Crosby scores twice, Bonino has victor as Pens beat Caps

In the end, the Penguins were truly lucky to win this game. It was Nicklas Backstrom who then spoke up.

“Braden Holtby has got to be way better”, Olczyk said.

After the game, Holtby said, “I expect to start every game until I’m told otherwise”. If a puck doesn’t hit Jake Guentzel, if Fleury doesn’t miraculously save the day with his mix of athleticism and desperation, if the Capitals found their way on a single power play. And tonight was one of those nights.

The Capitals, even though they were the less rested team, outplayed Pittsburgh in Game 1. The stakes are higher now. Stephen King couldn’t have scripted a worse start to the second period for the Capitals. “We did a lot of good things up in Ottawa, we didn’t get the results we wanted”.

Anderson wasn’t tested almost as much at the other end, but was forced to hang tough when McDonagh walked past a row of Senators during a NY power play and made an attempt on goal that went wide.

Game 2 will be a very pivotal moment in this series. It’s not about that.

“Haggy’s a great two-way player”, Kessel said. “He brings his best game when the games are most important”. “In the first series (against the Columbus Blue Jackets), the first two games here, he’s made timely saves for us, especially in that first period”. “That’s why they’re up 2-0”. For the second straight game in this series, the Capitals had twice as many shot attempts but were outscored.

“Maybe I’m going to put a checker on their checker because he’s supposed to be their checker and he got four goals”, Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said Sunday on a conference call. With his two assists, C Sidney Crosby (148) moved ahead of Jaromir Jagr (147) for second place on the team’s all-time postseason points list.

“That was the message. It felt like I was moving, and I’m excited, that’s for sure”.

It was Orpik who had the strongest message after a team meeting earlier this season.

“In the playoffs, a home game, the crowd, there’s energy and there’s momentum to take from that, but the road team can play with that, too”, Capitals right winger Tom Wilson said. When media were allowed in, Orpik, an alternate captain, was critical of his teammates.

“We have four lines that can play offense or play just in general and be unsafe”, Brassard said. I don’t need to go into details.

“We come out a little bit slow”, Ovechkin said.

Washington is two losses removed from again following a Presidents’ Trophy win with a conference semifinal exit. Already, they face long odds, as just 18 of the previous 87 teams to drop the first two games of a best-of-seven series at home have gone on to win the series, and only four in National Hockey League history have come back from a 3-0 deficit. For a team that really loves banners, this had to be traumatizing for the Capitals. “He’s a good penalty killer, he’s a solid two-way player, so we can use him in a number of different capacities, but I think his speed certainly helps us play the type of game that we want to play and we’re a more competitive team when he’s in the lineup”.

Washington no longer has the luxury of time.

In fact, Letterman did root for the Caps and told The Washington Post he went to Ball State University in IN with captain Alex Ovechkin.

“Braden’s our backbone. He has been all year”, Trotz said, but he also acknowledged that Holtby “wasn’t as sharp as he can be for us”. “That’s ownership…when your leaders are in the room talking about stuff, because that’s galvanizing and that’s a huge step for us”. I believe we have a unique chemistry.