Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins: 3 Takeaways From Game 2

Here’s what we learned from Game 2 of the series between the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins

The Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins had yet another exciting game in their series. It’s always exciting when those two teams play. In Game 2, the Capitals came out on top 4-1 over the Penguins in a game that was closer than the score suggests. It was 3-1 for over 26 minutes equating to nearly half the game.

With the series now tied at one game each, Washington will travel to Pittsburgh for Game 3. The next two games should help determine the rest of the series. Let’s take a look at three takeaways from Sunday’s Game 2.

1. Pittsburgh’s Slow Starts

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In Game 1, the Capitals got an early 1-0 lead under 20 seconds into the game. This trend continued in Game 2, as Caps captain Alex Ovechkin scored 86 seconds after the opening faceoff. A power-play goal by Jakub Vrana gave Washington a 2-0 lead in the first period.

It’s undeniable Pittsburgh has gotten sub-optimal starts against the Capitals. Luckily, NHL games are (at least) 60 minutes long. So a bad start isn’t the worst thing in the world. But it cost the Penguins in Game 1, as they had to play catch-up for the rest of the game.

Not only has Pittsburgh started slow, starting goaltender Matt Murray has looked unsettled early in the first two games. The Capitals must focus on getting pucks on net early and often against the Penguins, as they’ve proven they’re vulnerable to early goals against.

2. Capitals Winning Special Teams Battles

Washington hasn’t been stellar at five-on-five this postseason as far as scoring. However, they’ve dominated possession, creating high-danger chances while not allowing too many. The Caps have had to rely on special teams to give them an edge. After the Capitals stormed back against the Columbus Blue Jackets thanks to their power-play and penalty kill, both units helped them get a win in Game 2.

Game 1 saw just three penalties called, which minimized the Caps advantage there. In Game 2, there were 10 penalties called, with each team getting three power-play opportunities. The Capitals were able to generate pressure on two of their power-plays, converting on one of them. Meanwhile, Washington was able to kill all three of their own penalties.

It is, however, worth noting the Penguins scored their lone goal on a four-on-four. This happened after Pens forward Patric Hornqvist and Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov each got sent off for roughing. The Penguins looked good at four-on-four, so look for them to try to get as many of those as they can. Hornqvist is one of the best in the league at getting under his opponent’s skin.

3. Holtby’s Back

Washington Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby had a very rough series against the Pittsburgh Penguins last year. After a less than stellar Game 1, which saw him allow three goals in under five minutes, he had an outstanding Game 2. Holtby stopped all but one of the 33 shots on goal he faced.

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He’ll need to keep playing at this level if the Capitals want to beat the Penguins. His adversary Matt Murray, though he has allowed three first-period goals, has also made timely saves, especially late in games (most notably Game 1).

This series, he’s gotten much more comfortable as the games go on. Holtby was the difference maker in a bad way in Game 1. But in Game 2, he was a positive difference maker. Holtby needs to remain a net positive.

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