PITTSBURGH — This article originally appeared on PGHHockeyNOW.com.
If the game were normal or not an emotionally exhausting battle, it wouldn’t be worthy of the Pittsburgh Penguins (9-4-2) vs. Washington Capitals (7-6-1) rivalry.
While networks may bill the game as Penguins’ captain Sidney Crosby vs. Capitals’ captain Alex Ovechkin, the teams played a role, too. For the second consecutive game, the Penguins punted away their three-goal lead as Washington tied the game in the final three seconds of the second period.
And then the intensity for both teams exponentially increased before Bryan Rust deflected a beaut of a pass by Crosby at 11:16 of the third, and Connor Dewar capped one of the best periods of his career with an empty net goal for a 5-3 Penguins win.
Rust erased some bad luck, but Dewar earned his empty-netter. He nearly scored on a shorthanded breakaway after undressing a Capitals defenseman at the blue line, but a possible slash denied him a shot. On the subsequent rush, Dewar cut to the middle of the slot, but hit the post.
Sidney Crosby. The Penguins’ 38-year-old all-time great quickly gave the Penguins a solid cushion on the scoreboard. In the latest collision of the Metro Division’s old lions, the Pittsburgh Penguins raced to a 3-0 lead over the Washington Capitals in the second period.
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