1. T.J. Oshie is the toast of the town today after last night’s game-winning hat trick goal:
#Oshie game 1 game winner #CapsPens pic.twitter.com/c6YapTHRdB
— CAPITALS HILL (@CapitalsHill) April 29, 2016
On Thursday T.J. Oshie delivered the 8th playoff hat trick in #Capitals history- 2nd straight clinched via OT winner pic.twitter.com/ba4fAmp444
— StatsCentre (@StatsCentre) April 29, 2016
T.J. Oshie (@TJOshie77) is 3rd in @washcaps history to post a playoff hat trick via an OT goal (per @EliasSports): pic.twitter.com/gTzscd8I3l
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) April 29, 2016
First Star!! ⭐️ Oshie!! #CapsPens #RockTheRed https://t.co/P3KUvfHsVf
— #RockTheRed (@washcaps) April 29, 2016
Fight Schenn for doing dirt on Kuzy.
Hat trick goal in OT to beat Pens.
T.J. Oshie will never have to buy another beer in this town.
— Japers’ Rink (@JapersRink) April 29, 2016
Basically, he did on the ice what his daughter had done hours earlier…
TJ Oshie’s daughter won game 1 hours ago. This is fitting. pic.twitter.com/m9SIhxvXOd
— Faizal Khamisa (@SNFaizalKhamisa) April 29, 2016
***
2. You never like to see a knee-on-knee hit in these Caps-Pens games, especially one against a top-line player that goes unpenalized, but that’s exactly what happened last night:
Crosby’s knee on knee hit on Oshie. Somehow not a penalty. https://t.co/52ghsjnGLd
— Grant Dressler (@GrantADressler) March 2, 2016
Oops! Wrong clip. Here we go:
another look at Wilson kneeing Sheary pic.twitter.com/B9l0OBDsMN
— Stephanie (@myregularface) April 29, 2016
That’s a bad hit by Tom Wilson, full stop. The League should take a look at it and decide whether or not it’s worth supplementary discipline based upon their established precedents and whatnot. Fortunately, Conor Sheary was okay (which will work in Wilson’s favor because the NHL isn’t serious about getting bad hits out of the game).
As for Wilson, after spending last spring in the Islanders‘ collective heads and the first round in the Flyers‘, he’s well on his way to doing likewise to the Pens this round:
still no penalties pic.twitter.com/JPRlY8dOhE
— Stephanie (@myregularface) April 29, 2016
Embellishment? #CapsPens pic.twitter.com/twe3L9mLiR
— CAPITALS HILL (@CapitalsHill) April 29, 2016
no idea but i guess it’s directed at wilson pic.twitter.com/85a8wv3xq2
— Stephanie (@myregularface) April 29, 2016
COVERAGE from Washington, by @JoshYohe_PGH: @Penguins fume over Wilson’s knee, other anticshttps://t.co/qy7kXozEyf pic.twitter.com/SOYx5RtQpe
— Dejan Kovacevic (@Dejan_Kovacevic) April 29, 2016
Rightly or wrongly (probably the latter), you can bet there are those on the Western Pennsylvania side of this series already wondering if the Pens are “tough enough.” And the more they’re focused on that stuff, the less they’re focused on hockey.
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3. Dmitry Orlov skated exactly one shift in the 38:53 of hockey that followed this goat rodeo:
#Bonino dekes, #Caps collide, #Lovejoy taps in the rebound #CapsPens 1-1 pic.twitter.com/4TkVm4CinD
— CAPITALS HILL (@CapitalsHill) April 29, 2016
Lovejoy goal pic.twitter.com/5lDSXInm8r
— Stephanie (@myregularface) April 29, 2016
great move by Bonino pic.twitter.com/IaL4QRRXEO
— Stephanie (@myregularface) April 29, 2016
It looks like Orlov was already beaten when Nate Schmidt inexplicably clipped him, but that contact certainly didn’t help any chance Orlov had at recovering and making a play. Regardless, we’ve talked about risk/reward on Orlov plenty, and Barry Trotz has been pretty patient with him. But that patience has to be nearing an end, and the supposed depth of the Caps’ defense doesn’t help all that much if you’re playing half the game and overtime with five guys. Trotz needs to trust and play Orlov (he should), or dress someone with whom he’s more comfortable (a worse decision).