GDT: ECSF #5|Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Washington Capitals|Don't let me down

[ColePens]

I honestly don't think this game is a must win for either team. Washington came back from 3-1 last year to force a Game 7 and down 2-0 this year. Pittsburgh came back from 3-2 to beat Tampa in 2016. So I really don't think this is "must win" hockey, albeit very important.

I think this series is as 50/50 as it gets. If you told me Bura/Wilson would be out and we'd get our team back, i'd tell you we are easily a 60/40 favorite, if not more. But that's just not the case. Kessel/Brass are hurt and lost. Sheary/Rust aren't dominating, albeit have shown good shifts. Just not their normal selves. Maatta is a mess. Schultz/Letang are good, but not great. Oleksiak is a mess. Our powerplay looks like a mess, albeit matching Washington's 3 PPGs. Mur has been good, but not great.

So I think it's a toss up. I would not be shocked if this goes Game 7 at all. I have no clue who will win. Flip a coin. I know that today is not must win for either team. It's important... just not must win.

 

[ColePens]

btw - beautiful day in the Burgh. A tad overcast but the perfect weather to bike, play tennis, hike, basketball, jog, whatever. It's 70-72 degrees. I'm officially dead from being outside all day. I hope you all enjoyed it, too.

 

[Dangles78]

btw - beautiful day in the Burgh. A tad overcast but the perfect weather to bike, play tennis, hike, basketball, jog, whatever. It's 70-72 degrees. I'm officially dead from being outside all day. I hope you all enjoyed it, too.

I enjoyed it with 7 hours of OT pay. Hopefully the rain stays away tomorrow so I can actually get outside and enjoy part of the weekend

 

[Crosbyfan]

I have some bad news guys. There will not be any guacamole made today during the second intermission. The boys are on their own today and will need to win it without my guac!

No guac? It's Cinco de Mayo!

 

[The GM]

The amount of confidence in Sprong on here is straight up bizarre.

I haven’t been this confident about a second rounder since Shane endicott

 

[Treent1]

 

[Machinehead]

We get the horses at 6:30 and the horse's ass at 7:00 when the Caps take the ice.

 

[ColePens]

Kessel has been really bad for about 20-25 games. I do not see how tonight will be any different the way he's played. It sucks because he's such a game changer. He's hurt and it sucks. We dont' win the Cup without him the last 2 years and most likely we will not win the Cup unless he finds a magic healing potion.

 

[PensandCaps]

Kessel has been really bad for about 20-25 games. I do not see how tonight will be any different the way he's played. It sucks because he's such a game changer. He's hurt and it sucks. We dont' win the Cup without him the last 2 years and most likely we will not win the Cup unless he finds a magic healing potion.

He's gonna score 2 goals now.

 

[JimmyTwoTimes]

He got hurt against us last year

 

[Machinehead]

I'm gonna get Brassard going

 

[Speaking Moistly]

Kessel has been really bad for about 20-25 games. I do not see how tonight will be any different the way he's played. It sucks because he's such a game changer. He's hurt and it sucks. We dont' win the Cup without him the last 2 years and most likely we will not win the Cup unless he finds a magic healing potion.

He’s managed random good games in that time so he might have a good one tonight. You just bet against him doing it again in game 6.

They won without Letang and that makes me think they could win without Kessel but I think the chances are incredibly slim that they 3peat.

 

[KIRK]

Sheary is the Washington Capitals of wingers. Don’t @ me.

@

 

[bathroomSTAAL]

I'm attempting the half marathon tomorrow on a janky knee so please wrap this up quickly so I can get some sleep

 

[KIRK]

I honestly don't think this game is a must win for either team. Washington came back from 3-1 last year to force a Game 7 and down 2-0 this year. Pittsburgh came back from 3-2 to beat Tampa in 2016. So I really don't think this is "must win" hockey, albeit very important.

I think this series is as 50/50 as it gets. If you told me Bura/Wilson would be out and we'd get our team back, i'd tell you we are easily a 60/40 favorite, if not more. But that's just not the case. Kessel/Brass are hurt and lost. Sheary/Rust aren't dominating, albeit have shown good shifts. Just not their normal selves. Maatta is a mess. Schultz/Letang are good, but not great. Oleksiak is a mess. Our powerplay looks like a mess, albeit matching Washington's 3 PPGs. Mur has been good, but not great.

So I think it's a toss up. I would not be shocked if this goes Game 7 at all. I have no clue who will win. Flip a coin. I know that today is not must win for either team. It's important... just not must win.

The mess looks a lot better with Geno than without.

The mess looks better than that with Geno and/or Sid moving their feet.

The mess would look best still without Phil, who may be the Caps best penalty killer right now.

 

[ColePens]

I'd think about trapping again. It worked. I think we held the Caps to 3 total shots in Game 4's third period.

 

[Tom Hanks]

I'd think about trapping again. It worked. I think we held the Caps to 3 total shots in Game 4's third period.

Yep 3 shots. Let Jake score first then we can trap. Sheahan can follow up with a short handed goal.

 

[KIRK]

 

[PensandCaps]

We need playoff Brassard to show up. He was so good vs us as a Sen and Ranger.

 

[Machinehead]

I'm attempting the half marathon tomorrow on a janky knee so please wrap this up quickly so I can get some sleep

Kick some ass!

 

[Tom Hanks]

We need playoff Brassard to show up. He was so good vs us as a Sen and Ranger.

He didn’t have a groin injury then though

 

[PensandCaps]

He didn’t have a groin injury then though

He he did have Hagelin though.


Hmmm. Lets reunite HBK!

 

[HuskerTornado]

Hopefully this is the last NHL game held in Washington this season.

And for pre-game, GnR's latest single, a demo from 1986 that just got mastered and is charting all over.

 

[dig1]

the key is not to get slaughtered in the first 5 minutes. I wish they would just be conservative and be content in defending and have Washington exert energy in trying to score in the 1st. We will get our chances. the thing that disturbs me though is that little details seem to evade this team altogether. most goals caps have scored are not impressive in the sense that it doesn't come from run of play but blown coverages.
I had had hoped (and i will admit i know nothing about hockey) that according to what some have said it was fixable. this series should really have been 3-1 pens. they had no business losing that game 3, no business, esp after taking a lead twice.

I want to say there is a bit of an arrogance with this team in the sense that since they know they have gone to win 2 cups with a memory fresh as yesterday, they could in theory play to shut down a team. WHY in the world they were taking chances in game 3 and leaving guys wide open --- i have no idea.

It is as if they dont have a situational awareness when to actually play to win and when to throttle it down and systematically wear a team out to strike a goal in a blink of an eye.

I dont know if i have explained the psychology I feel is going on with the team. I maybe coming from the left field but this series honestly should be 3-1 (even that game 2 loss should at least have gone to OT but they were not content to just be a bit conservative. Look at that play -- they had both Ds pinching for heaven's sake).

Anyway...i could be wrong, but i kinda have given up. I will be pleasantly surprised if they win but it so frustrating that the team should be playing in the ECF and not have to mire in this crap because of no situational awareness.

 

[flaneur]

I'm not a horse person... is running in such muddy conditions dangerous?