Just over one-fourth of the way through the season, the Penguins have one of the NHL's worst penalty killing units at just 75 percent, which is ranked 25th. The Capitals have one of the top power plays, third-best in the league at 32 percent.
So what happens when Washington has a power play against Pittsburgh? The surprising answer is – not much.
While other teams have scored 11 power play goals in 35 chances against the Penguins, the Caps have only scored twice on 17 power plays against the Pens, after going 0-for-2 on Tuesday.
Defenseman Cody Ceci says they were bound to improve, whether they're playing Washington or another team. "We've done a lot of work on the PK lately. It didn't start out the way we wanted to so (we've) been focusing a lot on that and it's starting to pay off for us."
John Marino says a little puck luck never hurts. "Sometimes it's just the way it goes" Marino explains. "Sometimes you're doing well on the penalty and you get the bounces and sometimes you don't. Every game is going to be a little different and sometimes it just comes down to execution."
But here's another thing about Tuesday's game. Not only were the Capitals 0-for-2, they didn't get a single shot on goal on either of their power plays.
"I think it started for us shutting down their breakout," according to Zach Aston-Reese who was on the ice for over half of the short-handed time. "I thought we did a good job clogging up the middle and had a good chemistry between the two forwards. It's taken a good bit but it's starting to come together for us."
"I thought our forecheck was great, Teddy Blueger agrees, "We were able to disrupt their entries and make it difficult for them to enter the zone and get set up. That was kind of a key; to keep clearing pucks, get fresh guys on the ice and keep the rotation going."
"I give the penalty killers a lot of credit," Mike Sullivan says. "They've worked extremely hard. They were making good decisions, there was collective effort. It's a lot harder to beat collective pressure than isolated pressure."
Meanwhile, with another game in Washington Thursday night, the Pens coach may try to find some wood to knock on. "We have a lot of respect for how talented they are and all the weapons they have," Sullivan continues, "I think our discipline moving forward is crucial."
