Washington Capitals seize momentum over Penguins in Game 6
Going into Game 7, the Washington Capitals have all the momentum over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Washington Capitals are fighting for their playoff lives. Going into Game 5, they knew they had to win out in order to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1998. So far, the Caps have played appropriately, seizing momentum in the series from the Pittsburgh Penguins while overcoming a 3-1 series deficit. For the first time all series, the Capitals are in complete control.
Washington has dominated the past four periods. As far as shot attempts, they’ve been dominating the entire series. However, before the third period of Game 5, the Caps weren’t getting results by finishing. Something has clicked, as the Capitals have scored eight goals in the last four periods and nine goals over their last six.
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Andre Burakovsky has three of them, taking advantage of moving up to the first line with Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie. The trio has combined for five of their nine goals. Alex Ovechkin has made the third forward line much more deadly. The Great Eight has a goal and seven shots on goal since the switch. More importantly, Ovechkin has been fully aboard the change, being willing to sacrifice to help his team. The Caps needed more production from their bottom six forwards. With the new lines, they’re getting that.
In Game 6, the Penguins looked afraid to be playing the Washington Capitals. They were hesitant and deliberately avoiding contact. The Caps have thrown them off their game, forcing a Game 7 when nobody expected it. Braden Holtby seems to have found his game at the right time, looking much more like the two-time Vezina Trophy finalist fans are used to. Of course, it helps the team in front of him is making life quite easy for him.
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Game 7 is the most important game in franchise history. And right now, it’s hard not to love the Capitals’ chances. They’re at home and the Caps seem to have the Penguins’ number.