As unbelievable as it may seem, we are fast approaching the five-year anniversary of the Capitals’ Stanley Cup win. To celebrate, over the next two months we’re going to be taking you on a journey back in time to that magical run – reliving every game, five years to the day from when it was first played.
So strap in for the ups and downs, highs and lows, all leading up to a celebration of the greatest moment in franchise history.
Follow along with all of our “Five Years Ago Today…” recaps here.
The Series:
Eastern Conference Round 2 – Capitals (1) vs. Penguins (2); Caps lead 2-1
The Setting:
May 3, 2018 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA
Game in a Nutshell:
As this series went on, the Penguins were gradually – and weirdly – getting healthier. First they got Evgeni Malkin back after the center missed three games with an injury, then future Caps’ legend Carl Hagelin was brought back into the mix for Game 4.
Meanwhile the Caps took to the ice in Pittsburgh down a man, Tom Wilson serving the first of his three-game suspension he received for his check on Zach Aston-Reese two nights earlier.
Nothing for the Caps to do but carry on – and call for reinforcements, in the form of Shane Gersich, who would make his NHL playoff debut on the fourth line.
The first half of the game was relatively quiet (at least as quiet as any Caps-Penguins playoff game can be), with the teams exchanging a handful of shots, a couple of penalties, and no goals.
That would change at almost exactly the halfway mark of the game, when Matt Niskanen breaks his stick. Devante Smith-Pelly gives his stick to the blueliner like a good boy, but for some reason that act messes up the team’s awareness of where to be and what to do and how to hockey, leaving Jake Guentzel – who already had six points in the series – alone about 3 inches away from Braden Holtby. With the puck. So…not ideal. 1-0 bad guys.
Ah, but when the chips were down for the 2018 Washington Capitals, they turned to their light, their strength: the power play. Coming into Game 4, the Caps had scored nine power-play goals in eight games, tied with the Sharks for the most through May 2 (despite getting almost 1.5 fewer power plays per game than San Jose) and clicking at a wild 31%.
With Jake Guentzel in the penalty box, you could make that 10 goals and 31.3% after this:
Nick Backstrom is perfection.
The Caps would get some more chances with the extra man after Guentzel made a repeat visit to the sin bin, but Matt Murray and the hockey gods said no.
Those pesky hockey gods were a little more accommodating to the Pens a few minutes later, this time with T.J. Oshie sitting for a minor. An initial sharp-angle shot from Evgeni Malkin would go off the post and trickle along the goal line, and with Holtby unable to cover or sweep it out, a diving Malkin came across to tap it just over the line. Despite a video review and then a challenge (for some reason) by the Caps for goalie interference, the call would stand.
2-1 Penguins.
Braden Holtby would come up big for the Caps down the stretch, keeping it a one-goal game, but unfortunately Matt Murray did his job, as well, and that’s how it stayed until an action-packed shift about one minute remaining in regulation.
First, T.J. Oshie would go in for a huge (let’s be honest, a leaping) check on Kris Letang. Oshie and Letang would get into a scuffle, but while everyone was watching them, Jake Guentzel decided to add to his gaudy point total and sink the empty-netter.
Thus endeth another thrilling game between the Caps and Pens – two teams who definitely do not like each other.
Back to Washington for another best-of-three.
Condensed Game:
Defining Moment:
They Said It:
“When I was (still) on the ice, I think it’s no-goal. I didn’t see the puck cross the line. I’m like … so mad because it was a good chance to score, but after that we watched the replay and we scored.” – Evgeni Malkin
“I think the one thing that is very calming with our group is that they’re resilient and they’re confident. We said we wanted to come here and at minimum get this thing to a best of three [series][. Well, we’ve done that.” – Barry Trotz
“I think any time 43 is out of the lineup, you see a loss. He has an impact every shift whether he is making hits or not because guys have to be aware that he is out there. He is a very big part of our team this year. He made such a big step in his career this season. He stepped into a very big role for us and he has done a great job, and we miss him. But we’re going to have to do a job here without him.” – T.J. Oshie
Additional Reading:
- Pens Nip Caps 3-1 to Even Series [Vogs]
- #CapsPens Postgame Notebook: No Leads [Vogs]
- Penguins top Capitals in Game 4, even Eastern series [NHL]
- Capitals-Penguins series tied, but frustrations mount for Washington after missed chance [WaPo]
- Crosby again has a hand in everything as Penguins knot series with Capitals [WaPo]
I was at a Watch Party for Game 4 which clearly didn’t go well for the Caps. At the end of it, I thought to myself, “Here we go again!” At least I had good company and good food. I knew I was going to miss Game 5 since I had another engagement for the weekend and had sold my tickets to my office mate.
Dang, Letang got absolutely dipsy-doodled there. He gets his gloves off first, and Oshie just absolutely bamboozles him.
We didn’t know it at this point, but who knew we would win the next two games and the series without Tom Wilson? Raise your hand if you expected that to happen. I certainly didn’t.
Same. I was in a dark place at this point I think.
Join the club.