Caps vs Penguins

Capitals say mental pressure might be to blame for another second round loss

The Washington Capitals have not advanced past the second round of the playoffs since 1998. That year, Oates, Juneau, Bondra, Kolzig, and company defeated the Ottawa Senators in the second round and made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final.

The paradox is that the Capitals have had far more talented teams in the Alex Ovechkin era than the fourth seed that got swept in the Final by the Red Wings nine years ago. Since 2010, the Caps have won the Presidents’ Trophy three times, running away with it the last two seasons.

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By Chris Gordon 6 years ago

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The Caps’ window closes with a whimper: numbers for the morning after

It’s that familiar time of year. That time of year when the Washington Capitals exit in the second round and we can all start rooting for the Giant Meteor or begin pretending that we’ve never heard of the sport of hockey. Wednesday night, after so much buildup, the Caps were shutout 2-0 by the Pittsburgh Penguins, thus bowing out of the playoffs. There are no highlights to give.

At times during this series, the Caps did some good things. At other times, they did not. As you well know by now, they outshot the Pens by a wide margin throughout all seven games, but “almost” was still a thing, as the Caps failed to bury their chances and struggled to make a dent on the scoreboard.

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By Nathan Sick 6 years ago

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With everything on the line, why didn’t Alex Ovechkin play more in Game Seven?

When the Washington Capitals fell behind 3-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round of the playoffs, Caps head coach Barry Trotz tried something unusual, putting the slumping but frenzied Andre Burakovsky on the first line while demoting Alex Ovechkin to the third unit, where he skated alongside Lars Eller and Tom Wilson.

Last Thursday, when Trotz made the move, the coach expressed his displeasure with how Ovechkin and company were playing, but insisted Ovi would double shift with the Capitals playing seven defenseman and 11 forwards.

“Bottom line is we’re going to need him to be really good,” Trotz said of Ovechkin at the time. Burakovsky responded with three goals and an assist over the next two games. Ovi added a goal of his own.

In Game Seven, in perhaps the biggest game of Ovechkin’s career, Trotz did not double-shift the Russian sniper. Instead, Ovechkin finished with the seventh-lowest ice time among Capitals forwards. Marcus Johansson seemed to pick up the bulk of the extra shifts. The Capitals lost 2-0.

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By Chris Gordon 6 years ago

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Caps have few answers, face uncertain future after another devastating Game Seven Loss

As the Washington Capitals shuffled through the locker room after the game, Braden Holtby slammed the door as he headed to the showers.

The Capitals had just lost another Game Seven to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Capitals were out of the playoffs after the second round once again, after they fell down 3-1 early in the series. It has been nearly 20 years since the team has made it to a conference final. A few minutes later, Holtby walked back into the room.

“I don’t think we gave ourselves a chance,” Holtby said. “We’re going to have to live with that.”
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By Chris Gordon 6 years ago

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The Washington Capitals have been eliminated from the playoffs again

So here’s a strange situation. The Washington Capitals have lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in seven games, earning elimination from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Again.

This iteration of the team, probably the strongest in franchise history, will not advance past the second round. Again.

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By Peter Hassett 6 years ago

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Bob McDonald and Caleb Green sing national anthem ahead of Game Seven

Wednesday night at Verizon Center, the Washington Capitals hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins for their second-round series’ decisive game. In what is inarguably the biggest night of the Alex Ovechkin era, Sergeant Major Bob McDonald and Master Sergeant Caleb Green set the table, delivering a stirring rendition of the national anthem ahead of Game Seven.

Take a listen for yourself.

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By Ian Oland 6 years ago

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Carl Hagelin’s out as Pens shake up lines before Game Seven

This is interesting. The Pittsburgh Penguins have made a couple changes to their lineup for Game Seven. The big one: Carl Hagelin is out, presumably due to injury. That’s a lot of speed missing from the Pens .

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By Peter Hassett 6 years ago

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Get hyped for Game Seven with this Capitals montage (Video)

Tonight’s Game Seven marks one of the most important games in the history of the Washington Capitals, and comes a year to the day since the Caps were eliminated in Game Six at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tonight the Capitals have a shot at redemption, again facing Pittsburgh in the second round with a chance to move on in this winner-take-all showdown.

After falling behind in the series three games to one, Washington rallied in Games Five and Six with nine combined goals to force a seventh game at home. With a victory tonight, the Caps will move on to the Conference Finals, becoming the first DC sports team to do so since 1998. After years of disappointing playoff exits, the Capitals have the chance tonight to reserve the narrative of second round collapses and take a major stride in their journey toward the ultimate goal: The Stanley Cup.

Reader Caitlyn Johannes made a Capitals hype video to mark this critical Wednesday-night matchup. Take a look, and GET PUMPED.

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By Sean Morrow 6 years ago

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What are you doing for good luck in Game Seven?

Sports fans have never been known for being rational. We spend several months of the year screaming at our TV’s, feeling genuine anxiety from events over which we have no control.

Our moods rise and fall with the performance of our teams, deaf to the insistence of our more sensible friends that it’s “just a game.” Some sports fans are superstitious, too, and this characteristic expresses itself most potently during the playoff season. Whether we have to wear our lucky jersey, sit in our lucky chair, or perform some arcane pregame ritual, we make sure to do whatever it takes to give our team that extra bump of good fortune during the most critical games.

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By Sean Morrow 6 years ago

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Caps vs Pens pregame: This is it (Game Seven)

Wednesday night has arrived and it’s Game Seven of the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins series. I don’t know what to say anymore. You all already know…this is it.

The series is tied 3-3.

Puck drop is a little after 7:30 PM on NBCSN. Godspeed, everyone.

Team	Record	SA%	PDO	Power Play	Penalty Kill
Washington Capitals	55-19-8	53.2%	102.7	23.1% (4th)	83.8% (7th)
Pittsburgh Penguins	50-21-11	50.7%	101.6	23.1% (3rd)	79.8% (20th)

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By Elyse Bailey 6 years ago

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