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Capitals vs. Penguins: How the Game Was Lost

The Caps fell to the lowly (lol) Pens last night. Here’s how it happened.

Nov 8, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson (74) clears the puck from Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) in front of Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren (79) in the second period at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Last night was one of those classic games that saw a top team massively overlook a worse team (and if you don’t think that was hella fun to type given the opponent, despite the loss, you haven’t been around here for long enough). As is usually the case in such a game, very little went right for the good guys, while the Pens were able to capitalize on their opportunities and steal two points.

While the Caps did fall in a 2-0 hole early, they clawed their way back to tie the game by the end of the second period, setting the scene for another close game between these two longtime rivals. The only question was, who would come out on top this time?

Enter Evgeni Malkin.

The play starts in the offensive zone, where the Caps’ second line had the puck…until they didn’t. A bad turnover by Tom Wilson from behind the Penguins’ net ends up on the stick of Matt Grzelcyk, who immediately bumps it to his defensive partner, Kris Letang. Letang sends it across to Malkin and the rush up ice is on. Malkin and Bryan Rust work the puck up ice, and Rust easily sidesteps Connor McMichael, who had dropped back to defend, to find Malkin in front of the net.

Despite there being plenty of red sweaters around #71 in white, none of them take away his stick and he’s able to slide the puck through Charlie Lindgren (who made some incredible saves last night but, frankly, needed to have that one and didn’t).

Blech.

Look, nights like last night will happen – and there’s some (very small) comfort in knowing that the Capitals didn’t play their best game and yet were still very much in this game right up to the end.

They won’t have much time to dwell on the loss, as they’re already up in St. Louis for a Saturday night throwdown with the Blues.

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