Number 71 is back in Pittsburgh

PPG Paints Arena / MF

By: MF, 

The series has shifted to Pittsburgh with things tied 1-1 between the Penguins and Washington Capitals.

There is some great news, which could turn the tide in the Penguins favor. Brian Dumoulin is set to go for tonight after taking a shoulder to the head in Game Two from Tom Wilson. He was out for the rest of Game Two, but it ready to go for tonight's game. He is a huge piece of the Penguins defense.

In addition, the big man, number 71 is back in the lineup after missing the first two games of this series. Evgeni Malkin brings so much to the Penguins lineup and will allow them to utilize different looks and weapons. It will also make the Capitals have to decide on who their top defensive pairing unit should play against. Malkin or Crosby. Either way, someone is left open.

Tonight, the Penguins have to get a better start and put the pressure on the Capitals. Their starts have left a lot to be desired and that has to change. Lets Go Pens!

The Pens lineup is as follows:

Forwards
Guentzel - Crosby - Hornqvist
Simon - Malkin - Rust
Aston-Reese - Sheahan - Kessel
Kuhnhackl - Brassard - Sheary

Defense
Dumoulin - Letang
Maatta - Schultz
Oleksiak -  Ruhwedel

Murray in the net!

Play - by - Play
Pens 3 Capitals 4

3rd Period
0:00 - That does it. The Capitals get the 4-3 and take a 2-1 series lead.

0:40 - Pens empty their net for an extra attacker.

1:07 - Ovechkin scores. Maatta turns over the puck at the far blue line, which leads the Capitals down the ice on a rush. Ovechkin's first shot goes off the post, but he bats in the rebound. 4-3 Capitals

1:34 - Some solid pressure by the Pens.

4:37 - Odd man rush for the Capitals after a bad pinch in by Letang. Murray comes up big. Things are getting tighter out there.

6:05 - Great work by Ruhwedel to break up a two-on-one chance for the Capitals. An awesome shift for him.

9:51 - Dumoulin puts a shot wide. That would have blown the roof off this place.

14:54 - Niskanen scores. Niskanen has a clear shot from the point to the goal. Murray gets a piece of the shot with his glove, but not all of it. 3-3 tie game.

17:14 - Malkin fires a shot off the goal post!

19:02 - The penalty kill is good for the Pens.

20:00 - We are back for the third period! The Pens need to kill off this 58-second Capitals power play and get back to pressuring the Capitals. Lets Go Pens!


2nd Period
0:00 - The horn sounds to end the second period and the Pens hold the 3-2 lead.

1:02 - Too many men on the ice for the Pens and the Capitals get a power play chance. A critical penalty kill.

2:05 - Four-on-four play comes to an end.

3:33 - CROSBY SCORES! Crosby lets go of a bullet pass over to Guentzel who stickhandles this way around Dmitry Orlov to the front of the net. He makes a pass over to Crosby, right in his wheelhouse. Crosby's rocket shot blows past an outstretched Holtby. 3-2 Pens

4:05 - Four-on-four hockey time as Michal Kempny sits for hooking and Kuhnhackl for holding the stick.

4:45 - That does it for the power play. Malkin had a great chance, but Matt Niskanen ended up batting away the puck before it could cross the line.

6:45 - Tempers flare on the ice. Ovechkin, Wilson, and Oleksiak all head to the box. Ovechkin and Oleksiak get cross-checking minors. Wilson gets unsportsmanlike conduct. As a result, the Pens head onto the power play.

8:56 - Chandler Stephenson scores. A bad turnover by Oleksiak that leads to a Stephenson getting the puck in front. He beats Murray. 2-2 tie game.

10:09 - Tom Wilson takes out Aston-Reese and leaves his feet in the process. Looks like the head was the main contact point. Aston-Reese goes right to the locker room and is bleeding. No call.

13:11 - HORNQVIST SCORES ON THE POWER PLAY! Malkin walks down low to the side of the net. Malkin backhands the puck over to Hornqvist who puts it over Holtby. 2-1 Pens

14:24 - Power play time for the Pens. Brooks Orpik heads to the box for hooking.

15:26 - GUENTZEL SCORES! Schultz with great stick handling work to keep the puck along the blue line. He fires a point shot that is tipped in front by Guentzel and goes under the glove of Holtby. 1-1 tie game.

16:01 - Sheary hits the side of the net with his shot.

19:12 - John Carlson scores on the power play. Carlson fires a hard shot from the point that goes off the stick of Rust and past the blocker shoulder of Murray. 1-0 Capitals

20:00 - The second period is underway! The Pens have to kill off a Capitals power play for 50 seconds to start. Get the kill and move on. Lets Go Pens!


1st Period
0:00 - The first period comes to an end and things are 0-0.

1:10 - Dang it! Penalty troubles will come back to haunt the Pens. Malkin takes a tripping penalty and the Capitals head right back onto the power play.

1:30 - Another solid penalty kill for the Pens. They held the Capitals to zero shots.

3:30 - A terrible penalty for Letang to take. He takes a seat for interference and the Capitals get a power play.

3:32 - Letang's stick breaks at the blue line and that gives Ovechkin a breakaway chance. Ruhwedel skates his heart out to get back and disrupt Ovechkin. Murray also helps with a poke check and kicks the loose puck out of the way.

4:56 - Wow! The Pens get really lucky. Lars Eller fires a hard shot from the wing that Murray gets a piece of it, but it trickles through the blue paint and just past the goal post. Way too close.

5:45 - Holtby has kept the Pens at bay, so far this period.

8:57 - Hornqvist gets the puck while driving down the center of the ice. His shot just goes wide!

10:13 - Power play time expires. Holtby with two big saves at the end of that Pens' power play chance.

11:04 - The power play looks much better. Having Malkin as a weapon on it makes a big difference.

12:13 - Back on the power play for the Pens. T.J. Oshie will head to the box for holding.

13:21 - That does it for that power play. The Pens did a great job on the penalty kill. Murray came up big and Rust did a fantastic job of blocking shots.

14:04 - Capitals will now have a power play for about 42 seconds.

15:21 - Now four-on-four will be played as Hornqvist is called for tripping. A much better-looking power play for the Pens. They weren't afraid to shoot the puck.

16:04 - The first power play of the game goes to the Pens as Brett Connolly sits for tripping.

16:23 - Shots are 2-0 in favor of the Pens.

20:00 - Game time! The Pens need to utilize the energy of the crowd and take things to the Capitals. Get things started right! Lets Go Pens!