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Washington Capitals, Penguins both familiar with losing 3-1 series leads

By Alan Helimsky

Apr 13, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Capitals right wing T.J. Oshie (77) and eft wing Alex Ovechkin (8) and center Nicklas Backstrom (19) talk on the ice against the Toronto Maple Leafs in game one of the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Verizon Center. The Capitals won 3-2 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 13, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Capitals right wing T.J. Oshie (77) and eft wing Alex Ovechkin (8) and center Nicklas Backstrom (19) talk on the ice against the Toronto Maple Leafs in game one of the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Verizon Center. The Capitals won 3-2 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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Fans of the Washington Capitals are all too familiar of their team losing a series after being up 3-1. What some Caps fans might not know is that the Penguins have multiple collapses of their own.

According to statistics from The Puck Report, only 28 teams out of 290 have clawed their way back from a 3-1 series deficit and won the series. Just under 10% of teams have accomplished this feat. In recent memory, both the Capitals and Penguins have been on the losing side of these incredible comebacks.

2016 was a very weird year. It saw the Golden State Warriors, Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Indians each blow a 3-1 lead in the postseason. Extending into 2017, the Atlanta Falcons did the equivalent, blowing a 20+ point lead in the Super Bowl. Could the magical 3-1 lead disappear again in 2017, this time around with the Capitals coming out on top?

Washington Capitals

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In the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the top seed Washington held a 3-1 series lead over the eighth seed Montreal Canadiens. The Capitals lost the next three contests, including two at home. Some fans still cringe at the thought of “he-who-shall-not-be-named”: Jaroslav Halak. The infamous Halak stopped 131 of 134 Capitals shots in Games 5, 6, and 7 to help the Canadiens battle back.

The New York Rangers led a similar comeback vs. the Capitals in 2015. In Game 5, Washington led 1-0 and were up 3-1 in the series. The Caps were 1:41 away from advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals, until Chris Kreider tied the game late. Ryan McDonagh won it for the Rangers in OT. The rest is just brutal history. Capitals fans are still haunted by these collapses.

The Capitals held a 2-0 series lead over Pittsburgh a season ago, but still lost the series in six games. The Penguins waged a strong comeback vs. the Caps on their way to winning the Stanley Cup last season. Maybe, just maybe, it is the Capitals’ turn to do the same.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals /

Washington Capitals

It is easy for Capitals fans to look past their opponent’s history when their team is down 3-1. However, Capitals fans are not alone in watching their team surrender such a large series lead. According to The Puck Report, the Penguins have lost three playoff series’ in their history despite leading them 3-1. Two of those instances have occurred in the last 6 seasons.

In 1975, the New York Islanders orchestrated the first major Penguins’ collapse. According to TribLive, the Islanders were a new expansion team who joined the NHL just three years prior. Facing the possibility of being shut out, the Islanders won four straight.

In more recent memory, the Penguins held a 3-1 advantage vs. Tampa Bay in 2010. The Lightning won three straight after Game 4, to defeat the Crosby-less Penguins. Tampa Bay would go on to shut out the Capitals in the following series.

The New York Rangers won three straight to battle back from 3-1 vs. Pittsburgh three years later. Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury shut the Rangers out in Games 1 & 2, but it was not enough to win the series.

Washington is currently facing a seemingly insurmountable 3-1 series deficit vs. Pittsburgh.

Should the Capitals complete the comeback, they would become one of the very few to do so in the history of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. To this point, the Capitals’ struggles are tied to the immense pressure the team has to win the Stanley Cup this year. Mental mistakes and the pressure to win it all has Washington on the edge of a deep, dark hole.

The Capitals have a chance to become the 29th team in Stanley Cup Playoffs history to erase a 3-1 series deficit. It helps that the Penguins have had similar struggles defending such a lead. If the Capitals win Game 5 in a dominant fashion, they can plant a seed of doubt in the minds of Penguins skaters. Especially if they can take it to Game 7, which is something they could not do a year ago.

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Erasing a 3-1 series deficit is a steep uphill climb. According to Hockey Reference, the Capitals have done it twice in their history. It is certainly possible to do it again against this depleted Penguins squad. Alexander Ovechkin and his Capitals have a chance to prove a lot of people wrong. The hockey world will be watching intently to see if Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals can do what few teams have done before them.

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