After a heartbreaking Game 1 loss Thursday night against the Washington Capitals, the Pittsburgh Penguins rebounded and pulled off the 2-1 win in Game 2. Matt Murray dominated in-between the pipes for Pittsburgh, giving his team the advantage on the defensive side of things.
Washington didn’t play lightly, slamming the Penguins into the boards, but Pittsburgh was ready and countered with the speed and elusiveness needed to escape the Capitals’ physical nature.
Murray’s Fury
Murray played a fantastic game, no matter how the game is looked at. The young netminder was able to keep the league’s best offense off the boards until the third period, furthering the belief that he’s done a great job thus far in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Murray’s best friend this evening was his glove-side ability to keep the puck out of the net. His large stature and reactions to snapshots kept the Penguins in the game — all the way up until the final seconds. The Penguins’ defense was very shaky for a lot of tonight’s game, often times playing too aggressively in some situations, but Murray was solid and saved several defensive miscues.
Murray has been one of Pittsburgh’s biggest keys for making it this far in the playoffs. Without his superb play in this series and against the Rangers in the previous series, the Penguins wouldn’t be where they currently are.
Specials Teams Vacancy
The Penguins finished 0-5 tonight on the power-play, and the team suffered because of it. If Pittsburgh had been able to capitalize on any of these opportunities, this game could have been much different.
A Must-Win Game
The late goal by the Eric Fehr (the former Capital) was monumental in the grand scheme of things. Not only was Game 2 a must win, but Pittsburgh played hard for the majority of the game. Although both teams got chippy — especially in the late stages — Pittsburgh was able to keep its cool and not put itself at a disadvantage.
The defense, along with the special teams, did struggle for most of the game. Although the Capitals were able to only score one goal this evening, they weren’t too far away from putting up a multi-goal lead.
However, most importantly, the Penguins, were able to contain Alex Ovechkin and keep him from flying hard into the net. Pittsburgh also kept a lid on T.J. Oshie, which will continue to be incredibly important if the Penguins want to win the series.
Final Words
This game was absolutely huge for Pittsburgh. If the Penguins fell into a 0-2 deficit, it would’ve been difficult for them to climb out of the hole. However, with this evening’s win, the Penguins solidified themselves as a worthy opponent of the team considered to be the league’s best.
Fehr concluded the game as the hero. Without his late goal, the game could have been decided in a very different fashion and with a very different result. Washington goaltender Braden Holtby, along with the rest of his team, looked astonished after the big goal was scored.
Penguins defenseman Olli Maata was roughed up pretty badly on a nasty hit to the head by former Penguin Brooks Orpik early in the game, and Maata didn’t return. It’s unknown how long it could be before he makes his way back to the ice, and it’s unclear whether Orpik will be suspended for his vicious hit against Pittsburgh’s defenseman.
What’s Next?
The all-tied-up series will now head to Pittsburgh for Games 3 and 4, which will be played this Monday and Wednesday. Game 3 will be played at 8:00 p.m., and fans should expect to see one of the best playoff games yet.
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