Penguins vs Capitals Game 5: Alexander the Gr8 and The Kid Continue Playoff Battle

• Can the Capitals break the curse and finally defeat the Penguins in a playoff series?
• Will the Caps be able to slow down Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel?
• Will Washington miss Tom Wilson?

The Capitals will look to do something they’ve never accomplished against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night: take a 3-2 series lead. In 2009 they jumped out to a 2-0 series lead before falling behind 3-2 and losing in seven games. In 2016 and 2017 they fell behind 3-1. They lost in six games during Pittsburgh’s first of back-to-back Stanley Cups. Last year they made it to Game 7, but lost 2-0.

This year, they’re hoping things are different.

Opening Odds

Simply put, no one will really believe in a Capitals team that makes it to the playoffs until they do two things: 1) make it out of the second round and 2) beat the Penguins. To this point in the series, things have been played relatively tightly, but Washington has proven that this may be their best shot of getting past the reigning champs.

It was a good 55 minutes before the wheels fell off in Game 1, dominance from start to finish in Game 2, and an inspired comeback in Game 3. They even had a chance on Thursday night to take a 3-1 series lead, but Matt Murray was just better than Braden Holtby, and Pittsburgh outperformed Washington on the power play.

While both teams have deep offenses, they’ve had trouble hitting overs. Game 3 was the only game to go over six goals total (Game 4’s O/U), and even in last year’s series, just two of seven games between the two sides saw seven or more goals scored. Even in the regular season where the teams split the season series 2-2, just one game featured more than a combined six goals. The fact it’s dropped to 5.5 though makes it an intriguing play.

Alexander the Gr8 vs The Kid

For as long as they’ve been in the league, these two teams have gone as their superstars go. For Pittsburgh, Crosby’s tandem with Jake Guentzel has been responsible for eight of the team’s 10 goals in the series. The three-time Cup champion already has 19 points in just 10 games, which is the same amount he had in 24 games in 2015/16 when the Pens won the cup. Guentzel was actually two points up on Crosby for the team and league lead following Game 4.

Guentzel scores, Crosby assist. Penguins 8 goals in this series – Crosby on ice for all 8 goals.

— David Amber (@DavidAmber) May 4, 2018

In Game 4, neither Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin recorded a shot on goal. That’s the first time that’s ever happened in a head-to-had matchup.

Ovechkin has been there when his team has needed a big moment in the series, and Nicklas Backstrom has risen to the occasion as well. Ovie is two goals (8) back of Guentzel for the playoff lead, while Backstrom’s 13 points are two shy of tying his best playoff effort (2009). Both will be fired up to bring the series back home, and will be ready to bring their best.

Who’s in, Who’s out?

Aston-Reese and Wilson’s statuses are directly tied to one another, as it was Wilson’s hit that broke the rookie’s jaw. There’s no timetable for Aston-Reese’s return, while Wilson will miss his second of three games.

Hagelin came back in Game 4, logging just over 16 minutes in his return to the lineup. Burakovsky didn’t make the trip to Pittsburgh for Games 3 and 4, so you can consider his status murky at best.

T.J. Oshie: "I think any arrogance that we might have had from our last couple of victories has been squashed. The fact that we’re losing Tom, that he’s been taken away from us for a couple games here, we’re fired up to play and we want to win the game for him."

— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) May 3, 2018

T.J. Oshie vs Kris Letang from Washington Capitals at Pittsburgh Penguins May 3, 2018 https://t.co/zpnrNGoTDo

— hockeyfights (@hockeyfights) May 4, 2018

Prediction: Capitals 4, Penguins 2

While the Capitals have never beaten the Penguins in a seven game series, they’ve also won two of the three Game 5’s they’ve played in the Crosby/Ovechkin era. They lost in overtime in 2009,  won 3-1 in 2016 and 4-2 in 2017. Each of those games were also played in Washington.

That OT loss was also the last time a series was tied between these two heading into Game 5. Washington is fired up. If they can limit the Crosby/Guentzel combo, then they’ve got a great chance at a 3-2 series lead.