Empty Thoughts: Penguins 5, Capitals 4 (OT)

Observations from the Penguins’ 5-4 overtime win against the Capitals:

First things first, there was no update of substance on Penguins forward Evan Rodrigues.

He left the game at 9:30 of the first period when he was struck in the left ankle by a one-timer from Penguins defenseman Mike Matheson.

Rodrigues is far from being the Penguins’ most valuable player but he’s been one of their most useful this season given all the injuries they’ve endured and all the versatility he offers.

His potential absence is no small thing.

Neither is the Penguins’ clinching a playoff berth for the 15th consecutive season.

A decade and a half of reaching the playoffs. Most NHL careers don’t last that long. It’s just an astounding figure for a franchise that has endured two bankruptcies.

It has seemed automatic throughout the time Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have worn this team’s jersey and, obviously, management always has the ultimate goal in mind with regards to the Stanley Cup.

But seeing that little “x” next to the Penguins’ name in the standings that signifies they have qualified for the postseason should never, ever be taken for granted.

“We’re going to enjoy this one tonight,” coach Mike Sullivan said via video conference. “These guys have competed extremely hard all year long to earn the privilege of competing for the Stanley Cup in the playoffs. It’s a hard league and it’s not easy to make the playoffs. I’m certainly proud of the group for what they accomplished to this point. By no means are any of us satisfied. We understand there’s a lot of work to do here. But we’re going to take a deep breath tonight and just enjoy it.”

What happened

The Capitals claimed a lead at 7:27 of the first period with a power-play score. Taking a pass at center point of the offensive zone, ex-Penguins defenseman Justin Schultz whacked a one-timer. Positioned in the crease, Capitals forward T.J. Oshie deflected the puck with the underside of his stick shaft under goaltender Tristan Jarry’s glove for his 18th goal of the season. Schultz and forward Nicklas Backstrom recorded assists.

Things were tied, 1-1, at 15:27 of the first period. After Backstrom tried to make a poor pass from the left wing wall of his own zone to the slot, Penguins forward Kasperi Kapanen intercepted the puck and ripped a wrister past goaltender Vitek Vanecek’s glove for his ninth goal. There were no assists.

The Penguins took their first lead at 8:32 of the second period. From the right corner of the offensive zone, Penguins forward Jason Zucker slipped a pass to the left circle where forward Frederick Gaudreau, back in the lineup following an eight-game absence, pushed a forehand shot through a stick check by ex-Penguins forward Daniel Sprong and past Vanecek’s left skate on the far side. Zucker and forward Colton Sceviour collected assists.

Washington responded only 30 seconds later. After Backstrom beat Penguins forward Jeff Carter on a draw in the Penguins’ left circle, Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov corralled the puck off the wall and cranked a one-timer that clinked off the near post then bounced off Jarry’s right arm before trickling into the cage for Orlov’s eighth goal. Backstrom had the lone assist.

The Capitals reclaimed a lead, 3-2, at 15:07 of the second thanks to a pair of ex-Penguins. Accepting a pass at the right point, Schultz chucked a wrister to the far side of the crease. Sprong muscled his way for position on Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin and deflected the puck with his forehand over Jarry’s right skate for his 11th goal. Schultz and Orlov tallied assists.

It was tied again, 3-3, at 18:11 of the second. After a defensive zone turnover by Capitals forward Tom Wilson, Sceviour pushed a pass from the left circle to the left of the crease where forward Zach Aston-Reese was able to sneak a backhander past Vanecek’s right skate on the near side for his ninth goal, a new career-best. Sceviour had the only assist.

The Penguins took a 4-3 lead at 10:55 of the third period. After Matheson broke up a passing sequence for the Capitals in the Penguins’ zone, Carter backhanded the puck out of his own right circle off the near wall. Penguins forward Jared McCann settled the puck behind his own blue line and chipped a bank pass across the ice off the opposite wall. Kapanen claimed the puck, raced into the right circle and lifted a sizzling wrister over Vanecek’s left shoulder on the near side. McCann and Carter collected assists.

The Penguins seemed to have this game all but wrapped up as the Capitals pulled Vanecek for an extra attacker. Penguins defenseman Kris Letang settled a loose puck at his own blue line and airmailed a wrister at the open cage, only to hit the left post at 18:32 of the third period.

Washington persisted and tied the game at 19:45 of the third period. Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov chopped a one-timer from the right circle that clunked off the near post. The rebound caromed to the near corner where Kuznetsov claimed it. As Dumoulin and Crosby descended on him, Kuznetsov was able to slip a pass to the right of the crease for Wilson. With Letang inexplicably behind the net, Wilson was able to lift a wrister over Jarry’s glove on the near side for his 12th goal. Kuznetsov and Backstrom had assists.

The Penguins clinched victory and a playoff berth at 2:11 of overtime. Settling a loose puck in the left corner of the offensive zone, McCann fed a pass to the high slot for defenseman John Marino. From there, Marino sneaked a tricky pass to the left of the crease where Guentzel redirected the puck for his team-leading 22nd goal. Marino and McCann were credited with assists.

Statistically speaking

• The Capitals had a 37-35 edge in shots.

• Guentzel, Letang, Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson, Oshie and ex-Penguins forward Carl Hagelin each led the game with four shots.

• Letang led the game with 29:16 of ice time on 28 shifts.

• Schultz led the Capitals with 23:37 of ice time on 28 shifts.

• The Penguins had a 38-37 edge in faceoffs (51%).

• Crosby was 16 for 29 (55%).

• Backstrom was 11 for 18 (61%).

• Guentzel and Letang each led the game with three blocked shots.

• Wilson, ex-Penguins forward Conor Sheary and defensemen Brenden Dillon each led the Capitals with two blocked shots.

• Jarry made 33 saves on 37 shots.

• Vanecek made 30 saves on 35 shots.

Randomly speaking

• This game should have been wrapped up in regulation. Wilson’s goal was a complete breakdown defensively. It’s hard not to place the blame on Letang in that situation. He just made the completely wrong read in trying to prevent a pass behind the net. Guentzel was involved in the sequence too and tried to put the blame on himself by citing a “miscommunication” but that was Letang’s foul-up.

• Kapanen really stepped up in a big moment. Each of his goals had some significant weight as the first tied the game and the second gave his team a lead fairly late in regulation. His season has been somewhat disjointed due to his immigration issues in the winter as well as the left foot injury he suffered in March. But when he’s been in the lineup, he’s found a way to make an impact on a routine basis.

• Welcome back Frederick Gaudreau. He returned to the lineup, primarily playing on the fourth line but also getting some time on the penalty kill. He logged 7:52 of ice time on 19 shifts, including 1:41 short-handed. He scored on his only shot and was 3 for 6 in faceoffs (50%).

• The Penguins’ fourth line played pretty well considering Rodrigues was absent most of the night. The Penguins rotated a winger in with Gaudreau and Sceviour throughout the game and it paid off as Zucker and Aston-Reese each contributed on offense while skating on the fourth line.

• It wasn’t a great night for the Penguins’ power play as it went 0 for 3. Things haven’t been clicking for that group as the Penguins are 3 for 18 (16.6%) over their past nine games on the man advantage.

• Schultz was back in the lineup after missing three games due to an undisclosed injury and he filled in for John Carlson, the Capitals’ top defenseman. He stepped up quite a bit by delivering two assists.

• Sprong seems to have figured things out after washing out with the Penguins and the Anaheim Ducks. He might not ever be the 30-goal threat Penguins management envisioned when he was drafted in the second round of 2015. But after some bumpy years wandering the professional ranks, he seems to have finally gained traction.

• Boy, is Capitals forward Garnet Hathaway an annoying you-know-what. He ran around trying to agitate just about anyone in a Penguins jersey either through contact or conversation.

• The New York Islanders beat the New York Rangers, 4-0, a few hours north in Manhattan. That result allowed the Penguins and Capitals to each clinch a playoff berth.

Historically speaking

• Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin was sidelined for the fourth consecutive game due to an undisclosed injury. His absence marked the first time the Penguins have faced the Capitals without Ovechkin in the lineup since he entered the NHL in 2005.

The Penguins’ last game against the Capitals without Ovechkin was a 4-3 win at the Mellon Arena in the regular season finale of the 2003-04 season on April 4. In a matchup of the NHL’s two worst teams that season, forward Lasse Pirjeta scored twice for the Penguins while goaltender Sebastien Caron made 27 saves on 30 shots in the victory.

You may recall, following the game, then-Penguins head coach Eddie Olczyk addressed those in attendance:

Two days later, the Capitals won the NHL’s draft lottery and the chance to draft Ovechkin with the top overall pick. The Penguins ended up with the second pick and their “consolation” was some guy named Evgeni Malkin.

• The Penguins’ last overtime win against the Capitals was a 3-2 road victory on Feb. 23. Kapanen scored the winning goal.

• Gaudreau established a new career-high with five points (two goals, three assists) in 14 games.

Publicly speaking

• Guentzel sort of explained what happened on Wilson’s goal:

“Just a miscommunication. Not really sure. … Just a miscommunication by me. We’ll learn from it.”

• Sullivan on Kapanen:

“(Kapanen) had a strong game for us. He’s got such a great shot, he’s a good goal-scorer. His speed is so dangerous. … He just backs defense off with his speed and usually that creates opportunity either for him or his linemates. He had a real strong game tonight. Both goals were real good goals. That second one is a goal-scorer’s goal.”

• Kapanen on his success:

“It’s easy to play my game when I get to play with centers like (Malkin). And I played with Sid this year. Now, I’ve got (Carter) there. They’re all three phenomenal players. They play really smart, they play with confidence and they have experience. I’m just trying to play my game and use my speed, get on the forecheck and make plays and try to shoot as much as I can.”

• Orlov was succinct in explaining the Penguins’ success in overtimes:

“They’re a good team. They can score.”

Visually speaking

• Game summary.

• Event summary.

• Highlights:

Follow the Penguins all season long.