Nicklas Backstrom is a game time decision, but everyone seems to feel somewhat confident that he'll play.
The Capitals are also without Tom Wilson and Andre Burakovsky for game six. Without Backstrom they'll be down half of their six best forwards.
The Caps - I recently learned from TSN - are 1-9 all time in playoff series against the Penguins. I knew it was bad, but I didn't realize it was that bad.
Its a rough record, especially because no one remembers that the Capitals heavily outplayed the Penguins in many of those series. They certainly haven't played so poorly as to deserve a .100 winning percentage. Sometimes the luck just doesn't go your way.
Perhaps this year will be different, but it's impossible to write-off the Penguins who have a loaded lineup, are two time defending champs and are probably the best team in the NHL.
Also, am I the only one who hates the banter that the co-hosts of every single sports show have for the first 20/30 seconds of each show? It is the worst.
If the Capitals win tonight, it will be their first trip to the Conference Finals since 1998 and it will never stop being clever to point out that the Golden Knights have done x and another team hasn't even since x. Like good banter, it never gets old!
Despite the Capitals never winning in the Playoffs, Ovechkin is an unreal playoff performer. I hope he wins, but the 'Win One for Ovechkin' romance is a little much, considering the guy earns enough money annually to purchase several small islands and at least a half-way decent phone plan.
To be honest, Sidney Crosby coming back from a near career ending head injury to threepeat is the Shirtless Kurt Russel Romance Movie we've all been waiting for, but no one really seems to be playing that up. This is what makes this series so good, I think - it's a great story no matter who wins.
Oh, and it includes two all-time legends going toe to toe!
Hockey!