European Werewolf in Washington. Pens Win.

Anytime you can go into a big rivalry game away from home and walk with a big win, you just have to smile. That smile gets even bigger when it happens at the Verizon Center.  Adam DeMamp Chris Kunitz was a beast all game.  People were questioning his legitimacy as a top 6 forward just day ago, but it all got washed away this weekend.  Two huge games.  Five (!!!) goals, two assists.  Granted, one of those goals hasn't been given to him quite yet, but according to Kuni and all the Pens, it's his.

Still waiting to find out if Ovi even showed up today.  Might have been too busy eating or writing love letters to his lost comrade Semin.

We were actually really surprised the Pens even showed up to play.  The Caps had twice as many European players playing than the Pens, which automatically means they should win all the Cups.

First Period

The 1st had all the makings of being one of those old Pens/Caps games.  It was wide open and physical as all hell.  Ovi was throwing his weight around.  It really seemed like the Caps were targeting Despres, trying to make him panic.  Vokoun took a Chimera shot off the mask early on.  Might have dialed him in.

Pens got on the board early on though.  Sid won the offensive zone draw cleanly back to Martin.  Martin threw it towards the net.  It hit something in front and made its way behind Holtby, probably because he's not European.  1-0

Originally the goal was given to Kunitz, then to Martin because it looked like it hit the Capitals D man in front.  Pens and Kunitz all claim it was the Koon.

A minute later, Zach Boychuk showed his speed.  He got away for a mini breakaway.  Mike Green made a decent defensive play (that is so odd to even write) to tie up his stick and affect the shot.  Holtby made a good initial save and another one on the rebound.  Boychuk has really impressed us, for what it's worth.

About a minute after that, Letang DESTROYED Mike Green down low in the Pens zone.  Green started crying and was about to go to the bench to wipe his tears when all of a sudden, the Caps forecheck got the puck loose along the boards.  Somehow got to Wolski, who found a lazy Mike Green wide open.  1-1

Three more minutes passed before the Pens would take the lead again.  Pens 3rd line was doing some work.  Sutter got the puck to Bortuzzo at the point.  He found Engo with a NOT Cherry Blossom.  Engo shows off his skill of putting the puck on net.  Goal was given to Cooke for the tip.  Cooke said somewhere during or after the game that he didn't tip it.  Whatever.  2-1

With about 3 minutes left, Sid had a chance to give the Pens a 3-1 lead.  Letang threw a nasty little pass up the middle tape to tape.  Sid turned on the Sid Nastiness, squeezed through 2 defensemen, embarrassing Carlson at the same time.  Holtby made the save though.  Sid may have been tripped, which sparked an embellishment discussion between Emrick, Eddie O, and "Pierre."  The Kid hasn't been called for diving in 6 years.  Shut up.

During the intermission, Milbury and Keith Jones took turns being terrible.  This might be the only gif to describe it.

Second Period

Second period started off whatever.  Dupes had a sick pass to Geno.  Holtby got across to make the save.  Allegedly, that was Geno's first shot on goal in 5 periods of play.

Then the biggest what the fuck moment ever.  Carlson dumped the puck in along the glass.  Vokoun blew a tire going behind the net.  Not sure it matter.  It took a weird hop off the glass and found its way into the empty cage.

Vokoun probably should have known better.  It almost happened to him in the 1st and he played in the Verizon Center all last year.  Oh well.

Pens got over it in like 12 seconds.  How?  They took a penalty.  Didn't matter though.  Pens made the Caps PP its bitch. 

Right after the kill, Boychuk came out of the box and joined forces with Sutter and Cooke.  Boychuk had a great chance in front, but Holtby saved it.  Rebound came to Cooke, who found Sutter up high.  Sutter moved down low and found Letang with a great feed.  Letang showed some unreal patience and composure and fired one passed Holtby.  3-2.

Kunitz would score the game winner as they were still announcing Letang's goal, 37 seconds later.  Malkin found Kunitz, who found Sid streaking.  Sid carried into the zone, dropped it off to Kuni for the one timer.  Goal time.  4-2.

Kuni's face is an awesome face.

Everything started from the big penalty kill.

Everyone thought Holtby's day would be done after that goal.

Ovi had a chance somewhere in there.  He picked the puck up down low on his off wing.  Everyone knew he was going to try to cut to the middle and shot.  No chance of a pass.  Could've bet your life on it and walked away alive.  Pretty sure we could be successful playing defense against Ovechkin at this point.  Too predictable.

Despres took a bad high-sticking penalty right after that.  He came over looking for a big hit, but because he's French, he had his stick up as high as the Eiffel Tower and clocked some dude in the head.  A 6'4" dude should not have his stick up that high, but life goes on. 

Wolski ended up tripping up Martin on the Pens kill, so we had some 4 on 4 hockey for a bit.

On the following Pens PP, it'd be lights out for the Caps.  Doc Emrick called Karl Alzner "stickless," which all we heard was "dickless."  Sid screamed at his team to get the puck over to Alzner's side of the ice.  Letang listened.  Geno found Neal in the slot, back to Geno, who skated in towards Alzner.  Neal in the slot opened up a cross ice pass (THAT ACTUALLY WORKED HOLY SHIT!).  Geno found the gap to Kunitz.  5-2.

Bortuzzo had a nice play towards the end of the period where he just out-skated the forecheck and had a nice little outlet pass.  "Pierre" basically called Malkin Adrian Peterson because they both tore their ACLs.  Okay then.

At the very end, Orpik sprawled out and had a great goal-saving block.  HUGE.

Caps only had 13 shots through 2 periods.  Kennedy, who was just plain terrible all day, only had 2:58 of ice time in the 2nd as well.

Third Period

Two minutes into the 3rd, Despres would put the Pens a man down again for shooting the puck over the glass.  Caps fans were booing their PP for not shooting the puck.  Pens almost cleared at one point, but Ovi actually decided to go after something that wasn't a cheeseburger and kept the puck in at the blueline.  He found Brouwer, who made a great pass to Backstrom.  Backstrom quickly found Ribeiro in front.  It wasn't an easy chance to convert, but man, did Ribeiro make it look easy.  Smooth hands.  5-3.

Kuni was playing out of his mind, in case you're joining us late.  Had a great power move towards Holtby, somehow got the puck in front.  Somehow the Caps managed to tie up 87's stick and keep him from scoring.

Ovi had a big chance down at the other end with about 8 minutes to go.  Gross little toe drag, but Vokoun made a great glove save.  Third period was basically all Caps, but Vokoun was up to the challenge.  Ovi had another chance about 20 seconds later where he drove to the net on a power move, but again, Koun said no.  Fatigue from back-to-back games may have been setting in.

Boychuk showed us his speed again a little later.  Chipped the puck around a couple guys and smoked them to get to it.  He's really fitting in nicely.  The points will come.

At the 13:48 mark, Bortuzzo took a high sticking penalty.  Pens killed it off.  Sid and TK went the other way on a 2 on 2 at the end of the PK.  Sid took it himself, most than likely because he doesn't respect TK, if you listen To some Pens Blogs.

With a little over a minute left, Carlson picked up the puck in his own zone and was about to go up ice.  Adam Oates was calling to pull Holtby.  Sid had other plans and took the puck away from Carlson.  Way too easy.  Sid got a shot off, but not before Carlson mugged him.  A scrum ensued in the corner, and Ovi came over to make an ass out of himself and take a roughing penalty to put the Caps down 2 men, down 2 goals, with about a minute and a half to play.  Terrible composure.  Joke of a captain.  Europeans are the WORST captains.  Ha.

Pens sent out all the big boys on the PP for one last fuck you to the Caps.  Geno, Neal, Sid, Kunitz, Letang. Under 10 seconds left, Neal found Letang at the point.  He moved it to Sid on the left half wall.  Sid showed some insane patience, waited for the D man to go down, drifted around him, and found DeMamp in the slot.  6-3.  

All 3 Koon credited goals.

Four goals for the dinosaurs

Pens hats thrown onto Verizon Center ice.  What a sight, even if unofficially Kunitz had already registered his hattie.  Game.

Highlights:

Notes:

1) Kunitz still looks like Adam DeMamp.

2) TK only played 2:02 in the 3rd.  9:51 for the game.  Might be time to give Dustin Jeffrey a look over TK. TK has been more terrible than usual the last 3 games.

3) Caps were credited with 22 giveaways.  Yikes.

4) Sid with 3 assists.  Wasn't given one of the 3 stars.  Hmmmm

5) Still no goalie controversy.

6) Dmitry Chesnokov had an interesting quote from Geno after the game.  Said Geno, "We started the season well and then got overconfident.  And we paid for it.  We are getting back to the winning ways now."

7) Sid is back to being Sid.  Look out, NHL.

Pens travel to Long Island to take on the Islanders on Tuesday at 7.  Go Pens.