Penguins at Capitals
Captain Alex Ovechkin looks to start another streak and help pull the Washington Capitals within one victory of the Eastern Conference finals when they host the Pittsburgh Penguins for the pivotal Game 5 on Saturday night. Ovechkin had scored in four consecutive playoff games before being held without a shot Thursday as the Penguins drew even in the best-of-seven semifinal series with a 3-1 triumph at home.
“We’ve believed in ourselves all year,” Washington goalie Braden Holtby told reporters after the setback. “One game at a time. Now this game isn’t going to shake us at all. Our biggest asset has been bouncing back, either after a win or a loss. Just focus on playing our game, and that’s what we’re going to do.” Ovechkin owns eight goals in 10 playoff contests, including five in a four-game span before Thursday when the Capitals were held to 21 shots - three in the third period by a rejuvenated Pittsburgh defense. “I thought we defended hard,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan told reporters. “We made pretty good decisions with the puck. We stayed above the attack. The opportunities that we did get were off of our defense. I think it was a solid third period.” Forward Jake Guentzel continued a remarkable run for Pittsburgh with two goals and seven shots in Game 4 - giving him NHL bests of 10 goals and 21 points in the postseason, including four tallies and four assists in the series.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBC, Sportsnet, TVA
ABOUT THE PENGUINS: Guentzel, who sealed Thursday’s win with an empty-netter, is the first player since Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier in 1988 to reach 20 points in 10 or fewer playoff games during one season. “He works hard,” Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby, who has 19 points in the playoffs, told reporters of Guentzel. “He does a lot of good things with and without the puck. I think he cares more about the wins more than the goals and assists. So he’s been a big part of our team’s success.” Goalie Matt Murray, who had two shutouts in the first four games of the postseason, allowed one goal Thursday after permitting 17 in the previous five contests.
ABOUT THE CAPITALS: Devante Smith-Pelley moved onto the first line with Tom Wilson serving the first of a three-game suspension, but did not have a shot while playing with Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov (five shots). Right wing T.J. Oshie snapped a four-game drought with his fourth goal of the playoffs in Game 4 on the power play, but has been held to five total shots over his last five contests. John Carlson has 10 points and Brooks Orpik boasts a plus-6 rating to lead the defense in the playoffs for Washington while Holtby continues to shine with a 2.07 goals-against average and .924 save percentage after starting the postseason on the bench.
OVERTIME
1. Crosby has 183 career playoff points, tied with Bryan Trottier and Nicklas Lidstrom for 11th in NHL history and two behind Steve Yzerman for 10th.
2. Washington F Shane Gersich had one shot on net in 5:48 of ice time Thursday in his first career playoff game, taking Wilson’s place.
3. Pittsburgh LW Carl Hagelin returned to the lineup for Game 4 after missing the previous three contests with an upper-body injury.