The Penguins just won’t stop coming. Even without concussed Sidney Crosby and Conor Sheary, they still walked all over the Caps in the early-going in game four. The red and white made it a one goal game but just couldn’t solve Marc-Andre Fleury; as has been the case all series.
For the Penguins to close out this series, they’ll need to keep the Capital captain in check. He has one goal and three assists in this series and that one goal came on April 27th – it was also Washington’s first goal of the series.
Aside from keeping Ovie in check, the Pens need to keep their firepower strong. Braden Holtby was yanked in game two and has shown some signs of wear and tear. He’s let in a few slippery goals and if the Penguins can keep the rubber coming at him with bodies in front, they may be able to stroll into round three by Sunday morning.
Despite their constant attack, the Caps have had very little to show for their efforts over the past few nights. Alex Ovechkin, as mentioned above, has been a non-factor and the team has slowed its production. For the Caps to win this game, they’ll need to truly bring it in front of their home fans.
With that said, the home crowd will undoubtedly help. The Capitals were a league best 32-7-2 on their ice this season and have truly reveled playing front of the red storm at Verizon.
So while they’ll have a little added momentum boost, they’ll also need to capitalize (pardon the pun) on a banged up Penguins roster. Sidney Crosby has started skating once again and will likely be a game-time decision for this one, while Conor Sheary’s return looks a little more doubtful.
The team clearly didn’t make the most of their opportunity in game four, but they’ve now had the opportunity to reflect, reassess and recondition themselves in their familiar confines. This will be their final chance to save their 2016-17 lives trailing 3-1 in the series and the odds are in their favor.
Writer’s Prediction
The Caps storm the Pens net and get some ugly ones. They win 7-4.
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