Penguins’ win could come with high price tag
PITTSBURGH— The Penguins scored a big Game 3 victory that may also come with a heavy cost.
Rookie goaltender Matt Murray was stellar in a 3-2 win over the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night, which gave the Penguins a 2-1 series lead, but it was the potential loss of defenceman Kris Letang that almost overshadowed the end result.
Letang delivered an elbow to the head of Capitals winger Marcus Johansson in the first period, a play that will surely catch the eye of the league’s disciplinary office.
Patric Hornqvist, Tom Kuhnhackl and Carl Hagelin all beat Washington goaltender Braden Holtby in the Penguins win, the 26-year-old Vezina trophy candidate enduring his worst night of the post-season. He surrendered three goals on only 23 shots.
Murray made 47 saves to improve to 6-1in the post-season. Alex Ovechkin and Justin Williams both scored in a furious Capitals comeback that fell short.
Hornqvist’s fourth goal of the playoffs opened the scoring in a raucous atmosphere at Consol Energy Centre.
The play started when a Sidney Crosby scoring chance was blocked in the slot, the puck floating high in the air before it was retrieved by rookie winger Conor Sheary. Sheary dished to Trevor Daley at the point, the veteran defender winding up for a blast that Hornqvist got a stick on.
It was the first goal and point of the series for the Penguins winger, who had five points in the first round against New York.
Pittsburgh scored again exactly one minute later, another rookie making a contribution on the goal.
Kuhnhackl, a 24-year-old first-year player from Germany, drove down the middle of the ice to the front of the net where Matt Cullen’s passing attempt pinged off Washington defender Matt Niskanen and then off him and in behind Holtby.