The Confluence
Capitals force Game Seven: Don’t count out the Penguins just yet
by Tony on 05/12/09 at 11:27 AM ET
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I imagine that it’s appropriate that the Penguins and Capitals will now head back to Washington for Game Seven Wednesday night. This series has been so close, you can easily imagine yet another close one tomorrow night to determine the series winner.
Conventional thinking gives the Capitals, with their home-ice and home crowd, a distinct advantage over the Penguins. It certainly may turn out that way, considering how high-strung the Caps’ offense is. If the Penguins’ defense aren’t disciplined, I could see the Caps running and gunning their way to an uncharacteristic blowout.
But I’ve always liked the visitors’ chances in games like these. Let me explain;
Back in my early blogging days, early in 2006, when I blogged for both the Steelers and Penguins, the Steelers could only muster the #6 seed going into the NFL Playoffs. If the Steelers were going to advance anywhere, it was going to be via them winning on the road.
I told everyone who would listen at the time that I preferred the Steelers on the road rather than having them play at Heinz Field. I felt that the Steelers were a better team on the road. They concentrated better, they focused better, and they weren’t as lackadaisical. Of course, as history tells us, the Steelers went on to dominate at Cincinnati, at Indianapolis, and at Denver on their way to winning Super Bowl XL vs. Seattle.
I have to say, while I of course would have preferred that they would have taken care of business last night in Game Six at home, I truly believe that they have a better than average shot at defeating the Capitals again in Washington tomorrow night. My rationale is exactly the same that I gave for the Steelers in ‘06.
Winning a Game Seven on the road isn’t about the flashy behind the back passes or the extra saucer passes for the sweet one-timer. Winning a Game Seven on the road, with all of the emotion that will be attached to it, is all about discipline.
Just as I described with the Steelers, playing such a crucial game on the road for the Penguins, psychologically, forces them to focus on their game. It forces them to concentrate. It forces them to simplify their game.
Conversely, the Capitals are sure to be flying around. While they are certainly capable to turn that into a blowout, it can also cause them to get way out of position, especially their offensive-minded defensemen. The Penguins need to take advantage of that and use their transition game to turn those into odd-man rushes the other way.
The obvious key to Game Seven, as is has been the entire series, will be between the pipes. Simeon Varlamov has simply not folded, to his credit. The Penguins have peppered him with shots all series long, and for all but one game, he hasn’t broke. On the Penguins’ side, Marc-Andre Fleury hasn’t played bad, per se, but he hasn’t shut the Caps down like he did in a couple of games during the Flyers’ series. Fleury is due for a good game, what a better time than Game Seven.
Finally, something tells me that Sidney Crosby is going to be a bigger beast than even he usually is tomorrow night. Don’t be surprised if Crosby has a big game.
It’s been a tremendous series, one in which the NHL couldn’t have dreamed to have gone much better. Regardless of who wins, let’s hope for one more great game to top it off.
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Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins, Washington+Capitals,
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