BREAKING: J.J. McCarthy’s Locker Room Speech Sparks Controversy

The Washington Capitals made their way up to Pittsburgh on no rest to play the Penguins in the back half of a back-to-back. Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby met in head-to-head action for the 74th time in their careers during the regular season.

Crosby immediately left his stamp on the matchup, scoring twice on back-to-back power plays to put the Penguins up two goals. Old friend Anthony Mantha put the Pens up three early in the second period. The Capitals then rattled off three unanswered goals from Dylan Strome, Rasmus Sandin, and Tom Wilson to tie the game.

Bryan Rust scored the third power-play goal of the game for the Penguins to put them back in front. Connor Dewar hits the empty net.

Penguins beat Capitals 5-3

• The Capitals looked tired to start the game, and while that’s expected in a back-to-back, you can’t just use that as an excuse the entire season, or you’re going to lose a whole ton of games. I thought neither penalty that the Penguins scored on was a good call, but it’s not like the Caps played any better at five-on-five.
• Can we talk about the random horn in the middle of play before the first Penguins goal, though? We received no explanation for that, and it looked like the Capitals were going to make a clear shorthanded. Instead, play is stopped, and the Pens go back down the ice and score. Don’t love that.
• I know the power play scored against the Blues, but it was another goal that pinballed off Tom Wilson and in. You can score that sort of goal in any game context. We’ve yet to see the Capitals really score a bang-bang type goal that you only see a team manage while up a man. In my opinion, the power play is still terribly slow and painful to watch, and there doesn’t seem to be any new ideas. Am I overreacting, chat?

• You can’t ask for much more in the second half of that second period. The Capitals just poured it on and got this game tied after going down three goals. Alex Ovechkin, who notched two assists, and Dylan Strome, who had a point on all three goals, led the way. See what happens when the Caps just don’t ever play on the power play?
• Charlie Lindgren really needs to make a save on Anthony Mantha’s goal, though. Well, he needed to make the save before Mantha put the puck in…you get what I mean. Lindgren has not been good since he started the season with a shutout. That was no different tonight, but he was also apparently playing banged up. Something to keep an eye on.
• Rasmus Sandin has shown how important he is to the team’s lineup in these two games since his return from injury. He adds a level of dynamism that is certainly missed with him out, and he now has four points (1g, 3a) in his last five games.
• I thought Ryan Leonard had another really nice game. I wish he were getting the same sort of trust and opportunity that Benjamin Kindel is getting from the Penguins, but I know the two teams aren’t exactly in the same stages of roster construction. Still, I wouldn’t be surprised if Leonard earns himself a promotion in the lineup at some point on this road trip.
• The third was just fine. Not enough to earn a point, but the five-on-five play wasn’t at fault in this loss.
• Did I mention that I hate the power play? What in the world was that first power play in the third period? Just horrendous and momentum-sapping. Strome then took a penalty on their next power play that led to a third Penguins power-play goal. Special teams just unacceptably terrible to start this season.
• Zero communication from Martin Fehervary and John Carlson on Pittsburgh’s game-winning goal. Both defenders casually peeling around the net to end up on the same side while killing a penalty. Carlson’s turnover right before that was brutal, too.

The Capitals are staying on the road for their next three games, starting with a trip to Tampa Bay on Saturday night. Visits to the Carolina Hurricanes and the Florida Panthers follow. Tough stretch.