Penguins
Penguins Free Falling, Lose 4th Straight; Capitals Beat Pens 6-3

The Pittsburgh Penguins scored within the first minute of the game but again allowed the tying goal immediately following their success. The Washington Capitals seized the third period and not even a late Penguins power play in the final minutes could erase the Washington lead.
Pittsburgh public enemy No. 1 Tom Wilson (22) finished a two-on-one with a wicked wrister midway through the third period. It stood as the winner. Evgeni Malkin hit the post on the late power play, but that was all. Evgeny Kuznetsov (23) scored a long-range empty netter and Washington beat the Penguins 6-3 at PPG Paints Arena.
Martin Fehervary (7) scored a second empty-netter in the closing seconds.
The Penguins lost their fourth straight and the Washington Capitals are now four points behind the Penguins for third place in the Metro Division with two games in hand.
The teams didn’t waste time setting up for a wild and sometimes sloppy first period.
Just 45 seconds into the game, the Penguins crashed the net. Four Penguins outnumbered the Washington defenders and Bryan Rust collected the garbage (24) from the doorstep for a 1-0 lead.
However, as was a problem last Saturday in a loss to the Colorado Avalanche, the Penguins immediately yielded a goal in the following seconds.
Just 15 seconds after the goal, Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin lost the puck, then Evgeni Malkin turned it over. Marcus Johansson (7), whom the Capitals re-acquired at the trade deadline, was alone in front and chipped the puck over goalie Tristan Jarry.
Washington even took the lead before their goalie Ilya Samsonov sprung a leak.
Dmitry Orlov raced down the left wing and beat Jarry to the glove side. It appeared the Penguins goalie lost his angle, just enough to open the far side of the net, which Orlov filled.
However, the Pittsburgh Penguins scored a pair of goals in the final 90 seconds of the first period; a pair of goals that Samsonov and the Capitals would prefer to see him stop.
Penguins winger Evan Rodrigues took the puck to the net. Samsonov made that save, but Jeff Carter’s rebound putback trickled through Samsonov for a 2-2 tie.
The Penguins fourth line, with Teddy Blueger at center and Brian Boyle on the left wing worked the Capitals defense in the low zone. Boyle was uncovered along the goal line–Samsonov assumed pass and left the top of the net open. Boyle (10) didn’t pass and deposited a short wrister over Samsonov for a 3-2 lead.
Both goalies tightened up in the second period.
And both coaches breathed a little easier.
Just as the first period ended well, the second period began in the dumpster. The Pittsburgh Penguins, who are the least penalized team in the NHL, took three successive penalties within the first four minutes at the beginning of the second period. Kris Letang was called for interference. Jeff Carter high-sticked T.J. Oshie. and then Brian Dumoulin slapped a bouncing puck into the stands for a delay of game penalty.
The Penguins had all three in the penalty box simultaneously, a nearly two-minute five-on-three. On the Capitals two-man advantage, Alex Ovechkin (44) blasted a shot from his office in the left-wing circle past Jarry to tie the game, 3-3.
After two periods, the shots were nearly even, 26-25 for Washington, which then fired 10 shots in the first nine minutes of the third period for a 36-29 edge, and finished with a 45-32 edge to underscore their third-period advantage.
The game was over when they couldn’t hit an open net at the beginning of the second in about 9 chances.
For all the bluster…the pens have no shooters.
Gonna lose tomorrow too. Annual spring goal drought.
Or they could sign the corpse from Weekend at Bernie’s. He’d certainly fit in on this team.
Sorry, that reply was for Ethan. Although the corpse from Weekend at Bernie’s technically could be no worse as a shooter than most on this team.
Maybe the Pens should consider signing Tom Hanks. Then they would have somebody on roster that can carve up or bloody Wilson.
If you are a goalie who is struggling,
Pgh is the perfect opponent. You will face a ton of shots , mostly from the perimeter , and gain your confidence back. It’s like the Harlem Globetrotters beautiful passing……..without the scoring.
Feel bad for Crosby , truly playing great . Malkin , Tootles or rather dasvadaniya.
BTW , Kapanen no shows in the biggest games he’s empty calories.
“We believe in this group”
Let’s all watch the Sullivan post game Presser and the very tough questions.
The only “speed game” Sullivan is deploying is getting ahead of passes on 2 on 1 breaks and being so close in/tied up in front of the crease that they have zero chance to ever get a stick on a rebound.
Samsonov flailed the whole game and he gave them 2 of their 3 goals on misplays…
3 is a pathetic total if you watched that game. Missed the net 30 times
For a guy who’s playing great, it would be nice if Crosby showed up against a top team in the conference late in the season or for that matter the playoffs this decade.
There’s a saying in golf. You drive for show and putt for dough. The elite first line has been a show line the last few years, and the only silver lining in that is most of the rest of this team plays like they can’t find the first tee.
Yeah…I glanced over the “I feel bad for Crosby because he’s playing great” nonsense the first time. That’s the standard garbage every media guy in town says daily no matter what’s actually happening. Crosby is having a really good year. But not against the best competition. Like everyone else he gets locked down. Same as every year in the playoffs – locked down. The numbers down lie. And honestly…why is Bryan Boyle doing the mea culpa? There always has to be someone “older”. If it wasn’t him…it would be Jeff Carter. This reminds me so much of the last 10… Read more »
Good lord , I can’t see this team making much noise in the playoffs playing like this.
I’d be stunned if they showed a pulse.
Toooooo sl oooow