Potential First Round playoff matchups for the Capitals: Pittsburgh Penguins initially appeared on NBC Sports Washington
We’ve reached the house stretch of the NHL season. It is time to look forward to see who the Capitals might play within the first spherical of the playoffs. With a couple of days in between video games, now’s a superb time for Andrew Gillis and JJ Regan to have a look at how Washington stacks up in opposition to potential matchups in a seven-game sequence.
As we speak’s staff: The Pittsburgh Penguins
Why the Penguins could be a superb matchup for the Caps
Andrew: In a variety of methods, the Penguins resemble the Capitals.
They’re an older staff nearing the tip of its competition window with the present core of gamers. They’ve bought a crop of gamers nearing the tip of their careers, they usually’re trying to squeeze no matter juice out of the ultimate runs that they will. However, as I feel has been the case for the previous couple of seasons, their depth would concern me.
Undoubtedly, their high six is stellar. However their backside six doesn’t notably scare me as one other staff’s would, and I feel their blue line outdoors of Brian Dumoulin-Kris Letang is suspect. If the Capitals might decelerate their high two strains, or at the least mitigate them, I feel I’d take the Capitals to win the underside six battle.
Additionally, and maybe this must be greater, however goaltender Tristan Jarry would terrify me if I have been in Pittsburgh. He’s been good this season and, getting into Thursday night time, had a .921 save share on the yr. However nobody has forgotten final yr’s sequence in opposition to the Islanders when he bought crushed badly over the six-game sequence — particularly within the closing three video games. Till he proves in any other case, I do not understand how there’s full and absolute belief in him.
As I’ve stated earlier than, if the Capitals can flip no matter sequence they play right into a bodily, grind-it-out fashion of play, I would really like their probabilities. Towards the Penguins, I feel that is very true.
JJ: The Penguins would have crushed the New York Islanders final season if Jarry had been higher within the postseason. Interval. No deeper evaluation is required. He and his .888 save share was the distinction in Pittsburgh’s first-round exit. He has been significantly higher within the common season this yr than he was final so there’s purpose to imagine he could be higher, however you aren’t a playoff goalie till you show you might be and it is a main query mark for Pittsburgh.
I don’t like Pittsburgh’s scoring depth in any respect. Evgeni Malkin has performed in simply 31 of the Penguins’ 68 video games this season and he nonetheless ranks sixth among the many staff’s forwards in factors. Rickard Rakell is a extremely good pick-up for them not simply because he is an efficient participant, however as a result of it pushes one other participant down within the lineup. On paper, a 3rd line with Jeff Carter and Kasperi Kapanen appears formidable, however Kapanen has been a catastrophe since he was acquired by Pittsburgh so I do not take a look at the third and fourth strains and suppose that is higher than what the Caps have.
Washington additionally stays a extra bodily staff. As Andrew famous, if you happen to can devolve this sequence right into a hard-nosed, blue-collar, hard-hitting fashion of play — which is definitely potential in opposition to a hated rival — I might see Pittsburgh getting distracted by these extracurriculars and it takes them away from their fashion of play.
Why the Penguins could be a foul matchup for the Caps
Andrew: The Penguins are the sneaky staff for me to emerge out of the Japanese Convention, presuming they get a couple of good matchups to bounce their approach.
They’re clearly expert within the high six, particularly after their deadline acquisition of Rickard Rakell, they usually’re adequate to beat a staff solely with that group of gamers. They’re one of many higher possession groups within the league and their particular groups, particularly the penalty kill, are harmful.
As is so necessary for playoff hockey, the Penguins are deep down the center with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jeff Carter centering their high three strains. Crosby remains to be timeless, Malkin remains to be a point-per-game participant and Carter is sweet sufficient to get the puck to the quicker linemates on his wing.
Pittsburgh can clearly execute when it issues within the playoffs and I wouldn’t like Washington’s probabilities if the sequence became a observe meet.
JJ: I’d view offensive depth as a bonus for Washington if the Caps can keep wholesome, however that has been a difficulty all yr. Can they actually survive a seven-game sequence with the top-six intact? If not, that mitigates one of many fundamental benefits Washington would have.
To me, Mike Sullivan is the very best coach within the NHL and that Sidney Crosby man remains to be fairly good too. He has been held with no level solely 3 times because the All-Star break. The Penguins are additionally defensively formidable.
Washington can win this sequence, however their finest hope is for Pittsburgh’s .921 save share goalie to out of the blue implode once more. If not, this turns into a extremely laborious sequence for the Caps to win.
