Good day Penguins fans, and welcome to the latest edition of Big Dave's Pens Pregame. Tonight, our Penguins will look to close out their current series on the road in the Nation's Capitol, as they face the Washington Capitals at the Verizon Center.
Puck drops on the action tonight at 7:25pm, but the Pregame is live right now....
@pensfan2259 continues the "Big Dave's Gameday Jams" selections, and will continue to do so with the way the Pens have played when he does so. Today, he has selected the legendary Jimi Hendrix and man, what a choice it is. This is possibly one of the greatest songs in rock n' roll history, and as I am at the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame today, it is a fitting song. It is "Voodoo Child" my friends, enjoy!
The State of the Penguins
The Penguins entered Wednesday night's game with a 2-1 series lead, but many thought they wouldn't win Game Four. Pittsburgh would be without their key defenseman, Kris Letang, due to a one-game suspension. Bryan Rust was a game-time decision after only playing 19 seconds in Game Three, but he ultimately played in Game Four. Eric Fehr, who mysteriously missed practice in the morning, missed the game with an undisclosed injury. And the Penguins were still without Olli Maatta.
None of that mattered...
The Penguins went out there and found away to win another game in this series. They gave up a fluky goal in the first couple minutes, and came right back and tied that game. They took the lead in the second, then gave up a tying goal in the dying minutes of the period. They went back and forth, but needed to head to sudden death overtime. Overtime would decide it, and the Penguins came out on top to everyone's surprise.
There were several key guys to this game, and none of them are the major stars that lead the roster.
First, 39-year-old center Matt Cullen. Cullen just continues to defy age and produce in the biggest moments, in the biggest time of the year. Cullen scored his third playoff goal in the second period, producing his fifth point. After that, he was solid at both ends of the ice and was a key component in the victory. Cullen's presence on the ice and in the room is key, and without a piece like Letang in the lineup, Cullen's play was more vital than ever.
Same can be said for Trevor Daley, who had the most pressure on him of the bunch. Daley was asked to replace not only Letang's minutes on Wednesday night, but his production. He did just that and then some. Daley was phenomenal, playing probably his best game in a Penguin sweater. He scored the Penguins first goal, had two hits and played 28-plus minutes on the night. He elevated his game to make up for Letang's loss, and it could be a defining moment in a deep playoff run for this team.
Then you have the rest of the defense as a whole. While Derrick Pouliot was atrocious on this night, the likes of Ian Cole, Brian Dumoulin, Ben Lovejoy, Justin Schultz and Daley were outstanding. Schultz was particularly good. He had three hits, a block and was solid on the power play. Dumoulin played a hell of a game, posting two assists, two blocked shots in over 22 minutes of ice time. Cole and Lovejoy were the shutdown boys on the blue line. They combined for six hits, three blocks and both played roughly 17 minutes on the night. The whole unit was great, and really made up for the loss of Kris Letang.
Finally, Patric Hornqvist. If you haven't read Dejan Kovacevic's piece on Hornqvist after Game Four, I highly recommend it. I can't put Hornqvist's importance into better words than he did. If I could have one wish for this team over the last few years, it would be to have a healthy Crosby, Malkin, Letang and Fleury, and the rest of the roster filled out with Patric Hornqvist and clones of him. The way he plays the game, the way he gives 100% on every shift, is what makes him so vital. He scored the OT winner, and the Penguins now have a 3-1 series lead.
Tonight, the Penguins look to send President's Trophy winners packing in the second round once again. The Capitals need to play with all out desperation tonight, and so do the Penguins. To think the Caps will go quietly, is a lethal belief. The Penguins need to go into Washington tonight and play as if they are down 3-1 in the series. That level of desperation is what wins games, and the Penguins need to slam the door shut tonight, and not leave it cracked.
I have belief, and man, I cannot wait to see what they have in them once again tonight...
Scouting the Enemy: The Washington Capitals
While it is surprising to probably everyone that the Penguins have made such easy work of the Washington Capitals, it would be incorrect to assume that the Capitals have played bad in this series. In fact, this series could easily be 3-1 the other way right now, if it weren't for a few lucky bounces and taking advantage of some opportunities.
That being said, the Capitals enter tonight's Game Five down in the series 3-1. Another loss, and they will once again be eliminated in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the Alexander Ovechkin era. However, doing so this year would be a much bigger disappointment than in years past.
With all that in mind, do not expect the Capitals to go down easily tonight. They are fighting for their lives, and that level of desperation is needed if they hope to send this series back to Pittsburgh for a Game Six on Tuesday.
With that desperation in mind, the Capitals need to focus on one thing, getting pucks past rookie netminder Matt Murray. The Caps have been so focused on the physical game this series that it certainly has taken away from their overall play. When the Capitals have focused on simply scoring, they have faired well. They must do that tonight if they hope to continue the series. Forget the hitting, control possession and pressure the Penguins defense and Murray over a sustained sixty minute attack. If they can do that, they will have a chance.
Is tonight the end of the Capitals run, or with they survive for one more game in Pittsburgh? We will find out tonight...
Capitals Scoring Leaders:
- D John Carlson - 10pts (4G-6A)
- LW Alex Ovechkin - 8pts (4G-4A)
- C Nicklas Backstrom - 8pts (2G-6A)
- RW TJ Oshie - 7pts (4G-3A)
- LW Marcus Johansson - 7pts (2G-5A)
Injury Report:
- D Brooks Orpik (suspension) is OUT tonight. He will serve the final game of his three-game ban for his hit on Olli Maatta in Game Two.
Projected Lines:
- Alex Ovechkin - Evgeny Kuznetsov - TJ Oshie
- Andre Burakovsky - Nicklas Backstrom - Marcus Johansson
- Jason Chimera - Jay Beagle - Justin Williams
- Daniel Winnik - Mike Richards - Tom Wilson
Projected Pairs:
- Karl Alzner - Matt Niskanen
- Dmitri Orlov - John Carlson
- Taylor Chorney - Mike Weber
Braden Holtby is expected to start in net tonight.
News & Notes From Around the Penguins
- D Olli Maatta (upper-body) skated yesterday in a yellow, non-contact jersey with the rest of the team. It was Maatta's first step after being knocked out of the last couple games by Caps D Brooks Orpik.
- F Eric Fehr (undisclosed) is a game-time decision today. Fehr skated with the rest of the team yesterday after missing Game Four. He is expected to return to the lineup, but no confirmation will likely come until warmups.
- F Bryan Rust (undisclosed) missed practice Friday and is a game-time decision tonight.
Miscellaneous Notes:
- Wednesday's OT win was the Penguins first at home since May 6, 2009 v. Washington. It was the first home OT win in Consol Energy Center.
- The Penguins are averaging 3.8 goals per game at home in the playoffs this season.
- F Patric Hornqvist scored the OT game-winner, his first game-winning goal in the playoffs.
#AskBigDave
Todd, that was one hell of a performance by the Penguins defensive corps, minus Pouliot, on Wednesday night in Game Four. They really upped their game in the absence of Kris Letang and they not only ate his minutes, but they were key in the victory. Trevor Daley played his best game as a Penguins at both ends, Brian Dumoulin added two assists and Ben Lovejoy and Ian Cole were both incredibly in their own zone. Give Justin Schultz credit too, he played well. Derrick Pouliot? Not so much and I wouldn't expect him in the lineup today.
Now, you asked about Brooks Orpik's suspension and the impact on the Capitals. Todd, without a doubt Orpik's suspension has negatively affected the Capitals in the last two games and probably will continue to tonight.
Look, Orpik is not the same player he was just three, four years ago in Pittsburgh. He is a step slower, but he is still sound positionally and in his own end. And the Capitals are certainly missing that in the lineup. Orpik eats a good amount of minutes on this team, playing in the neighborhood of 20-24 minutes per night. He is a good compliment to John Carlson, who is similar in style to Kris Letang. Then you have Orpik's penalty killing ability. Though it hasn't mattered much in this series because the Penguins PP has been atrocious, but Orpik is their top defenseman on the kill. Finally, he is a veteran leader and voice in that room. To not have him out there and in the room is hurting the Capitals, because many of them look up to him. Finally, the Capitals defensive corps is not that deep. Alzner, Niskanen and Carlson are all solid, but Schmidt, Chorney, Weber and Orlov are only average, if not worse. The loss of Orpik makes them a three defenseman corps in essence and the Penguins have picked apart the other guys well.
So Todd, the Capitals are absolutely missing Brooks Orpik, and a win today would assure he doesn't have a chance to impact a Game Six or Seven.
From Puck Husky on the Tweety: "Which Western Conference team would you feel most comfortable with the Pens playing in the Cup Final?"
Oh boy, I really don't like answering such a question just yet. The fact is, this series is still not over yet and we'd still need to get past either the Islanders or the Lightning to get to the Stanley Cup Finals. It's a long road to the point and to look ahead could be a sin we pay for later.
But it does make for good blogging so I will answer your question in two fold.
Firstly, if the Penguins defeat the Capitals and move on to the Eastern Conference Finals, I want them to face the Islanders. New York is playing really good hockey right now, but I like our chances against them a lot more than I do against the Lightning. Tampa may be without Stamkos and others, but that team knows how to win and they know how to beat us. I'll take my chances with a hot Tavares and average otherwise Islander team.
So if the Penguins can, knock on wood, get through to the Stanley Cup Finals, I'd like to see them face either the Nashville Predators or the St. Louis Blues. I don't like playing San Jose, as they are pretty deep, have a netminder who has been to the Cup Finals before in Martin Jones and the Penguins have such a hard time winning in the Shark Tank. And Dallas, that is a lethal lineup and if Tyler Seguin gets back in there, look out. I'd prefer to see those two go to the wayside this round so we don't have to even consider them.
Nashville would be a tough opponent and they would give the Penguins a good series. James Neal is playing really well right now, and Pekka Rinne is playing like a Vezina winner once again. They have a great defensive corps and they are finding ways to win games. They would ve very dangerous.
St. Louis isn't the weakest team of the bunch, but I certainly fear them the least. They have a solid defensive corps, but their goaltending is always a question mark. If Elliot or Allen go cold, then this team is done. Offensively, I don't think they have the scoring depth to keep up with a high-flying Penguins offense.
So Puck Husky, if we get to that point, I would hope we face the St. Louis Blues in the Stanley Cup Finals.
From LetsTalkPens on the Tweety: "Who is your favorite non-pens player in the NHL?"
This will be an unpopular opinion in the nation right now, but I absolutely love Brooks Orpik. I have been a huge Orpik fan since the dark days of the Penguins. I remember playing NHL 2003 and seeing this young kid Orpik on the Penguins roster. He was my third pair defenseman, and after the lockout and he became such an integral part of the rebuild, he was my favorite.
I play defenseman and a lot of my favorite guys are defensemen. I absolutely love the way Brooks plays. I love his physical style, his shot blocking ability and his leadership. He is a great person and the few times I got to meet him had me fan boying really hard. hahaha. He was such an important part of this team for a while and while everyone else went for guys like Sid, Geno and Letang, Brooks was, and still is, my boy.
Now, if I had to pick someone who never played for the Penguins, I would probably say Niklas Hjalmarsson from Chicago. He is a new-age, stay-at-home defenseman who just goes about his business and gets the job done. He isn't flashy, he isn't going to steal the headlines. He is just "a piece" in the cog, kind of like how Rob Scuderi was in 2009. So I'd say Hjalmarsson if I had to pick someone who has never played for Pittsburgh.
Projected Lines & Pairs
- Conor Sheary - Sidney Crosby - Patric Hornqvist
- Chris Kunitz - Evgeni Malkin - Eric Fehr
- Carl Hagelin - Nick Bonino - Phil Kessel
- Tom Kuhnhackl - Matt Cullen - Bryan Rust
Pairs:
- Trevor Daley - Kris Letang
- Brian Dumoulin - Ben Lovejoy
- Ian Cole - Justin Schultz
Matt Murray is expected to start in net tonight.
My 3 Keys to the Game
2. Good Start: The Penguins need to get off to a good start. If they can get the first goal, it would really quiet the Verizon Center and have the Caps really second guessing themselves. A swift start is key.
3. Power Play: At some point this thing needs to get going right? I would love to see the Penguin power play strike for at least one in this game, just to get off the schnide. It would go a long way.
My 3 Penguins to Watch
2. Ben Lovejoy: Benny has played his best hockey of the season in the playoffs. I'd love to see him continue that. Lovejoy has done a phenomenal job of shutting down Alex Ovechkin all series, and I am confident he can do it one more game today if given the chance. If not given the Ovi assignment, I expect Lovejoy to shutdown whoever he has in front of him.
3. Conor Sheary: After a huge first series against New York, Sheary has been relatively quiet against the Capitals. I'd like to see him get going again. If he plays like he did against New York, it may help break Crosby free to makes some moves and post some points. The little engine that could is key to that line tonight.
What to KNow for Watching/Listening
- The game is NATIONALLY televised on NBC at 7:25pm tonight.
- Coverage should begin at 7:00pm on NBC with pregame coverage.
- ROOT Sports coverage is over for the season.
Here is what you need to know if you're LISTENING to tonight's game:
- 105.9 The X, the Penguins app, the Penguins website and iHeart Radio app are all places you can pick up the game tonight.
- Mike Lange and Phil Bourque will have the game call beginning at 7:25pm.
- Penguins Pregame will precede the game coverage at 6:00pm. Josh Getzoff will host.
- Penguins Hot Line will follow the game action.
Pens Points:
- Pens Radio Keyword: 5pts