At 7:19 PM, the Washington Capitals cut the lights at Verizon Center for perhaps the final time this season. One minute later, Braden Holtby led the team on to ice to the roars of Caps fans, some of the last we might be hearing this season.
But enough of the sad nonsense. It’s banished. The Caps are partying like it’s the regular season! Let us review the high-stakes action.
The Capitals power play, which has been lights out this postseason, got an early chance when Evgeni Malkin was called for hooking, a penalty drawn by Mr. First Line Andre Burakovsky. No dice.
Instead, it would be Carl Hagelin, using his speed to split the defense and glide through the slot. His shot caught Holtby’s glove, but not enough of it.
Other than a few penalties, nothing happened until there were less than 30 seconds left in the opening frame. But then young Dre scored just before 8 PM to temporarily stop you from getting hammered before late into the evening. The hair-challenged Swede rifled a majestic and ballistic wrister past the unstopped French-Canadian Fort Knox, the MAFer himself.
Five minutes into the first, the Penguins went up again after Nate Schmidt wanted to hug Sidney Crosby a little two hard. Phil Kessel, ya boy, fired in a shot from the near circle after tic-tack-toe-tic-tack passing by Pittsburgh. Crosby assisted.
THAT WAS ALL FOR PITTSBURGH.
Nicklas Backstrom (from Burakovksy), Evgeny Kuznetsov (from heaven), and Alexander Ovechkin (from the third line).
The Capitals decided to score goals in this game. It worked. CAPS BEAT PENS 4-2! Off to Pittsburgh!
- Think Alex Ovechkin was hungry? He played nearly two minutes on game’s opening PP, firing two shots on net. Ovi had eight attempts on the evening, though he got fewer minutes than usual bouncing between lines.
- Ovechkin now has 20 points in 19 games when the Capitals have faced elimination. He has 26 points (11 goals) against the Penguins in the playoffs.
- Andre Burakovsky had four shots on goal. Actual shots that didn’t hit the glass.
- “What’s the biggest thing you want to take from tonight in these playoffs?” – Al Koken. “Everything.” – Andre. Boom.
I'm in! https://t.co/G0XCDgDBuU
— Bob McDonald (@bobinarlington) May 6, 2017
- The Caps managed seven shots over two power plays, but none went in. They were previously over 25 percent, second in the NHL.
First win by the @Capitals by more than 1 goal in these #StanleyCup playoffs
@russianmachine— Craig Pritchard (@CraigJPritch) May 7, 2017
- Braden Holtby was the first star of the game. Take that!
- Nate Schmidt had nearly 75 percent of shots go the Capitals way when he was on the ice. XOXOXOXOX.
- Sexy. 👇
I was ready to write about the end of an era and thank you all for reading in this space. Screw that. You know what time it is.
