The Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin and Tom Kuhnhackl need a win Monday night in Pittsburgh. (Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press)
The Pittsburgh Penguins, the Stanley Cup winners each of the past two years, enjoyed an abundance of secondary scoring en route to those championships, especially in their series against Washington. In 2016, their third line of Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino and Phil Kessel torched the Capitals for five goals at even strength, outscoring the top two lines centered by Sidney Crosby (zero) and Evgeni Malkin (one). Last year, it again was Hagelin, Bonino and Kessel (five goals in six games), plus the fourth line centered by Matt Cullen (two goals), that did the damage. However, that has not been the case this postseason, and it’s a reason Pittsburgh trails 3-2 in the series heading into Monday night’s Game 6 in Pittsburgh.
[The 13 excruciating playoff losses that have DC sports fans starving for one more Caps win]
Through Sunday, the Penguins have scored 41 goals this postseason, tying them for the most in the NHL with the Capitals and the Boston Bruins. Forward Jake Guentzel leads all scorers with 10 goals, followed by Crosby (nine, tied for second in the league), but then it starts to get sparse for Pittsburgh, especially at even strength. Against Washington, Crosby, Guentzel and Patric Hornqvist, usually a fixture on that top line as well, are the only forwards with an even-strength goal. Defensemen Jamie Oleksiak and Kris Letang have each scored a goal, bringing the team’s series total to eight.
Penguins Coach Mike Sullivan, recognizing the problem in Game 4, moved Hornqvist to the second line, giving Malkin and Hagelin a pest who can create havoc in front of the net. It didn’t work. Those two have been outscored 1-0 at even strength by Washington since then and hold only a slight edge in scoring chances created in the slot or the crease (5 to 4). The third line of Conor Sheary, Riley Sheahan and Phil Kessel managed just two scoring chances, and the fourth line, which Saturday was Tom Kuhnhackl, Derick Brassard and Bryan Rust, took only two shot attempts while allowing five. Plus, the top line of Crosby, Guentzel and Dominik Simon is less effective. Sullivan may have to go back to the drawing board if his team is to avoid elimination Monday night.
At even strength Penguins line since Game 4 Shot attempts Scoring chances High-danger chances Goals Guentzel-Crosby-Simon 28 16 10 1 Hagelin-Malkin-Hornqvist 25 10 5 0 Sheary-Sheahan-Kessel 3 2 0 0 Kuhnhackl-Brassard-Rust 3 1 0 0
If Sullivan does find a workable combination of forward trios, it might not matter because Washington’s netminder, Braden Holtby, is outplaying Pittsburgh’s Matt Murray.
[The Capitals could end the stupidest streak in sports. Heck yeah, it matters.]
Murray has stopped 124 of 138 shots faced (an .899 save percentage) and has allowed six goals on 30 chances in the high-danger areas at even strength. Holtby has a save percentage of .915, with just two of 50 high-danger chances at even strength getting by him.
Not only is Murray performing worse than he has in playoffs past, the Penguins aren’t making it easy on him, either. Based on each goalie’s win threshold, which measures how difficult it is for a goalie to earn a win for his team, Holtby should have an easier time winning Monday’s Game 6. The win threshold formula is simply shots against minus goals for divided by shots against, which provides the save percentage at which the team would post a goal differential of zero over the course of the season. If the goalie’s save percentage is above that number, the team is likely to win more than it loses, while anything below the threshold means the team should end up with a sub-.500 record based on the scoring rates in the shootout era. Through five games, Holtby’s win threshold is a save percentage of .881; Murray’s is .908.
“I think it comes down to character and the people that we have in our dressing room,” Sullivan said Sunday. “These guys are competitive guys, they know what it takes to win, they’re not afraid of challenges, and they embrace these types of situations. We have the utmost confidence in the group that we have.”
More on the Capitals:
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Barry Svrluga: The Capitals better win this in six games
‘The goalie is everything for us’: The Capitals’ Game 5 triumph started and ended with Braden Holtby
Penguins now in desperation mode — but they’ve succeeded in these spots before
Caps fans go nuts on National Portrait Gallery steps, chanting ‘One more game!’
When the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 2016, goaltender Matt Murray celebrated in late July in his hometown of Thunder Bay, Ontario, a city of about 100,000 sitting at the northern side of Lake Superior. A small group of friends, family and former coaches and trainers gathered at a barbecue restaurant Murray's cousin owns. Before eating, Murray's father, James, showed everyone an 8-inch replica of the Stanley Cup constructed from tin foil. Matt had made it for Father's Day when he was a child, and James had kept it ever since.
Anyone who knows Matt knows he considers his father, who owned a small law firm in Thunder Bay, his hero. James Murray wasn't much of an athlete; he only picked up skating in university. But he took pride in his son. Every summer beginning when Matt was 10, he and his father would fly to Toronto together for a weeklong goaltending camp. In the NHL, Murray proudly detailed his helmet with Dutch and Scottish flags -- honoring his family heritage -- and his parents' initials.
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Murray, 23, entered this season shouldering towering expectations; the Penguins are looking to become the first team in more than three decades to win three straight Cups. Meanwhile, management parted with the beloved and still capable Marc-Andre Fleury -- a No. 1 pick who won 536 games (and three Stanley Cups) over 13 seasons in Pittsburgh -- to signal full trust in the young goaltender. Neither Murray nor the Penguins began the season as they hoped. Murray missed two weeks in November with a lower-body injury. The first three months felt like a post-championship malaise. (In a thorny twist, Fleury and the upstart Vegas Golden Knights have outperformed Pittsburgh.)
This January, James Murray fell ill and was airlifted to a hospital in London, Ontario. The Penguins were in Anaheim on Jan. 16, preparing for a three-game California road trip when Matt Murray received the news: His father had died.
When Murray found out about his father's death, the Penguins were in fifth place in the Metropolitan Division and not in a playoff position. And yet the team didn't hesitate to tell their No. 1 goaltender to take time off. They offered Murray several options to get from Anaheim to Thunder Bay. They said, Don't worry about hockey right now. Come back when you're ready. Murray was gone for six days.
"There is no doubt, none, that it was the right thing to do," star teammate Sidney Crosby said. "It's something tough to go through. I can't imagine how hard it was for him. He's pretty quiet as it is. As teammates, we tried to be supportive the best we can. Whenever he was ready we'd be there."
The Penguins are on the brink of elimination Monday night when they host the Washington Capitals in Game 6. Down 3-2, Pittsburgh will once again turn to Murray (.905 save percentage, 2.49 goals-against average in the playoffs) to soldier through and shine in the playoffs -- a hallmark of his career thus far. His story is a reminder of the humanity in hockey.
Penguins goaltender Matt Murray continues to mourn the loss of his father, who died in January. Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Athletes across professional sports often try to brave through tragedy. Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre famously played on Monday Night Football the day after his father died. Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant played a day after learning of his father's death in 2016. Just last season, Boston Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas took the court the day after his sister was killed in a one-car accident in Washington state.
In the NHL, New York Rangers winger Martin St. Louis' mother died of a sudden heart attack during the 2014 playoffs. St. Louis found out on a Thursday when he landed in Pittsburgh for a Game 5. He flew back to New York to be with family, shuttled to Montreal to be with his father and returned to Pittsburgh on Friday for the game.
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Many have found solace in the return to routine, using competition as a coping mechanism. Following their personal tragedies, Favre threw for 399 yards and four touchdowns, Bryant hauled in a 50-yard touchdown and, with several messages written on his shoes (including "RIP Lil Sis" and "I love you"), Thomas picked up 33 points. In his first home game following his mother's death, St. Louis scored a dramatic goal -- on Mother's Day.
But there is no playbook for grieving, and in recent years, hockey has invited a more patient approach.
"The culture has changed," said Boston Bruins winger Brian Gionta, who made his NHL debut in 2001. "There is obviously a lot more to it than just the game. I've seen it over the last few years, it's a lot more sympathetic to things that are going on in the world, and obviously things going on in personal lives. We've done a good job of evolving in a positive way."
Consider in this NHL season alone: Ottawa Senators captain Erik Karlsson missed two games after his wife, Melinda, delivered a stillborn son. Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal missed three games after his infant daughter, Hannah, died from a terminal birth defect. Calgary Flames winger Johnny Gaudreau missed two games while spending time in New Jersey with his father, who had suffered a cardiac event.
"Players are going to go through that at some point in their life, and it's not something you can prepare for," Bruins veteran forward David Krejci said. "Sometimes it takes time. For some guys, it might take longer. Hockey becomes a big family. We try to support each other as much as we can. A lot of players, we'll reach out even if it's through Instagram or social media. In difficult times, it's nice to know you're not in it alone."
Upon his return to Pittsburgh, Murray's teammates gave him time and space, but made it clear that they also supported him. Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire
Murray received support from around the league, but particularly in Pittsburgh.
"Especially in the hockey world, your parents play such a big role in the time and financial sacrifices to get to where we are today," Murray's teammate Riley Sheahan said. "We knew [Murray's] dad was struggling a little bit. We didn't know the severity. We didn't want to get in his business, but we supported him -- you know, a text to let him know you're thinking of him, a reminder if he ever wants to talk, you're there. And when he was ready, we wanted to make him feel like everything was back to normal."
Forward Bryan Rust said the Penguins decided their approach to Murray's absence was to give him "time and space." But when Murray returned, many in the locker room understood the importance of support. Fourth-liner Tom Kuhnhackl grew up in Germany but came to North America to play hockey when he was 18. Shortly after he joined the OHL's Windsor Spitfires in 2010, his grandmother died.
"She was everything to me," Kuhnhackl says. "My grandma watched every game ever. I couldn't even focus on hockey anymore -- I wanted to go home. But if I had come home for the funeral, I know I wouldn't have come back."
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At first, Kuhnhackl didn't tell any teammates.
"I was new," he said. "I couldn't speak the language that well. I didn't know anyone really, and I figured I could figure it out myself."
But the days became harder, and Kuhnhackl told his team about what he was dealing with.
Teammate Craig Duininck offered for Kuhnhackl to move into his house. The German teenager said yes and lived with Duininck's family for the rest of the season. Kuhnhackl found comfort in homemade meals (especially the meatloaf), as he slowly acclimated to the English language, North American hockey and his new reality. "I don't know what I would have done without them," Kuhnhackl said. "That's what hockey means to me."
At the Penguins' AHL affiliate, in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, winger Garrett Wilson took roughly two weeks away after his mother, Joan, died in November after a long battle with breast cancer. Center Thomas Di Pauli took time away from the team after his father, Alexander -- who shuttled between Italy and suburban Chicago to see his son play when Di Pauli was a child -- died unexpectedly in December.
"Those guys took time off and everyone completely understood," said Zach Aston-Reese, who split time between the NHL and AHL this season. "I think that says something about the organization, whether its the star goaltender or minor league guys. Same treatment."
Murray and the Penguins are looking to win a third straight Stanley Cup, an incredible feat in the NHL's salary-cap era. AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar
Murray's season was by no means easy. The lower-body injury in November, coupled with his father's death and three weeks missed in February with a concussion -- suffered after taking a shot off the mask in practice -- left Murray starting just 45 games and appearing in only 49, the fewest by the Penguins' top goaltender in a decade. His 2.92 GAA and .907 save percentage in the regular season were his worst marks in his three-year career.
"He's so hugely important to this team," Rust said. "He's battled through so much and always comes up big for us."
When Murray first returned to practice following his time away, he was greeted by a scrum of reporters and television cameras.
"I just want to say a big thanks, first of all, to Pittsburgh," Murray said, his eyes watery. "The team did a lot for me, helping me get home. I also want to say thanks to my teammates."
And then he went back to his normal routine -- though it was clear the loss was something he'd continue to cope with for a long time, whether or not this playoff run ends with another Stanley Cup victory.
In the sixth game of the series against the Washington Capitals, the Pittsburgh Penguins find their backs to the wall. In need of a win or the season is over, the chance of a three-peat ending at the hands of their division rival.
Wait, how did it get to this point?
A look at both teams on paper reveal a dramatic turnaround from last year. In 2017 the Caps were deeper and better on paper. And yet the Pens beat them in a playoff series because of superior goaltending and opportunistic scoring. Fast forward to now and it’s Pittsburgh who has a more talented club, and yet Washington is up 3-2 because of...No less than superior goaltending and opportunistic scoring.
As we noted in the series preview, in the 2018 first round of the NHL playoffs, across the board in the 8 different first round series a team only lost a game when leading at the second intermission 4 times. Pittsburgh has managed to do it twice in the first five games of this series alone. (The Caps also blew a 3rd period lead back in Game 1).
The reasons for that are varying, but go to illustrate that the Pens simply haven’t been good enough all around in moments both big and small.
Up by a score of 3-2 in the third period of Game 3, Evgeni Malkin (freshly back from injury) rocketed down the right side of the ice all alone. Goalie Braden Holtby was off his angle and giving up room of the far-side. Malkin saw it and shot hard, but the puck hit the post. In the sequence that followed, Matt Niskanen threw a fairly harmless shot from near the blueline that handcuffed Matt Murray and popped into the net to tie the game with under five minutes remaning. If either of those two events go the Pens way, their chances of winning go up exponentially. But they didn’t. It’s not to call out Murray or Malkin specifically, but just an example of how in key moments the Pens haven’t risen to the challenge and it’s tipped the game away from them.
A similar story can be painted for the blown 3rd period lead of Game 5. The Pens were up 3-2 but defensive breakdowns and mis-reads by their first pairs led to two goals for the Caps 1st line. Given a small opening, the Caps earned a win in a game they were getting outplayed in, much like Pittsburgh did scoring three third period goals in Game 1.
So what has to change? It’s tough to say in the sense that hockey is a complex game and the routine (like a save a goalie should be expected to make) can turn into something more key if that’s not the case. Every game is a new opportunity, and the fact is the Pens just need to focus on what they can control, as cliche as it sounds. If all the players are doing their jobs, they can win a game at home. Do so, and the series will boil down to a Game 7.
Every team faces adversity on their way to greatness. Pittsburgh was down 3 games to 2 to Tampa in 2016. You only have to look back to last year where the Pens lost Games 5-6 to Washington by a combined scored of 9-4 and almost everyone thought/expected they would lose the Game 7 in DC. But you’re never out until the clock strikes 0:00 on the fourth loss of the series, and the Pens came out focused and determined and it resulted in a 2-0 win in that Game 7 that very few could imagine a realistic possibility.
The Penguins aren’t done yet, but they need one more win to buy one more game and a chance to move on. There’s no doubt the Pens aren’t in a great position right now, but if every game is a new opportunity then now there are no further opportunities remaining past tonight. The Pens have done many things good in this series but have seen many things go awry too. They just need to find a way to be better in the big and small moments at home to extend the season. Possibly a simple answer to a much more difficult issue in front of them, but that’s what this year boils down to in Game 6.
