The Associated Press
Will Graves
PITTSBURGH–A shot from the point by Washington’s Kevin Shattenkirk salvaged–or at the very least extended–his team’s season.
A far different kind of shot may end up determining the outcome of a playoff series growing more contentious by the shift.
Shattenkirk’s goal 3:13 into overtime lifted the Capitals to a 3-2 victory over Pittsburgh to cut the Penguins’ lead to 2-1 in the Eastern Conference semi-final–one that could go on without star Sidney Crosby.
The Pittsburgh captain left just over five minutes into the game after getting cross-checked to the head by Washington’s Matt Niskanen.
The NHL’s leading scorer and one of the game’s best players did not return, and his status for tomorrow’s Game 4–and maybe the rest of the post-season–is uncertain.
“Certainly didn’t mean to injure him,” said Niskanen, who spent four years with Crosby in Pittsburgh before signing with Washington in 2014.
“It’s an unfortunate play that happened really quick.”
Penguins’ coach Mike Sullivan said Crosby was to be evaluated today.
Even without Crosby, Pittsburgh pushed Washington to the limit. Evgeni Malkin and Justin Schultz scored in a 48-second span with less than two minutes left in regulation to force overtime.
For once Washington, whose 43-year franchise history is littered with playoff collapse after playoff collapse, dominated the extra period before Shattenkirk’s flip zipped by Marc-Andre Fleury’s blocker to send his teammates pouring over the boards in celebration.
“Tonight was a great test for all of us,” noted Shattenkirk, who played miserably during a blowout loss in Game 2.
“There were a lot of different moments in the game where we had to see what we were made of.”
One frightening moment, however, will resonate above all others.
The game was scoreless early in the first period when Crosby skated just outside the Capitals’ crease.
Washington’s Alex Ovechkin slashed Crosby along the upper body and Crosby slid awkwardly trying to maintain his balance when he collided with Niskanen, who had his stick raised.
The stick caught Crosby flush across the mouth and the two-time Hart Trophy winner laid on the ice in pain for several moments before slowly skating off under his own power as Pittsburgh trainers searched the area for Crosby’s teeth.
Niskanen earned a major penalty for cross-checking and was given a game misconduct.
Washington coach Barry Trotz called it “a hockey play.” Niskanen allowed it looked “really bad” when he caught the replay, but stressed there was no malicious intent.
His former teammates weren’t buying it.
“It’s one of those things you look at it once, you see what actually happened ,and the next thing is watching how deliberate it was when the guy cross-checks him in the face,” said Pittsburgh forward Chris Kunitz.
“I thought all of that was kind of out of this league, but I guess not.”
Their captain gone for the rest of the game and perhaps longer, the Penguins appeared momentarily dazed as they tried to regroup.
Washington took a 2-0 lead early in the third period behind goals by Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetzov–rare moments of flow during a static and occasionally ugly three periods that tried to make up in physicality what it lacked in pace of the frenetic opening two games in Washington.
“That’s what you have to do in the playoffs,” said Capitals’ forward T.J. Oshie. “You have to play physical and grind it out.
“We’re trying to make this a long series here and the physicality is key for us.”
