If the Washington Capitals can’t beat a Pittsburgh Penguins team that was missing half of their top six forwards and relied on their third line center to play wing, they may never beat them in a seven game season when everyone is healthy.
The Penguins constantly climbed back from a one goal deficit then won the game on Olli Maatta’s wrist shot with 1:54 remaining in the game to edge the Capitals, 4-3 on Wednesday night.
In a game that featured nine players that will represent their country in the 2014 Olympic games, it was the youngest Olympian that came through with the game-winning goal.
The Capitals got out to a 1-0 lead with a shorthanded goal by Brooks Laich 13:09 into the first period. Kris Letang’s errant pass was picked off in the neutral zone by Karl Alzner. Laich took the pass from Alzner and sent a backhand shot past Marc-Andre Fleury.
Letang made up for his mistake midway through the second period when he scored on a four on two rush. Sidney Crosby dropped the puck back to Letang whose shot deflected off of two Capitals sticks before squeaking through the goaltender Michal Neuvirth.
Jason Chimera scored his ninth of the season five minutes later to regain the lead for the Capitals. Chimera beat Fleury in front of the net after receiving a pass from the half-wall by Marcus Johansson.
The Penguins responded less than two minutes later when Taylor Pyatt scored his first goal of the season. Pyatt was positioned in the slot when Olli Maatta fed him a pass from the near-side boards. His perfectly placed shot beat Neuvirth over his right shoulder to knot the score at two a piece.
The game headed into the second intermission tied despite the fact that the Capitals heavily outplayed the Penguins in the second period.
Alex Ovechkin scored his league-leading 34th goal of the season midway through the third period. Ovechkin lost his stick after it was knocked out of his hands by Brooks Orpik but was able to pick it up just before Johansson found him wide open in the slot.
Exactly three minutes later, the Penguins tied the score for the third time of the night when Jussi Jokinen shot the puck off a defenseman’s stick and past Neuvirth. Brandon Sutter was credited with the assist as he threaded a perfect pass through two Capitals defenders to find Jokinen.
Late in the game, Evgeni Malkin took over.
Malkin handled the puck for over half a minute in the offensive zone. As he circled behind the net he found Olli Maatta who faked a shot to give himself more room before skating to the top of the left wing circle and firing a wrist shot that found its way past a screen Neuvirth for the game winning goal.
- The home win was a franchise record thirteenth straight for Pittsburgh.
- Sidney Crosby has a 17-game scoring streak at home (8, 19 a)
- The Capitals have lost nine of their last twelve.
Three Stars
- Olli Maatta
- Jussi Jokinen
- Alex Ovechkin
Photo courtesy of NHL.com
