The Pittsburgh Penguins enter Tuesday looking to eliminate the Capitals in game six and move on to the Eastern Conference Finals. Either they win at home and close out the series, or head to Washington for a decisive game seven. In game five, the Penguins were unable to close out the series and fell to the Capitals 3-1. The major difference in the game was the Capitals powerplay, as they scored twice on five attempts. Alexander Ovechkin was at the best he’s been all playoffs, notching a goal, an assist, and six shots in almost 20 minutes of ice time. Sidney Crosby assisted on the Penguins only goal but continues to be absent in the series, only having two points to his name in the first five games.
Penguins Capitals Game 6: Pittsburgh Looks to Close Out Series at Home
The big story for the Penguins continues to be the 21-year-old Canadian goaltender Matt Murray. The team announced Monday that Murray will be in net for game six despite speculation that Marc Andre Fleury would start. Fleury hasn’t played since March 31st when he suffered a concussion. Murray has posted a phenomenal 1.96 GAA and has a record of 6-2 in the playoffs. He has also been electrifying in Pittsburgh, setting the record for most saves by a rookie in regulation with 49. The Penguins are hoping for a repeat performance, as the Capitals are going to be playing in desperation mode and firing at the young goaltender as much as possible.
The only goalie that has been hotter than Murray is the guy on the other end, Braden Holtby. He has the best GAA among all remaining goalies in the playoffs with a 1.53. He was nothing short of spectacular on Saturday, saving 30 of 31 shots. Most notably, Holtby made an acrobatic glove save against a converging Justin Schultz that stopped a major push by the Penguins. The Capitals are going to need Holtby to have a similar performance to force game seven.
Game six also marks the return of Capitals’ defenseman Brooks Orpik. Orpik finished serving a three game suspension due to a late hit on Olli Maatta who suffered a concussion and is yet to return. Orpik is a bruising veteran who provides a strong physical presence for the Capitals. He will most likely replace defenceman Nate Schmidt who had limited ice time Saturday.
The Penguins keys to the game are to stay disciplined and look to big performances from their all stars. The Capitals had five power play opportunities in game five, two of which they converted. They have one of the most lethal power plays in the league with a strong cast of T.J. Oshie, Nicklas Backstrom, Ovechkin, John Carlson, and Evgeni Kuznetsov. The Penguins best chance of winning Tuesday is by staying out of the penalty box and not playing into the emotional game the Capitals instigate. They will also be looking to Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel to start contributing more as the three Penguins stars have been relatively silent the past couple games. The trio have only accounted for four assists in the last three games and have not had much of a presence on the ice.
The Capitals keys to the game are to dictate the pace and to score early. Often times the Penguins looked lost in Game 5 as they could not clear the puck from their zone. The Capitals dominated the pace of the game and left Penguins coach Mike Sullivan constantly rotating lines hoping for a right combination to shake the Capitals. The more the Capitals hold the puck and retain possession, the quicker the Pittsburgh crowd will be taken out of it. Expect the Capitals to come out firing to try to eliminate the home ice advantage. Game six will be played in Pittsburgh on Tuesday, May 10th at 8:00 PM EDT.
*All stats were taken from NHL.com
PITTSBURGH, PA – APRIL 23: Matt Murray #30 of the Pittsburgh Penguins makes a save in Game Five of the Eastern Conference First Round against the New York Rangers during the 2016 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Consol Energy Center on April 23, 2016 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
