Snap Shots: Capitals 5, Penguins 3
* This was a big step in the right direction after back-to-back losses against Toronto and Buffalo that had head coach Mike Sullivan "disappointed and concerned." Everybody in the Penguins locker room felt they were the better team today, and I agree. They played extremely well throughout the course of the game.
Heading into the matchup, Sullivan said the challenge for his team was the mindset. "Are we thinking the right way before the puck drops? And are we committed and willing to play that way for 60 minutes?" he said. "That's a discipline. And we haven't had it the last few games."
I thought they had it today. The Penguins played hard and for the most part, they played smart. They played on their toes and were moving their feet, winning puck battles and faceoffs and creating chances.
And overall, the Penguins didn't play as much of a high-risk game like they did against the Sabres and the Leafs. The Penguins were much better defensively, limiting the Capitals to just 23 shots. And while the Penguins still made some mistakes that ended up in the back of their net, they cut down drastically on those types of plays, which is a huge positive.
"I thought it was one of our better games in a while," Sullivan said. "I thought we had a lot of really good moments in the game. It's disappointing we didn't get the result, but we played a much better hockey game. It was a competitive game. They're a good team, we're a good team. … There was a lot to like about this game and that's what I told the guys afterward."
Of course, nobody in that room is happy about losing a third straight game. Especially to their rival Washington, who moved past them into first place in the Metro with the win. But this time, the Penguins feel like there are a lot of positives that they can build on heading into their three-game road trip through California, which wasn't the case with either of the previous two setbacks.
"It's not fun right now, but at the same time we did a lot of good things," Patric Hornqvist said. "Bring that with us here out West and stop the bleeding and go from there."
* The Penguins scored twice in a 26-second span at the end of the second period to take a 2-1 lead into the second intermission, and cap off a terrific 40 minutes.
But in the third period, the game opened up with Washington scoring twice in the first five minutes to take a 3-2 lead, Evgeni Malkin tying it with a magical goal and the Capitals eventually gaining a 4-3 lead before sealing it with an empty-netter. I asked Patric Hornqvist for his thoughts on that back-and-forth final frame.
"We didn't get the start we wanted in the third period to get that breakaway goal off a turnover but that happens in hockey," he said. "I think we responded really well after that. We got the tying goal there and then they score on a scrum in front of the net to find a puck. That was the game for them.
"Overall we were the better team. It's two good teams getting after it. It's a hell of a matchup, it's fun out there and I think both teams feel the same way. Both teams have something special."
* After the Penguins' 5-2 loss to the Sabres on Saturday, Malkin talked about how they all needed to be more like Hornqvist. "We have so many good players here but we need to fight," Malkin said. "We need to play like Horny plays, he's an unbelievable player. He never stops."
It was so fitting that Hornqvist was the one who got the Penguins on the board first. As Malkin fed a pass over to Kris Letang at the point, Hornqvist got into his usual spot at the net-front. Letang teed up a shot that Hornqvist turned and whacked in before Caps goalie Braden Holtby could glove it.
