The Penguins finally showed some defensive fortitude last night, beating the Golden Knights 4-2 after giving up 11 goals in their first two games. But much more fun than Casey DeSmith’s 35 saves in his season debut were the first three Penguins goals, which came in natural hat trick form courtesy of the very good dog…
Until the Capitals broke through to win their first Cup, the Penguins, Blackhawks, and Kings dominated the NHL as the most effective triumvirate since Roman times. Instead of ending with stabbings and civil war, the modern NHL version collapsed for more mundane reasons involving salary caps and aging stars.
I want to begin by noting that it’s pretty funny that this latest, greatest round of beef between the Blue Jackets and Penguins is all over Jack Johnson, of all players, a bottom-pairing defenseman on the wrong side of 30 and coming off his worst season as a pro. That said: Give me the beef!
It doesn’t really matter. It’s just a conference final appearance. The Capitals are only halfway through the postseason, eight wins down, eight tough wins still left to earn for the only ending that’ll leave them truly satisfied. And each of the four other teams still alive are better bets to go the distance.
Here’s a stat—a quirk?—that has very little to do with anything else in this blog but is too amazing not to lead with: In this series, Sidney Crosby has been on the ice for all 10 of Pittsburgh’s goals.
Less than 24 hours before Game 4 of the Capitals and Penguins’ second-round series—which Washington leads 2-1—the NHL announced that it has suspended Capitals enforcer Tom Wilson three games for his hit on Penguins forward Zach Aston-Reese in Game 3, which broke the Pittsburgh player’s jaw and gave him a concussion.
Familiarity breeds contempt, yes, but also, contempt breeds contempt. The Capitals and Penguins would dislike each other even if they didn’t meet four times a season and then again seemingly every spring, but the prolificity of the rivalry gives the bad blood the time and exposure it needs to ripen into an exquisite…
Washington Capitals bruiser Tom Wilson, after escaping discipline for knocking Pittsburgh’s Brian Dumoulin out of Game 2, made his presence felt again in Game 3 of their series tonight. As Penguins forward Zach Aston-Reese tried to take the puck out of his own zone near the benches in the second period, Wilson lined…
Soon after the Capitals killed a Penguins power play, at about the 11-minute mark of the third period of today’s Game 2, with the Capitals holding a 3-1 lead, the Penguins scored what sure looked an awful lot like a goal:
Behind a lead-off goal 17 seconds in from Evgeny Kuznetsov, and a sniper shot at the start of the third from Alex Ovechkin, the Capitals were cruising tonight with a two-goal lead in Game 1 of their second-round series against the Penguins. But in the span of five minutes, it all fell apart, as three unanswered…
No sport really needs four rounds of playoffs. Sure, you get the occasional good first-round series, but mostly it’s about weeding out the fatally flawed teams before they have a chance to shit up the later rounds, which in theory should be quality hockey all-around. The Flyers are out of the playoffs, thank goodness,…
The Penguins and Flyers came into today’s game in Philadelphia tied at 1 in their opening-round series. Pittsburgh destroyed the Flyers in the opener, 7-0; Philadelphia came back with a 5-1 win in Game 2.
For exclusive videos, pictures, and more, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Send us your confidential tips at tips@deadspin.com, call our confidential tips hotline at (347) 746-8471, contact our writers directly, or use our anonymous SecureDrop system.
PHILADELPHIA — There were massive piles of snow outside the Flyers’ arena last night, but things were bright and sunny inside before the game.
U.S. women’s hockey player and 2018 Olympic gold medalist Amanda Kessel delivered a bombshell today regarding her NHL brother Phil, who has a history with tubed meats: Her older sibling isn’t as avid a hot dog fan as he’s been reported to be.
The Penguins are lighting the lamp on the Senators tonight, and Ottawa back-up goalie Mike Condon can barely figure out what’s going on. For Pittsburgh’s third goal of the game, Carl Hagelin took the puck behind the net and seemed like he was going to take it in the far corner on Condon’s left. Instead, the crafty…
After 13 seasons and three Stanley Cups with the Penguins, Marc-Andre Fleury is now minding net for the West-leading Golden Knights. Tuesday was Fleury’s return to Pittsburgh for the first time since departing about as amicably as these things go, and it was an emotional night for everyone.
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier attended tonight’s Penguins-Golden Knights game and stood for the crowd, more than two months after he suffered a spinal injury on a tackle attempt and just a few days after he was released from a local hospital’s rehabilitation center.
