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Washington Capitals Blogger •
Game Notes
Caps-Pens Game 5 Versus Preview
Why the Capitals Will Win:
With the home team winning each game in the series so far, it's a good thing the Caps will be back at the Verizon Center for Game 5. Having squandered a 2-0 series lead, Washington will once again face the adversity of falling behind if they do not win, something that is sure to spark a team that has drifted through their last 2 contests.
Why the Penguins Will Lose:
The Penguins out-played the Capitals in Pittsburgh, but at times showed signs of defensive lapses and weak goaltending. Now faced with the loss of their top defender, Sergei Gonchar, the mental confidence and momentum that comes with winning at home may fade fast from the Penguins as they will have to make adjustments in order to compensate for the absence of the best defenesman on the team.
Inside the Capitals for Game 5
There is no time to dwell on the 2 losses sustained in Pittsburgh. Back home at the Verizon Center, the Caps are on comfortable ground. Washington's lack of discipline has been the sole factor that has cost the Capitals a chance at victory in the last 2 games. They know this must change. With the prospect of facing a Penguins team without Sergei Gonchar and an injured Kris Letang, the Capitals must find renewed energy with which to attack Marc-Andre Fleury and the depleted Penguins defense corps.
Inside their Heads:
Home Sweet Home. The Caps have won their last 4 games at home and as much as the Penguins have been able to draw them into penalties in Pittsburgh, with the return of last change to Bruce Boudreau and the Capitals, it will be Washington's turn to draw the Penguins into vulnerable situations. Boudreau will have a much easier time of setting the tone for the game, hopefully giving his team the ability to corral their indiscipline long enough to give the Capitals the offensive advantage.
Inside their Positives:
There is little in the way of positives following 2 straight losses other than the fact that it was the Capitals fault that Pittsburgh won. Knowing that they allowed the Penguins the advantage by taking too many penalties is a benefit as it is a problem the Capitals can fix. Washington is a much stronger team on home ice and this is without much to build on from the Igloo, this is what they must focus on.
Inside their Adjustments:
Getting back to the game-plan will be the biggest adjustment for the Caps. Penguins coach Dan Bylsma had the advantage of last change in Pittsburgh, but now that Boudreau regains the ability to set the match-ups(rather than having to match them), the Caps will have a much easier time of controlling the play and of limiting their penalties. If the Penguins are without Gonchar, the Caps will have to attack the void he will leave. If Ovechkin faces suspension for his hit on Gonchar, the Caps will have to play an entirely different style of hockey.
Inside their Trends:
Indiscipline and the inability to limit scoring chances from dangerous areas have exhausted the Caps. Handing over power play after power play to a team that boast the #1 and #3 scorers in the league is never a good idea, reversing that trend is. There has been a power shortage for the Caps, both in terms of scoring and hitting. The timing that saw the Caps win Games 1 and 2 somehow disappeared at the Igloo and left a mass of confusion in its wake. With some of the best players in the world on their side, the Capitals can easily reverse losing trends and start winning ones.
Inside their Words:
"I wanted to hit him, but I didn't want to hurt him, especially knee-on-knee," said Ovechkin, who received a two-minute minor for tripping. "I think it's a dirty hit and it's not my play. If I hit a guy, I hit clean." - Alex Ovechkin of his hit on Sergei Gonchar.
Obviously Ovechkin regrets his hit on fellow Russian Sergei Gonchar, but his blow to the knee of the Penguins best blue-liner may turn out to be the turning point in the series. With the Penguins at full-steam, fresh off of 2 wins and loaded with momentum, the prospect of missing their most-experienced and capable game breaker on the back-end could surely deflate their confidence and hand the series back to Washington.
"Alex is only human; he can't be unbelievable every night, and if you take analogies of baseball players, they don't hit home runs all the time, they can go eight games and then they'll get three and everyone's back on the bandwagon. Alex is a good player -- he's a great player. He just had one of those nights where he's not going to get three goals." - Bruce Boudreau on Alex Ovechkin.
Despite frustrations from two straight losses, the coach of the Capitals and reigning Jack Adams Trophy winner(coach of the year) knows that all his team has to do is win 2 more games. Panic is not something that the happy coach lets his players do and with the intensity only expected to increase, Bruce Boudreau will do everything he can to give his players the room and patience they need to succeed.
Inside their Trainer's Room:
John Erskine returned to action in Game 4 while Tyler Sloan and Michael Nylander were healthy scratches. Karl Alzner was sent back to the Hershey Bears(Caps AHL affiliate) and re-called Jay Beagle. Beagle skated in place of Nylander in Game 4 and will likely play Game 5. Defenseman Jeff Schultz and Goaltender Brent Johnson remain out with injuries. If Alex Ovechkin recieves a suspension from the NHL for his hit on Sergei Gonchar, expect Michael Nylander to play. Donald Brashear will be eligible to return to the lineup for Game 6 in Pittsburgh.
Inside their Bench:
Returning to form won't be easy for the Caps, but considering how resilient this young group has proven to be, the coaching staff will not hesitate in letting the players dictate how they want the game to played. Washington was one of the top home teams in the NHL this season and and have found success at home with their last home-losses coming back in Games 1 and 2 against the Rangers. Boudreau has last change and the Caps have their home fans behind. With a touch of amnesia to forget their play in Pittsburgh, the Caps will come out firing in front of the Verizon Center faithful.
Tonight's Probable Lineup's:
As mentioned by Brian Metzer in his latest blog, Sergei Gonchar has accompanied the Penguins to Washington, but was seen sporting a large black brace around his knee this morning. The speculation is that Gonchar will likely miss 4-6 weeks, but, much in the same fashion that Kris Letang made his comeback, Gonchar has been listed as questionable and will be a game-time decision.
Alex Goligoski has been recalled from Scranton and will suit up for the Pens tonight at the Verizon Center. Whether Gonchar dresses or not, Goligoski will get to see his first ever action in a playoff game.
The lineup won't change much for the Capitals.
Pittsburgh Forwards
26-Fedotenko, 71-Malkin, 25-Talbot
14-Kunitz, 87-Crosby, 13-Guerin
24-Cooke, 11-Staal, 48-Kennedy
9-Dupuis, 27-Adams, 81-Satan
Pittsburgh Defensemen
43-Boucher or 55-Gonchar, 44-Orpik
2-Gill, 4-Scuderi
7-Eaton, 58-Letang
Goaltenders
*29-Fleury, 32-Garon
____________________________
Washington Forwards
8-Ovechkin, 19-Backstrom, 25-Kozlov
21-Laich, 91-Fedorov, 28-Semin
17-Clark, 39-Steckel, 10-Bradley
14-Fleischmann, 15-Gordon, 83-Beagle
Washington Defensemen
26-Morrisonn, 52-Green
3-Poti, 23-Jurcina
4-Erskine, 2-Pothier
Goaltenders
*40-Varlamov, 60-Theodore
I will be back with updates before game-time.
stevn.hindle@hockeybuzz.com
capitalshockeybuzz@live.ca
Go Caps!!!!!
Jurcina picking up his game — At 6’4”, 233 pounds, Milan Jurcina is an imposing defenseman that is not known for his offensive skills. However, Jurcina has two goals in 11 playoff games after scoring three times in 79 regular-season games. He recorded a shorthanded tally last night against Pittsburgh and also scored in the first round against the New York Rangers. Jurcina was a +1 in the regular season, but is tied for the NHL lead (with teammate Alex Ovechkin and three others) at +7 in the playoffs. He is also second on the team (Ovechkin has 41 hits) and fourth in the league with 40 hits. Sweet home – Washington returns to Verizon Center for Game 5 in a series that has seen the home team win every game. The Capitals are carrying a four-game winning streak on home ice, one that matches the longest home winning streak in Capitals playoff history (also 1990 and 1988). Washington's 29 home wins in the regular season were the second-most in club history (29-9-3).
Replay booth – Washington and Pittsburgh meet less than 22 hours after the conclusion of Game 4 last night in Pittsburgh. The Capitals were 6-6-1 in the regular season on the second night of back-to-back games, including a 3-1-0 record after losing the first night. It's the third playoff season in a row that Washington has had to play on consecutive days (2003, '08, '09); prior to 2003 the last time the Capitals played two playoff games in as many days was 1989.
Nick of time – Nicklas Backstrom has matched a Capitals playoff record with points in seven straight games, including goals in each game in Pittsburgh. Backstrom ranks second in the NHL in assists (10) and is just three assists shy of the Capitals single-season playoff record for assists (Andrei Nikolishin, 13, 1998).
Caps Record, Consecutive Playoff Games with a Point
7 Nicklas Backstrom, 4/24/09 to 5/8/09 vs. NYR, PIT
Geoff Courtnall, 4/13/90 to 4/27/90 vs. NJ, NYR
Caps Record, Assists in a Playoff Season
13 Andrei Nikolishin, 1998
11 Adam Oates, 1998
Mike Ridley, 1992
Scott Stevens, 1988
10 Nicklas Backstrom, 2009
Two others
A positive development – Alex Ovechkin and Milan Jurcina are two of the five players who share the league lead in plus/minus at +7. Matt Bradley and Tom Poti are tied for 11th in the league at +5. That marks a significant improvement from the regular season for Jurcina (+1) and Bradley (-1).
8's stage – Alex Ovechkin has points in each game of this series and goals in six of the last eight games overall (eight goals in that time). He has a hand in seven of Washington's 12 goals in the series and 14 points in 11 games in the playoffs. He ranks first in the league in shots, third in hits and tied for first in plus/minus. He has had multiple-point games in eight of the 18 playoff games he has played in his career and has points in eight of the 11 games this year.
You go first – The team that scored the first goal has lost each game of this series.
Caps-Pens Game 5 Versus Preview
Why the Capitals Will Win:
With the home team winning each game in the series so far, it's a good thing the Caps will be back at the Verizon Center for Game 5. Having squandered a 2-0 series lead, Washington will once again face the adversity of falling behind if they do not win, something that is sure to spark a team that has drifted through their last 2 contests.
Why the Penguins Will Lose:
The Penguins out-played the Capitals in Pittsburgh, but at times showed signs of defensive lapses and weak goaltending. Now faced with the loss of their top defender, Sergei Gonchar, the mental confidence and momentum that comes with winning at home may fade fast from the Penguins as they will have to make adjustments in order to compensate for the absence of the best defenesman on the team.
Inside the Capitals for Game 5
There is no time to dwell on the 2 losses sustained in Pittsburgh. Back home at the Verizon Center, the Caps are on comfortable ground. Washington's lack of discipline has been the sole factor that has cost the Capitals a chance at victory in the last 2 games. They know this must change. With the prospect of facing a Penguins team without Sergei Gonchar and an injured Kris Letang, the Capitals must find renewed energy with which to attack Marc-Andre Fleury and the depleted Penguins defense corps.
Inside their Heads:
Home Sweet Home. The Caps have won their last 4 games at home and as much as the Penguins have been able to draw them into penalties in Pittsburgh, with the return of last change to Bruce Boudreau and the Capitals, it will be Washington's turn to draw the Penguins into vulnerable situations. Boudreau will have a much easier time of setting the tone for the game, hopefully giving his team the ability to corral their indiscipline long enough to give the Capitals the offensive advantage.
Inside their Positives:
There is little in the way of positives following 2 straight losses other than the fact that it was the Capitals fault that Pittsburgh won. Knowing that they allowed the Penguins the advantage by taking too many penalties is a benefit as it is a problem the Capitals can fix. Washington is a much stronger team on home ice and this is without much to build on from the Igloo, this is what they must focus on.
Inside their Adjustments:
Getting back to the game-plan will be the biggest adjustment for the Caps. Penguins coach Dan Bylsma had the advantage of last change in Pittsburgh, but now that Boudreau regains the ability to set the match-ups(rather than having to match them), the Caps will have a much easier time of controlling the play and of limiting their penalties. If the Penguins are without Gonchar, the Caps will have to attack the void he will leave. If Ovechkin faces suspension for his hit on Gonchar, the Caps will have to play an entirely different style of hockey.
Inside their Trends:
Indiscipline and the inability to limit scoring chances from dangerous areas have exhausted the Caps. Handing over power play after power play to a team that boast the #1 and #3 scorers in the league is never a good idea, reversing that trend is. There has been a power shortage for the Caps, both in terms of scoring and hitting. The timing that saw the Caps win Games 1 and 2 somehow disappeared at the Igloo and left a mass of confusion in its wake. With some of the best players in the world on their side, the Capitals can easily reverse losing trends and start winning ones.
Inside their Words:
"I wanted to hit him, but I didn't want to hurt him, especially knee-on-knee," said Ovechkin, who received a two-minute minor for tripping. "I think it's a dirty hit and it's not my play. If I hit a guy, I hit clean." - Alex Ovechkin of his hit on Sergei Gonchar.
Obviously Ovechkin regrets his hit on fellow Russian Sergei Gonchar, but his blow to the knee of the Penguins best blue-liner may turn out to be the turning point in the series. With the Penguins at full-steam, fresh off of 2 wins and loaded with momentum, the prospect of missing their most-experienced and capable game breaker on the back-end could surely deflate their confidence and hand the series back to Washington.
"Alex is only human; he can't be unbelievable every night, and if you take analogies of baseball players, they don't hit home runs all the time, they can go eight games and then they'll get three and everyone's back on the bandwagon. Alex is a good player -- he's a great player. He just had one of those nights where he's not going to get three goals." - Bruce Boudreau on Alex Ovechkin.
Despite frustrations from two straight losses, the coach of the Capitals and reigning Jack Adams Trophy winner(coach of the year) knows that all his team has to do is win 2 more games. Panic is not something that the happy coach lets his players do and with the intensity only expected to increase, Bruce Boudreau will do everything he can to give his players the room and patience they need to succeed.
Inside their Trainer's Room:
John Erskine returned to action in Game 4 while Tyler Sloan and Michael Nylander were healthy scratches. Karl Alzner was sent back to the Hershey Bears(Caps AHL affiliate) and re-called Jay Beagle. Beagle skated in place of Nylander in Game 4 and will likely play Game 5. Defenseman Jeff Schultz and Goaltender Brent Johnson remain out with injuries. If Alex Ovechkin recieves a suspension from the NHL for his hit on Sergei Gonchar, expect Michael Nylander to play. Donald Brashear will be eligible to return to the lineup for Game 6 in Pittsburgh.
Inside their Bench:
Returning to form won't be easy for the Caps, but considering how resilient this young group has proven to be, the coaching staff will not hesitate in letting the players dictate how they want the game to played. Washington was one of the top home teams in the NHL this season and and have found success at home with their last home-losses coming back in Games 1 and 2 against the Rangers. Boudreau has last change and the Caps have their home fans behind. With a touch of amnesia to forget their play in Pittsburgh, the Caps will come out firing in front of the Verizon Center faithful.
Tonight's Probable Lineup's:
As mentioned by Brian Metzer in his latest blog, Sergei Gonchar has accompanied the Penguins to Washington, but was seen sporting a large black brace around his knee this morning. The speculation is that Gonchar will likely miss 4-6 weeks, but, much in the same fashion that Kris Letang made his comeback, Gonchar has been listed as questionable and will be a game-time decision.
Alex Goligoski has been recalled from Scranton and will suit up for the Pens tonight at the Verizon Center. Whether Gonchar dresses or not, Goligoski will get to see his first ever action in a playoff game.
The lineup won't change much for the Capitals.
Pittsburgh Forwards
26-Fedotenko, 71-Malkin, 25-Talbot
14-Kunitz, 87-Crosby, 13-Guerin
24-Cooke, 11-Staal, 48-Kennedy
9-Dupuis, 27-Adams, 81-Satan
Pittsburgh Defensemen
43-Boucher or 55-Gonchar, 44-Orpik
2-Gill, 4-Scuderi
7-Eaton, 58-Letang
Goaltenders
*29-Fleury, 32-Garon
____________________________
Washington Forwards
8-Ovechkin, 19-Backstrom, 25-Kozlov
21-Laich, 91-Fedorov, 28-Semin
17-Clark, 39-Steckel, 10-Bradley
14-Fleischmann, 15-Gordon, 83-Beagle
Washington Defensemen
26-Morrisonn, 52-Green
3-Poti, 23-Jurcina
4-Erskine, 2-Pothier
Goaltenders
*40-Varlamov, 60-Theodore
I will be back with updates before game-time.
stevn.hindle@hockeybuzz.com
capitalshockeybuzz@live.ca
Go Caps!!!!!
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