Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins: 3 Takeaways From Game 5

1. A Star Is Born

The Washington Capitals are without top-line forward Tom Wilson. He’s not irreplaceable, but he’s more than just a guy who stands there. Wilson plays with a generationally great goal scorer (Alex Ovechkin) and a wizard who channels birds when he scores (Evgeny Kuznetsov). His role is to basically distract Barney, allowing Moe to unload the beer truck.

It took the Caps a bit to find his replacement. They tried Devante Smith-Pelly, who has a similar skill set to Wilson. That didn’t work. So the Capitals tried out plan B – Jakub Vrana. It was a warranted gamble, especially after the young forward played a huge role in Brett Connolly‘s first-period goal.

This gamble immediately paid dividends, with Vrana providing the game-winning tally in Game 5.

Capitals fans have been begging for head coach Barry Trotz to put the young wing alongside Ovechkin and Kuznetsov. The coach finally gave in and Vrana made him look brilliant.

However, the question remains – can this top line produce enough on offense to overcome their defensive shortcomings? Vrana’s goal shows the offensive upside of the trio. But a second period turnover by the wing shows the downside.

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The Capitals have found the ace up their sleeve in Vrana. All they need now is one more win to finally conquer the Penguins.

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