Penguins vs. Capitals, Game 7 Recap

On Wednesday, the Penguins offensive line came to life in Washington, closing out what has arguably been one of the greatest playoff series in recent years. How important was game 7? In terms of ratings, it beat out both American Idol, as well as the season finale of Lost.

Sidney Crosby proved something in this series. He proved that he can fill the leadership position and that he's grown into a fairly complete skater, truly bringing out the best in those around him. Setting the tempo early, Crosby scored a close-quarters goal on Simeon Varlamov by kicking the puck off his skate and quickly wristing it in. The first goal was assisted by Sergei Gonchar and Evgani Malkin. Wednesday's game marked Gonchar's return to the ice, having sustained a knee-to-knee blow from Alexander Ovechkin earlier in the week. All in all, he played a very solid defensive game and accumulated 15 minutes of time in game 7. However, Alexander Ovechkin and Mike Green, of the Caps, were both said to have been playing through injuries. This may've had a slight effect on the outcome of the game, as the Capitals blueline was suffering throughout. There was also Ovechkin's intended check against Evgani Malkin, which the Pens forward evaded swiftly, causing Ovie to hit teammate Nicklas Backstrom up against the boards, instead. Find a clip of that messy attempt, if you want an idea of how the Capitals looked throughout game 7.

Aside from his assist to veteran Bill Guerin, Crosby also scored the last goal of the game on an impressive Power-Play breakaway after Ovechkin lost the puck. This concluded Mike Green's thirty-second third period shift, and he wouldn't return to the action for the remainder of the game. He is currently leading the NHL with 12 playoff goals. The climatic series matchup ended had Sidney Crosby with 13 points and Alexander Ovechkin with 14. Unfortunatly points aren't given out for inspiring your team and disproving a harshly critical Washington crowd. If these points could be doled out, Sid the Kid would've broken some records.

As much as this series had been the battle of the NHL's three biggest stars (Malkin, Crosby, and Ovechkin) it also came down to hard-fought goaltending. Marc-Andre Fleury's early-game shutdown on Ovechkin's breakaway shot capped off what would've been a momentus goal for the Caps. "That kind of great stop, especially on the road, it calms you down," said Sidney Crosby, truly emphasizing the reasoning behind branding him as the team's captain. Rookie goalie Simeon Varlamov had somewhat of an off-day, being replaced after the Capitals were scoreless and down by four. Even with a less than stellar showing in Wednesday's game, earlier success in the series should be attributed to his net minding. At times it seemed like the Penguins just could'nt get past him. And until game three, he seemed to be beating Malkin on every opportunity. Thankfully for the Penguins, Malkin recognized his faults and stepped things up from game 3 on. Oh, and the Pens learned that Varlamov couldn't stop high shots. That knowledge helped.

If the Hurricanes can manage a game 7 victory against the B's, it will give Penguins home ice advantage for the first game of round 3. But if there's anything the Pens-Caps series has proven, it's that they don't need it.


Here was my prediction for the remainder of the series, following game 5:
"Pittsburgh-Washington: Capitals take six, and the Pens slaughter them in game seven. I can't see the Penguins winning a fourth game in a row. I think the series has to go to seven."
Right on both counts. And yes, I'm just ignoring the fact that I was wrong on the others. It's better that way.

Come back soon for continued Stanley Cup Playoff coverage.