Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins: 3 Takeaways From Game 5
The Washington Capitals have pushed the Pittsburgh Penguins to the brink with a 6-3 win in Game 5. Here are three takeaways.
On paper, the Washington Capitals beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-3 on Saturday night. This resembles a blowout. However, a bit of context is needed. Two of those six goals were scored with an empty net. So the game was a lot closer than the score suggests.
The Capitals overcame their worst period in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the second period. Credit Washington for realizing how important the third period was and for coming out strong to win the game. And even once they got the lead, the Caps didn’t sit back on it like they did in the second period.
Washington has a 3-2 lead in the series now, with Game 6 looming on Monday. At the very least, the Capitals have guaranteed themselves of a Game 7 with suspended forward Tom Wilson back in the lineup. And the Penguins quest for a three-peat has their backs against the wall. But this is a team who has done their best work when facing must-win games.
Let’s take a look at three takeaways from Game 5.
3. What’s Ailing Letang?
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Penguins defenseman Kris Letang isn’t the most defensively-responsible defenseman. That’s not his style. However, Letang almost always produces enough on offense to offset his defensive deficiencies. This series, he has become a liability.
Letang has three points in five games, which isn’t awful. However, his defensive errors are costing the Penguins. Letang has a plus-minus rating of -5 in the series. In Game 5, he was directly responsible for allowing Jakub Vrana‘s game-winning goal in the third period.
Is Letang hurt? It wouldn’t be surprising. Unfortunately, Letang seems to have the worst luck in the world as far as his health. He’s overcome a stroke, multiple concussions, and a herniated disc in his neck over the past several seasons. Whatever’s wrong with Letang, the Penguins either need him to fix it or they need to put Justin Schultz on the top pairing with Brian Dumoulin.