Penguins forward Patric Hornqvist said when the misplayed puck that led to his overtime goal in Pittsburgh’s Game 4 win over the Capitals arrived on his stick, he simply shot it as fast as he could. The magnitude of this moment was obvious because the Penguins could now return to Verizon Center Saturday with a commanding 3-1 series lead over the Capitals in their Eastern Conference semifinal.
What he may not have realized, however, is that he also became the first member of Pittsburgh’s top two lines to register multiple goals against Washington in these playoffs. In fact, the Penguins’ top three goal scorers during the regular season — captain Sidney Crosby, center Evgeni Malkin and forward Phil Kessel — have combined for just one goal over four postseason games facing the Capitals.
Instead, Pittsburgh put Washington on the brink of elimination largely by leaning on a collection of role players that are providing significant contributions at the most crucial time of the year.
“It seems like every night different people step up at different times and make important key plays that help us win,” Coach Mike Sullivan said on a conference call Thursday. “Sometimes they’re game-winning goals, but sometimes they’re subtle plays … For me, that’s the essence of a team and that’s what I’ve grown to admire about this group.”
Take a look at the stats from this series, and the household names don’t necessarily stick out in a series that has yet to feature a game decided by more than one goal. The Penguins’ depth, however, has shined.
In Game 1, for instance, it was center Nick Bonino who sent the contest into overtime with a game-tying goal in the third period. In Game 2, Bonino’s linemate, forward Carl Hagelin, delivered Pittsburgh an early lead before Malkin found forward Eric Fehr for the game-winning goal that tied the series at one apiece.
Then came Game 3, when a first-period pass from forward Matt Cullen tipped off the stick of Washington defenseman Matt Niskanen, bounced off the shoulder of fellow fourth-liner Tom Kuhnhackl and past Capitals goalie Braden Holtby. The second period saw Bonino and Hagelin connect again for what turned into the game-winning goal of Pittsburgh’s 3-2 win.
On Wednesday night, it was defenseman Trevor Daley who tied the score at 1 with his first goal of the series. After being traded away by Chicago in December, he set a season-high for ice time (28:41) with top blueliner Kris Letang serving a one-game suspension and linemate Olli Maatta still out due to an upper-body injury suffered in Game 2. Cullen then gave the Penguins a 2-1 lead when he streaked behind Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom off a pass from Kuhnhackl early in the second period.
This meant that players who finished outside of Pittsburgh’s top six points scorers during the regular season had combined for eight goals and 10 assists over four games against the Capitals. It was a development not lost on the Penguins’ stars now that they’re on the verge of knocking the Presidents’ Trophy winners out of the postseason.
“You just have to believe in the way you play and trust that we’ll get our chances, and when we do, someone will step up,” said Crosby, who registered his first point of the series in Game 4. “It’s been different guys.”
“We have a nice mix of young players with a veteran core group that get along extremely well,” Sullivan added. “I think because of that chemistry, it has helped both sides, whether it be the core guys or the role players that step up and make key plays at key times that help us win.”
