Apr 27, 2016
Thumbs to everything not Crosby or Ovechkin
TSN's Dave Hodge gives thumbs up to everything not named Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin that the Penguins and Capitals will rely on in their series, and thumbs up to anyone who picked the Islanders, Penguins, Blues and Sharks because of their superior goaltending.
By Dave Hodge
Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin are in all the pre-series headlines, but their second playoff meeting is not the same as the first.
Certainly, they are prominent members of their respective teams and if one out-performs the other by a wide margin, that will undoubtedly affect the outcome, but it shouldn’t determine it.
This Pittsburgh-Washington matchup is more about what else the Penguins and Capitals bring to the Metropolitan Division matchup. Crosby and Ovechkin are on first lines, to be sure, and they are integral parts of their teams’ power plays, but the depth of the forward units is remarkable and, especially in Pittsburgh’s case, a so-called checking line can score goals as often as any other.
If necessary, Washington can win 1-0. Braden Holtby, not any of the players in front of him, is Pittsburgh’s biggest problem. At the other end, with everything indicating that Matt Murray will continue as the Penguins’ goalie, he is the X-factor. A list of key players would have to contain the names of defencemen - Kris Letang and Trevor Daley for the Penguins and John Carlson and Matt Niskanen for the Caps.
Washington is bigger and Pittsburgh is faster. Washington still deals with a playoff reputation that comes from past failure, especially in seventh games.
Basically, it began in 2009, against Pittsburgh.
The Penguins came to these playoffs with more momentum than 15 other teams and a five-game set against the Rangers did nothing to interrupt it.
Enjoy the Crosby-Ovechkin storyline, but “thumbs up” to everything else that the Pens and Caps will rely on. Two great teams have two great stars. It’ll be the best team that wins. It may or may not contain the best star.
Backup Plan
Before you think you know all about goalies, realize that nobody does. That is, unless you find somebody who saw the lineup for the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs and nodded at the presence of the following names: Thomas Greiss, NYI; Matt Murray, PGH; Brian Elliott, STL; Martin Jones, SJ.
Now, you might have given the Isles, Pens, Blues and Sharks a chance of winning at least one round, but you’d have been forced to conclude that Greiss, Murray, Elliott and Jones would still be playing at the expense of goalies named Roberto Luongo, Henrik Lundqvist, Corey Crawford and Jonathan Quick. “Thumbs up” to anyone who picked the Islanders, Penguins, Blues and Sharks because of their superior goaltending. Safe to say, that’s “thumbs up” to no one.