 at Mtl 5 | Semifinal | 9:33
April 29, 1978 | Toronto | Lanny McDonald | Tor 2 at NYI 1 | Quarterfinal | 4:13
April 16, 1972 | St. Louis | Kevin O'Shea | StL 2 at Min 1 | Quarterfinal | 10:07
May 3, 1968 | St. Louis | Gerry Melnyk | Min 1 at StL 2 | Semifinal | 22:50
April 16, 1954 | Detroit | Tony Leswick | Mtl 1 at Det 2 | Final ** | 4:29
April 23, 1950 | Detroit | Pete Babando | NYR 3 at Det 4 | Final ** | 28:31
April 9, 1950 | Detroit | Leo Reise | Tor 0 at Det 1 | Semifinal | 8:39
April 2, 1939 | Boston | Mel Hill | NYR 1 at Bos 2 | Semifinal | 48:00

** Stanley Cup-winning goal



Game Notes

Seven again – Verizon Center hosts its third Game 7 in the past two years tonight as one of the most special events in sports has seemingly become routine in downtown D.C. This is no ordinary game, however – the superstars involved and the high level of play through six games could make tonight’s Capitals-Penguins game the most eagerly anticipated Stanley Cup playoffs matchup in the U.S. since the New York Rangers played Game 7 for the Cup in 1994. Washington, which has won seven of eight win-or-go-home games under head coach Bruce Boudreau, is less concerned with the big picture and more focused on reaching the Eastern Conference finals.


Close as a blade – So far in this series three of the six games have gone to overtime, five have been decided by one goal and 92% of the time the teams have been tied or separated by one goal. Both teams have led in each of the six games and both have held a lead in the series. This marks the fourth time the Capitals have played three overtime games in a series and first since 1998.


Just win, baby – The Capitals have gone 7-1 in win-or-go-home games under Bruce Boudreau (including the final game of the 2007-08 regular season). Alex Ovechkin has nine points (5g-4a) in those eight games.


Seventh heaven – This is Washington's third Game 7 in the last two years; entering Tuesday night's games, no other NHL team has played more than one Game 7 in that time. The Capitals are 1-1 in Game 7s in that time, losing to Philadelphia last season and beating the New York Rangers this year, both at home. In their history the Capitals are 2-5 in Game 7s, 2-4 at home and 0-2 against Pittsburgh. On the whole, the home team has won 63% of the Game 7s in NHL history.


Washington's Game 7s


4/28/09 vs. NY Rangers W, 2-1

4/22/08 vs. Philadelphia L, 2-3 OT

5/18/95 at Pittsburgh L, 0-3

5/1/92 vs. Pittsburgh L, 1-3

4/30/88 vs. New Jersey L, 2-3

4/16/88 vs. Philadelphia W, 5-4 OT

4/18/87 vs. NY Islanders L, 2-3 4OT

Star power – Alex Ovechkin is averaging more than two points per game in this series and has already set the Capitals record for points in a playoff season (20) and points in a series (13). It's the most points by any NHL player in a playoff series in six years (Doug Weight had 13 for STL vs. VAN in 2003). Ovechkin leads the NHL in points, is tied for the league lead in goals, ranks first in shots and stands first in plus/minus rating (+11, the best by a Capital in playoff history). Ovechkin has points in each game of this series and goals in seven of the last 10 games overall (10 goals in that time). He has a hand in 13 of Washington's 20 goals in the series and has points in 10 of the 13 playoff games this year. He has had multiple-point games in 10 of the 20 playoff games he has played in his career.

Caps Record, Points in a Playoff Season


20 Alex Ovechkin, 2009 (10g-7a in 12 GP)

17 Joe Juneau, 1998 (7g-10a in 21 GP)

Adam Oates, 1998 (6g-11a in 21 GP)

John Druce, 1990 (14g-3a in 15 GP)


Caps Record, Points in a Playoff Series


13 Alex Ovechkin, 2009 vs. PIT

11 Mike Ridley, 1992 vs. PIT

John Druce, 1990 vs. NYR

Dino Ciccarelli, 1990 vs. NJ


Star of David – David Steckel, who scored eight goals in the regular season, has three in this playoff series, including the overtime winner in Game 6. Steckel has also excelled on faceoffs, winning 54-of-85 (63.5%) in the series, and has been a key member of the Capitals' penalty killing unit, ranking third among NHL forwards in shorthanded ice time per game for the playoffs (4:02).

Ancient history – Washington is seeking to beat Pittsburgh in a playoff series for just the second time in eight attempts. In three of the previous series that the Penguins have won the Capitals held a two-game series lead at some point (either 2-0 or 3-1).

Game 7 Lineup’s:


Pittsburgh Forwards

26-Fedotenko, 71-Malkin, 25-Talbot
14-Kunitz, 87-Crosby, 13-Guerin
24-Cooke, 11-Staal, 48-Kennedy
27-Adams, 81-Satan

Pittsburgh Defensemen

43-Boucher, 44-Orpik
2-Gill, 4-Scuderi
7-Eaton, 58-Letang
3-Goligoski/55- Gonchar?

Goaltenders

*29-Fleury, 32-Garon

________________________________________________-


Washington Forwards

8-Ovechkin, 19-Backstrom, 25-Kozlov
14-Fleischmann, 91-Fedorov, 28-Semin
21-Laich, 39-Steckel, 10-Bradley
83-Beagle, 15-Gordon, 17-Clark

Washington Defensemen

26-Morrisonn, 52-Green
3-Poti, 23-Jurcina
4-Erskine, 2-Pothier

Goaltenders

*40-Varlamov, 60-Theodore
*Starter


Capitals See Surge in TV Ratings

The Washington Capitals are seeing unprecedented interest in the team as the Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Pittsburgh Penguins has garnered a 5.1 average household TV rating through six games.

In addition, the Baltimore market has kept a keen eye on this series with a 2.2 average household rating. Adding D.C. and Baltimore households together, an average of 142,000 homes are watching the Caps – Pens playoff series.

Game 2 and 3 were televised by Versus and obtained a 5.1 and 6.7 rating, respectively. The coveted male 18-49 age category earned an average 7.3 rating for Game 3. Game 1 was broadcast by NBC and received a 5.3 local rating.

Wednesday’s Game 7 to Air Exclusively on Comcast SportsNet Live in High Definition; Coverage Begins at 6:30 p.m. with Special SportsNite from Ice Level at Verizon Center

Bethesda, MD (May 12, 2009) – Comcast SportsNet, the leader in local sports television, received its highest Washington Capitals rating of the 2008-09 season on Monday, May 11, as Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Eastern Conference semifinals earned a 5.3 average household rating in the Washington, D.C., area. The Baltimore area received a 3.4 rating for the game, as 162,000 households tuned in on Comcast SportsNet for the Washington Capitals victory over the Penguins in Pittsburgh. The broadcast peaked at 238,000 households tuning in between 9:45-10:00 p.m. to see the Capitals win in overtime.

The game received 6.0 average rating and peaked with a 9.1 for the network’s target age group, men 18-49, in Washington, D.C. Approximately 125,000 men in that demographic tuned as the Capitals clinched victory.

The three conference semifinal games on Comcast SportsNet have averaged a 4.4 household rating in Washington, D.C., and a 2.4 household rating in the Baltimore area. The ratings combine to represent an average of 130,000 households tuning in for the past three Capitals games on Comcast SportsNet.

Comcast SportsNet will air Game 7 of the Capitals-Penguins conference semifinal matchup exclusively throughout the Washington, D.C.-Baltimore area. The game will be broadcast in high definition and will be immediately followed by Capitals Postgame Live on the network. Comcast SportsNet will also air a special SportsNite live from ice level at Verizon Center beginning at 6:30 p.m. The network will welcome special guests from the Capitals and Penguins, along with Washington Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell and other celebrities from the world of sports and entertainment.

During the past two seasons, the back-to-back Southeast Division champions have set countless records with their television ratings on Comcast SportsNet. This year, Comcast SportsNet posted the highest Capitals regular-season average in the history of the network. The 1.1 rating, which is equivalent to more than 25,000 households in Washington, D.C., is a 65% increase over last season, building on the 75% year-over-year increase Comcast SportsNet saw in its Capitals regular season ratings from 2006-07 to 2007-08.

I will update prior to gametime with any lineup changes or any other notes I get.





stevenhindle@hockeybuzz.com
capitalshockeybuzz@live.ca
Go Caps!!!!!

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