Series split: numbers for the morning after

April 30, 2018 7:30 am

In the first two games of their second round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins in DC, the Washington Capitals will come out with a split series after winning Game Two 4-1. All two goal leads were safe in this one.

The Penguins out-shot the Capitals 33 to 32 and out-attempted them at five-on-five 62 to 51.

After once more leading the NHL in regular season goals, Alex Ovechkin held the joint lead in playoff goals for a few hours after scoring his 7th of this year’s campaign. Ovi now has 11 points in eight playoff games this Spring. Winnipeg’s Mark Scheifele would score his 8th of the postseason a couple hours later, he’s now alone in first.
In only 7:31 of ice time, the lowest total on the entire team, Jakub Vrana was able to put his first stamp on the series with his first career playoff goal. It’s simple, Barry Trotz needs to find more ice for Jake. If Tom Wilson is indeed suspended for his hit on Brian Dumoulin, we should see that happen.
Another first in the playoffs occurred when Brett Connolly slotted home a breakaway attempt past Matt Murray. After being scoreless for his first 14 career postseason games, Connolly finally has broken the seal and lets hope more is to come.
Braden Holtby was once again phenomenal. Holts stopped 32 of the Pens 33 shots. This may have been his most complete game of the playoffs so far, especially when you consider that according to Natural Stat Trick, the Pens at five-on-five out scoring chanced the Caps 34 to 30 and out high danger chanced them 15 to 9.
After Andre Burakovsky had to have surgery, Chandler Stephenson was promoted to second line duties with Nicklas Backstrom and TJ Oshie. In the eight games this trio has been together at five-on-five in the playoffs, adjusting for score and venue, they get 54.5 percent of the shot attempts, 52.3 percent of the shots on goal, 51.6 percent of the scoring chances, and 60.8 percent of the high danger chances. Gotta like that.
Speaking of Stephenson, the Caps winger led the team in Game Two in five-on-five shot attempt percentage (58.3 percent), scoring chance for percentage (63.2 percent), and high danger chance for percentage (60 percent). What makes this more impressive is that Stephenson spent the majority of his five-on-five ice time (11:46) against Sidney Crosby and his line.
All-time in Game Threes against the Penguins the Capitals are 3-7 and when those games occurred in Pittsburgh they are 1-5. Time to start reversing those trends.