Day 24 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs held two of the more exciting games of the Playoffs so far. With a total of 17 goals between both games and the Capitals and Jets coming within one win of reaching the third round, things are really heating up in the 2018 postseason.
Here’s how it went down:
Pittsburgh 3-6 Washington
Washington leads series 3-2
JAKUB VRANA LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/CjB88XlpUB
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) May 6, 2018
The Penguins came into Game 5 with the Playoffs leading scorer in Jake Guentzel coming off a two-goal game in Game 4. Guentzel has totalled 21 points in the playoffs (10G-11A) and has been magnificent paired with Sidney Crosby on the first line.
It was also the second game for Washington without Tom Wilson after his three-game suspension from the hit he made on Zach Aston-Reese in Game 3.
It didn’t take long for Pittsburgh to get out to a hot start. First Matt Murray completely robbed Alex Ovechkin point blank in the slot. Then the Penguins netted the first goal of the game.
Less than three minutes left in the first period Jamie Oleksiak blasted a shot from the point past Braden Holtby for the 1-0 lead. It was Oleksiak’s first goal of the playoffs.
Washington would tie the game at one with less than two minutes left in the opening frame. The Penguins gave John Carlson too much time with the puck on the blue-line as he set up centre-ice and blasted a shot past Murray.
The Capitals would take the lead 38 seconds later. Off the face-off to the right of Murray, Brett Connolly snapped a shot on net and off a defender and into the back of the net for a 2-1 lead going into the second period.
The Penguins would net two quick goals of their own in the second period. Sidney Crosby would add to his playoff goal total, scoring his ninth of the postseason, deflecting a shot from Phil Kessel off the half-wall on the powerplay.
The league’s best powerplay struck again a few minutes later. Patric Hornqvist would score his fifth to give Pittsburgh the one goal lead. Hornqvist would jam the puck between the legs of Holtby off his own rebound.
Braden Holtby held his own in the second period however, despite giving up two goals to the Penguins. Holtby took on a barrage of shots thrown at him in the middle frame with Pittsburgh out-shooting Washington 16-5. Washington should have gone into the third period down more than just one goal.
The Capitals would tie the game less than a minute into the third period however. Jakub Vrana would set up Evgeny Kuznetsov with a pass through the neutral zone, catching the Penguins defense on a change, sending Kuznetsov wide-open on a breakaway, where he deked Murray and slid the backhand through the five-hole for his sixth goal.
KUZY TIES IT AT 3! #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/9sqJUP0KTy
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) May 6, 2018
The Caps weren’t done there as they added their fourth goal of the game with 4:38 left in the game. After another outstanding stop by Holtby, Washington caught Pittsburgh with odd numbers.
Alex Ovechkin took off with Jakub Vrana and Ovechkin took the puck to the left of Murray then threw it back to Vrana waiting in front of the net for his second of the playoffs and the late 4-3 Caps lead.
TJ Oshie and Lars Eller would both add empty netters to seal the deal for Washington and a 6-3 victory. Braden Holtby was outstanding in this game stopping 36 of 39 shots and kept Washington alive when it mattered most.
#CapsPens Game 5 3 ⭐️'s of the game:
⭐️: @JVranaa
⭐️⭐️: @Kuzya92
⭐️⭐️⭐️: @Holts170 pic.twitter.com/eAEsq2vgLy— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) May 6, 2018
The Caps now take a 3-2 series lead and can finally get over the hump of eliminating the Penguins on Monday night at 5 p.m. MT from the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.
Winnipeg 6-2 Nashville
Winnipeg leads series 3-2
Holy smokes… There's no stopping KC!
?: @KyleConnor18
?: @BiggieFunke
?: Dustin ByfuglienHIGHLIGHTS >> https://t.co/pJXRITzi4j #WPGWhiteout #GoJetsGo #NSHvsWPG pic.twitter.com/zT3gOd4oKT
— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) May 6, 2018
After Nashville played a defensive game on Thursday night, with Pekka Rinne stopping 32 of 33 shots, on their way to a 2-1 win and a series tie, they were looking to move one step away from returning to the Western Conference Final.
Winnipeg was not going to make it easy in Game 5 and started out hungry, but Nashville brought the pressure late in the first period taking momentum into the second.
Despite that momentum, the Jets would strike first at the 12:16 mark of the second period. Paul Stastny posted up in front of the Predators net as Patrik Laine sniped a shot on net, deflecting off Stastny and in for his fourth of the playoffs.
Nashville would tie the game just over three minutes later, off a Winnipeg turnover. Yannick Weber took the puck skated up ice and roofed it top corner over the glove of Connor Hellebyuck.
The offense did not stop there, as it only took 1:21 for Winnipeg to take a 2-1 lead. Kyle Connor joined two of his teammates down low in the crease and buried his own rebound over the right pad of Rinne after being stopped on his first attempt.
The Jets put on a clinic, tiring out the Predators and jumping on loose pucks. Again, a group of white jerseys piled around Rinne and chipped away until the puck found it’s way to Dustin Byfuglien who blasted it through four Nashville defenders and into the net for a 3-1 Jets lead.
Winnipeg would not be stopped, and neither would Kyle Connor. After another turnover, Dustin Byfuglien kept the puck in the Preds zone and made a pass to Blake Wheeler down low, who dished it back into the slot to Connor who netted not only his second of the game but the playoffs.
The goal total for the second period reached six, this time with Nashville cutting the Winnipeg lead in half. While short-handed Ryan Johansen and Colton Sissons broke out on a two-on-one with Johansen opting to shoot and the puck, bouncing it through the arm of Hellebyuck and into the net.
The Jets wasted no time pulling ahead by three goals again. Kyle Connor added to his point total on the night (2G-1A) 28 seconds into the second period, driving into the zone with Ryan Johansen playing defense. Connor dangled the puck between his own legs and sent a pass to Mark Scheifele who scored his ninth of the playoffs for a 5-2 Jets lead.
Unreal set up by @KyleConnor18! Fantastic finish by @markscheifele55!#WPGWhiteout #GoJetsGo #NSHvsWPG pic.twitter.com/0ofmtSWHdp
— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) May 6, 2018
Pekka Rinne’s rough night continued as Mathieu Perreault scored in his first game since Game 1 of the first round. The goal chased Rinne from the net for the third time in the playoffs in favour of Juuse Saros.
Connor Hellebyuck had another great performance for the Jets stopping 38 of 40 shots, but Winnipeg’s offensive explosion was too much for Nashville. The first line of Connor, Scheifele and Wheeler combined for 8 points in Game 5.
The Jets look to continue their powerhouse play heading back home, being one win away from the Western Conference Final. But expect the defending Conference Champs to be ready to go come Monday night at 7:30 p.m. MT.
