Caps Top Penguins in a Game for the Ages

The stage was set Sunday for another typical Capitals/Penguins matchup. The Caps always seem to play real well when nothing important is on the line, but the Penguins always win the important matchups. The Caps won three straight games against Pittsburgh last season and with the season sweep on the line, the Caps lost. They opened the playoff series with two wins before losing the next four out of five to lose the series. This season, the Caps won the first matchup, but with a 13 game streak on the line, they came into the game flat. Nothing went their way. The Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin rivalry wasn't going well as Crosby scored the first two goals of the game. Penalties were not going their way and late in the second the Caps saw themselves down 4-1. Everyone in the stadium dressed in red gave a collective groan as yet again, the Caps could not get over the hump. How far can we go in the playoffs if we can't win the big ones?

And then, things began to turn. Eric Fehr got the Caps within two before the period ended and that was all Ovechkin needed. He refused to lose and gave the intrepid Caps' fans something to cheer about as he netted two goals to tie the game. Then, a blistering shot off the post led to the Mike Knuble overtime winner. It has already been declared the best game of the season and I believe it was the greatest game I have ever personally been to.

Improbable comeback aside, this game was great because of the history and the way it was played. Long time Caps fans love to hate the Penguins because of the disastrous playoff history between the two. The Caps have faced the Penguins eight times in the post season and have won the series only once. More recently the rivalry has been reignited by the Crosby, Ovechkin rivalry. All of that was on display, but there was something else that just really taunted the Washington faithful, and that was Pittsburgh's style of play. Crosby has faced criticism since he entered the league for his lack of physical play and his constant complaining to the refs. An example was last season when he complained to the refs about how many hats were being thrown onto the ice after an Ovechkin hat trick. Unbelievable. It's why Ovechkin is the better player. I have never seen Crosby score a goal that I thought Ovechkin couldn't score. Forget about the insane behind the back and over the head goal against Phoenix and there are still numerous goals and performances by Ovechkin that Crosby couldn't match because he won't play phyical. If Crosby breaks his nose, can you see him scoring four goals including the overtime winner like Ovechkin did against Montreal? Nope. How about the dozens of Ovechkin goals that he scores while pushing the defender away with one arm including the spin around goal last season? Couldn't happen.

Both players are models for their team's style. What we saw on Sunday was a Capital's team with great offensive talent that plays a quick, physical game and that isn't afraid to fight. What we saw from Pittsburgh is a team with great offesnive talent that will complain every time they get hit, but then will throw cheap shots at you. It is an infuriating style of play because that is not how hockey should be played and yet they win with it. It's like that guy in college who never studies or does work, but gets straight As. You hate him because that's not the way it should be done, but he is still doing just as well if not better than you are. Early in the first period Ovechkin drove to the net and after the whistle blew the Penguins' defensmen slashed his knee and then pushed him up high. No call. Pittsburgh drove the net and Chris Kunitz skated up to Jose Theodore and checked him as if he were a regular skater. Theodore did a little flip in the air and went down hard. He was given a minor penalty. Later on Ovechkin was pushed by Craig Adams from behind onto the ice and driven into the boards hard. Mike Knuble came to his defense and was given a minor penaly for instigating, a major penalty for fighting, and a 10 minute misconduct. Adams? Just a fighting major. This all happened just in the first period. There was more of the same in the second. After Jordan Staal gave the Penguins a 3-1 lead, Caps defenseman Brian Pothier was pushed into the celebrating Penguins who, all five of them, proceeded to beat on Pothier. The Caps came to his defense. What team would have done any different? The Caps and Penguins were given matching minors and misconducts despite the fact that it was all started by Pittsburgh and Washington was just trying to defend their teammates. Sometimes the calls just don't go your way, but how can a team play the way the Penguins do and get no calls? By the end of the second period the Caps were down 4-2 and had been called for six minor penalties, one major, and two misconducts. In that second period, each Capitals' penalty was preceded by a worse Penguins' infraction that was not called, and that is not an exaggeration or biased take. I talked to a Pittsburgh fan who agreed with me. Frustration in the building was felt everywhere not just because of the rivalry, not just because it was Crosby, or because the streak was on the line. We were frustrated because there was no justice. A hockey team was playing a non physical, dirty game and they were winning while we were getting thrown into the penalty box.

After the Caps roared back to tie it, the refs made their presence known yet again when with 4:08 left to go in regulation, Matt Cooke's stick broke and Jeff Schultz was called for slashing. No one, regardless of whether they were wearing black and gold or red and blue, could argue that the right call was made. Cooke's stick simply broke. But, at a pivotal point in the game, the Caps were going shorthanded. In overtime, Brooks Orpik was called for a high stick on Alexander Semin. What did he do? He argued with the ref so profusely that he was given a misconduct penalty. Afterwards he complained about how Semin took a dive and about how he always takes a dive. Are you kidding me? YOU PLAY FOR THE PITTSBURGH PENGUINS!!! Not only was it the right call, but no one from Pittsburgh can ever complain about diving. That's half the Penguins game plan. This is why we hate the Penguins. This is why it was important to win. Not only is it good for DC, but it's good for the game of hockey. When one player can complain about the refs even after they gave the other team seven minor penalties, two majors, and two misconducts, then you're an idiot and a cry baby. His team had their chance to win when the Caps went shorthanded with four minutes left. They didn't take advantage. The Caps did. Learn the game of hockey and deal with it.

The Caps went down 4-1, Crosby had two goals, the refs were terrible, and Pittsburgh was playing dirty. What happened? The Caps won 5-4, Ovechkin had a hat trick, they won off a power play goal, and they did it playing the game the way it should be played. Playoff success may not be guaranteed, but the Caps took one major step forward by getting over the Pittsburgh hump and doing it by playing real hockey. Well done.

Caps Dominate First Match with Penguins, What Next?

Last Thursday the Capitals marched into Pittsburgh and dominated in every aspect winning 6-3. The Capitals were clearly in control from start to finish. Despite a fluke goal let in early by Jose Theodore, he outplayed former Capital Brent Johnson in net, Alex Ovechkin outscored rival Sidney Crosby 2-1, the Caps killed all four of Pittsburgh's power plays and scored on both of their own. It was a great all around effort.

This was a huge win for the Caps coming not just against the defending Stanley Cup champions in their own home, but also against their rivals. What does this game mean? Well, it depends. After the embarrassing game 7 loss in the playoffs last season, the Caps really needed to respond against the hated Penguins the first chance they got. It's great for the team's confidence not just in the regular season, but going forward. The Eastern conference may well come down to another Washington/Pittsburgh matchup and the Caps will need games like this to help them forget last season.

It is also important to keep this game in perspective. Most teams look at matchups against defending champions as a benchmark for their own chances, so let's analyze this game. The Penguins were without top netminder Marc Andre Fleury who has a broken finger. Johnson played admirably and the Caps have put up big numbers against Fleury, but you have to believe his return to the lineup would give Pittsburgh a boost. While all three of the Caps goaltenders have have played really well this season, a rotating trio isn't a good playoff setup. Pittsburgh will have an advantage in net if someone doesn't establish himself as the top (and healthy) netminder. More importantly, the Penguins are a proven playoff team. The Caps won 3 out of 4 games against the Penguins last season in much the same fashion. Yet, after game 3 in the playoffs the Caps really struggled to put their rivals away. Including the post season the Caps started 5-1 against Pittsburgh and finished the season 1-4. The Caps struggled in the first round as well going down 1-3 to a much weaker New York team before storming back to a game 7 win. Playoff experience counts for a lot. The Penguins have more of it and it shows in April and May.

What this all means is that we don't know what it means. The Caps have the talent and skill to beat any team in the league which they showed on Thursday and almost every night in the regular season. With growing experience and maturity this team is building itself up for a playoff run, but the Caps need big wins over their rivals in May as well as January.