I don't like the Mason Rudolph and James Washington picks. I love them.

By Tim Benz

http://triblive.com/sports/

April 28, 2018

Mason Rudolph and James Washington (okstate.com)

I don't know if this is the right plan. But these two are the right guys.

That's how I view the headline-grabbing evening the Steelers pulled off on Day 2 of the NFL Draft.

After raising eyebrows in the first round by drafting a safety many projected as a mid-second-rounder at best, the Steelers did it again Friday, taking the most prolific passing tandem in college football last year.

In the second round, they selected wide receiver James Washington from Oklahoma State. In the third round, they took his quarterback, Mason Rudolph.

Washington led the country in receiving yards. Rudolph led the country in passing yards.

In the span of about an hour, Kevin Colbert had selected Martavis Bryant's replacement for this year. And maybe Ben Roethlisberger's in a few years.

I don't like it.

I love it.

Stop twitching, Pitt fans. It's OK. Rudolph and Washington can't hurt you anymore. They play here now.

I admit it. Seeing these two hook up for 14 catches and 420 yards and three touchdowns over two games against the Panthers in 2016 and 2017 probably has inflated my opinion of Rudolph and Washington.

After all, c'mon. It was just Pitt's awful pass defense on the other side of the ball.

But just about every college team struggled to contain this tandem. Rudolph broke 300 passing yards 11 of 13 times last year. His touchdown-to-interception ratio was 37:9. Washington won the Biletnikoff Award as a senior.

So their resumes shouldn't be in question. But doubters have wondered if their talents will be translatable to the NFL. Perhaps the Cowboys' wide-open system and the Big XII's offense-friendly atmosphere are the real reasons why the their numbers are so good.

“His system isn't a short system of a lot of quick, small, short throws,” Steelers offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner said. “They asked him to sit in the pocket and throw seven-step passes and attack intermediate zones.”

So the players are worth the picks. But is the timing right to have grabbed them?

That's another question entirely, given the team's defensive needs and current Pro Bowl talents on offense.

Yes, I wanted to see an inside linebacker taken to replace Ryan Shazier as he has been lost for this season with a spine injury. Based on the signing of Morgan Burnett and the first-round selection of Terrell Edmunds, the Steelers have apparently decided to fill that hole with safeties who can play like linebackers instead of linebackers who may be able to cover.

For all of those who are being critical of the Steelers going too heavy on offense while the inside linebacker hole exists, questions remain at corner and pass rushing depth is thin — well, uh, it's a strong argument.

You can say that drafting Washington is just a way to fill a hole they created by trading Martavis Bryant away in the first place to take a quarterback who may never start.

Again, point taken.

But Washington is a potential upgrade over Bryant. What he lacks in size and footspeed compared to Bryant, he makes up for in strength, combativeness for the ball and polish.

“You gotta be able to put the word ‘receive' into ‘receiver.' This is a guy who catches the football,” Fichtner said. “This is a tough, big, strong, hands catcher. A guy who is actually going to fight for the ball and secure it.”

Washington will also now be here for four years as opposed to Bryant, who would likely have left after 2018. Furthermore, he may be a familiar target for Rudolph if he is in fact the heir apparent to Ben Roethlisberger.

Just because Roethlisberger said he intends to play for the next three years or so, that doesn't mean it'll happen. He tends to change his tone on that topic from time to time, doesn't he?

Plus, we haven't seen a restructure to his contract yet. And what if it's a matter of “want to” continue playing versus “can't” continue playing due to injury sometime soon?

For the first time since Roethlisberger took the starter's job, the Steelers have something they've never had before: a potential successor whenever Roethlisberger decides to leave Heinz Field and start walking towards Canton.

“Our job is to win a championship in '18, but it's also to secure this franchise's ability to do it in the future,” Colbert said before the draft. “You have to have a great player at the quarterback position, in our eyes, to have the best chance to win a championship.”

In Rudolph they have that. In Washington they have a weapon for his partner in crime for the future. And for Roethlisberger immediately.

Now then, if they can just find a few guys who can cover and tackle.

OK, many guys.

Then everything will be great.

Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at tbenz@tribweb.com or via Twitter@TimBenzPGH.

MORE SPORTS

Steelers draft Oklahoma State QB Mason Rudolph, WR James Washington 

Kevin Gorman: Don't count out Capitals against Penguins just yet

Pirates complete rally, defeat Cardinals in 11

Penguins make playoff life miserable for top goalies

Pirates GM: Kang's MLB return 'a long ways away'

Steelers draft Virginia Tech safety Terrell Edmunds

By Will Graves, Associated Press

https://www.ledger-enquirer.com/sports/article209952809.html

April 27, 2018

PITTSBURGH 

- If Terrell Edmunds is being honest, he didn't expect to hear his name called during the first round of the NFL draft.

And then the versatile safety from Virginia Tech's phone rang on Thursday night. Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was on the other end.

Moments later Edmunds didn't just hear his name called after Pittsburgh selected him with the 28th overall pick, he heard it from injured Pro Bowl linebacker Ryan Shazier after Shazier slowly but steadily walked onto the stage to hand the draft card with Edmunds' name on it to commissioner Roger Goodell, Shazier's first public steps since a spinal injury last December put his career in jeopardy.

There are far less memorable ways to begin your professional career.

"I was surprised, honestly" to be picked, Edmunds said. "I'm ready. I'm telling you I'm ready."

The AFC North champions need Edmunds to be if they want their latest attempt at overhauling the secondary to be a success. The Steelers cut safeties Mike Mitchell and Rob Golden in March and signed veteran Morgan Burnett as a stopgap.

Enter Edmunds, who has the size (6-foot-1, 217 pounds) and the speed (4.47 40-yard dash) to become a valuable contributor in a defensive backfield that includes Joe Haden, Artie Burns and Sean Davis.

While Edmunds might have been stunned by his selection, the Steelers were not. After all the top inside linebackers were taken — a spot of considerable need with Shazier already ruled out for 2018 — Pittsburgh wasted little time turn its attention to Edmunds.

"We felt this was the best player," general manager Kevin Colbert said after the Steelers used a first-round pick on a safety for the first time since taking Troy Polamalu 16th in 2003. "This was plain for us."

Edmunds was taken 12 picks after Buffalo chose his younger brother Tremaine with the 16th selection.

"It's a blessing for my family overall," said Edmunds, whose father Ferrell made the Pro Bowl twice during his six-year NFL career as a tight end for Miami and Seattle. "It didn't matter where (Tremaine) went and I went."

The Steelers were drawn to Edmunds' ability to move around the field. Colbert pointed out there were times during Edmunds' career at Virginia Tech he would flip from strong safety to free safety on the same play.

"We got a sharp, young versatile guy who's a good communicator, who plays with physicality," Colbert said. "He checks all the boxes for us."

Edmunds started 31 games in three seasons for the Hokies, collecting six interceptions while also developing a reputation as a sure tackler. His junior season in 2017 was cut short by a shoulder injury that required surgery, though Colbert said it won't be an issue when he reports for organized team activities next month.

Colbert and Tomlin declined to get into specifics about Edmunds' possible role. Edmunds doesn't particularly care where he lines up.

"I just feel it's wherever you put me, I'll make a play for you," he said.

Shortly before the Steelers took Edmunds, they sent mercurial wide receiver Martavis Bryant to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for a third-round pick.

The 26-year-old Bryant spent four uneven years in Pittsburgh, where his on-field brilliance was often offset by his struggle to stay clean. He scored 17 touchdowns in 36 career games, averaging 15.3 yards per catch. He was also suspended twice for running afoul of the league's substance abuse policy and missed all of 2016 while getting his life in order.

The Steelers welcomed Bryant's return with open arms last season, but he was slow to return to form and lost his spot as the second receiver on the depth chart behind All-Pro Antonio Brown taken by rookie JuJu Smith-Schuster. Bryant demanded a trade early in the year, was deactivated a game after a social media post expressing his frustration.

The 6-foot-4 Bryant was entering the final year of the rookie contract he signed after being taken in the fourth round in 2014 and with a new deal unlikely, Pittsburgh sent him west. It won't be the last time the Steelers see Bryant. Pittsburgh visits Oakland on Dec. 9.

Colbert said repeatedly earlier in the offseason he wasn't looking to move Bryant, though that didn't stop teams from inquiring. He said he turned them all down until the Raiders offered the 79th overall pick, a boon for a team that doesn't have a pick in the fourth or sixth rounds.

"We've got seven picks (now)," Colbert said. "There's plenty of good players left. I'm hopeful we can add more good players."

When Ryan Shazier Walked to the Podium

By KALYN KAHLER
https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/04/27/themmqb-ryan-shazier-walked-nfl-draft-2018-dallas-pittsburgh-steelers-morning-huddle
April 27, 2018


Ryan Shazier, left, poses with commissioner Roger Goodell, center, and Pittsburgh Steelers' selection Terrell Edmunds, of Virginia Tech, during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)(David J. Phillip)

The best moment of the draft last night wasn’t the suspense of not knowing which quarterback Cleveland would take with the first pick (spoiler: It was Baker Mayfield). It wasn’t the Bills or the Cardinals trading up to draft a quarterback, and it wasn’t the never-ending boos that commissioner Roger Goodell received despite walking on stage in the company of three Cowboys legends. The best moment came just before the 28th pick of the draft.

“We are honored to have with us an extraordinary man who continues to amaze us with his unyielding determination and his unwavering spirit,” Goodell announced while Pittsburgh was on the clock. 

At the commissioner’s cue, Ryan Shazier clutched his fiancée’s hand tightly, and took slow but deliberate steps towards the podium. He grimaced slightly with the struggle of each step, but stared straight ahead with a look of unstoppable determination. Shazier’s sparkly silver blazer shifted the focus away from his unstable legs and when he neared the podium, he allowed himself a small smile as he shook Goodell’s hand. Just four months after suffering a severe spinal injury that required spinal stabilization surgery and landed him in a wheelchair, Shazier stood proud at the podium and announced the Steelers pick: safety Terrell Edmunds.

The crowd in Dallas cheered loudly for this inspirational and emotional moment. For anyone who saw Shazier’s hit on Monday Night Football, where he made contact with a Bengals player and then collapsed to the ground with his lower body frozen and lifeless, the idea of him ever walking again seemed unlikely. Though he was unsteady and needed assistance to cross the stage in Dallas, he was really doing it, he was walking. Ever since his injury, Shazier has insisted that he will play football again. Without knowing the specific details of his injury, it seemed ambitious that he could someday make it back onto the field. But Shazier’s appearance at the draft proved that he’s made significant progress in a short amount of time, so maybe a return to the NFL is a possibility. In Edmunds’s media session that night, the No. 28 pick said, “I felt like it was the moment of the draft, honestly.”

Shazier walking again is an incredible outcome for a tragic injury that could have been so much worse. But what was that moment was like for Pittsburgh’s draft pick? When Edmunds watched Shazier hobble to the podium and announce him as the Steelers first-round pick, did he wonder if that could be his future? That he might be putting himself at risk of a similar injury?

After Shazier called his name, Edmunds was handed his new Steelers jersey to pose for a photo with the Goodell and the Steelers veteran. Goodell grabbed Shazier’s hand to steady him for the picture, but the 25-year-old Steelers linebacker had other plans. He shook off the commissioner’s support and confidently grabbed the other side of Edmunds’s jersey, smiling for the cameras with his newest teammate.

Terrell and Tremaine Edmunds are first brothers drafted in first round

ESPN News Services

http://www.espn.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers/

April 27, 2018

Terrell and Tremaine Edwards (Virginia Tech Football)

Safety Terrell Edmunds and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds of Virginia Tech were drafted Thursday night, marking the first time brothers have been taken in the first round of the same draft.

The feat, confirmed by Elias Sports Bureau, came to fruition with Terrell's selection by the Pittsburgh Steelers as the 28th pick. He was taken 12 picks after the Buffalo Bills chose his younger brother with the 16th selection.

"It's a blessing for my family overall," said Terrell Edmunds, whose father, Ferrell, made the Pro Bowl twice during his six-year NFL career as a tight end for Miami and Seattle. "It didn't matter where [Tremaine] went and I went.

"I'm thankful to everyone for supporting us all the way."

Terrell Edmunds said he didn't expect to hear his name called during the first round.

"I was surprised, honestly" to be picked, he said. "I'm ready. I'm telling you I'm ready."

The brothers' selections gave Virginia Tech a set of first-round picks for only the second time in the common draft era. In 2004, DeAngelo Hall (eighth) and Kevin Jones (30th) were drafted by Atlanta and Detroit, respectively.

For the Steelers, Edmunds has the size (6-foot-1, 217 pounds) and the speed (4.47 40-yard dash) to become a valuable contributor in a defensive backfield that includes Joe Haden, Artie Burns and Sean Davis.

"We felt this was the best player," general manager Kevin Colbert said after the Steelers used a first-round pick on a safety for the first time since taking Troy Polamalu 16th in 2003. "This was plain for us."

The Steelers were drawn to Edmunds' ability to move around the field. Colbert pointed out there were times during Edmunds' career at Virginia Tech that he would flip from strong safety to free safety on the same play.

"We got a sharp, young versatile guy who's a good communicator, who plays with physicality," Colbert said. "He checks all the boxes for us."

Edmunds started 31 games in three seasons for the Hokies, collecting six interceptions while also developing a reputation as a sure tackler. His junior season in 2017 was cut short by a shoulder injury that required surgery, though Colbert said it won't be an issue when he reports for organized team activities next month.

Tremaine Edmunds' selection came after Buffalo previously traded into the seventh slot to get Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen.

"Man, it was great," Edmunds said of the draft process with his brother. "Definitely to see my other brother get drafted tonight, it was a big time relief for my whole family. I know everybody's excited and I'm excited. It's a long time coming, but we can finally say that we made it."

Edmunds can play inside or outside for the Bills and was considered by some the best at the position in this group.

"He is a versatile athlete," Bills coach Sean McDermott said of Edmunds. "He's got size ... he has played inside, he has played outside as well, he has played on the line of scrimmage as well as off the line of scrimmage. Some of that flexibility is what attracted us to him as well. We are real happy with what we did and credit goes to [general manager] Brandon [Beane] and his staff."

Edmunds, who turns 20 on Tuesday, is listed at 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds and was a two-year starter in Blacksburg. He led the Hokies with 109 tackles and 5 1/2 sacks and was named a Butkus Award finalist last season.

He will be given an opportunity to take over the middle linebacker spot after the Bills lost starter Preston Brown in free agency last month.

Information from The Associated Press was included in this report.

Goalie Matt Murray was Penguins' Pinball Wizard

By Kevin Gorman

http://triblive.com/sports/

April 26, 2018

Matt Murray #30, Olli Maatta #3 and Chad Ruhwedel #2 of the Pittsburgh Penguins defend the net against the Washington Capitals in Game One of the Eastern Conference Second Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Capital One Arena on April 26, 2018 in Washington, DC. The Penguins defeated the Capitals 3-2. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The word on Matt Murray is to go high to the glove side, the supposed silver bullet to beat the Penguins' gifted goaltender.

The Washington Capitals took their shots, beating Murray to that side 17 seconds into the first period on an Evgeny Kuznestov breakaway and 28 seconds into the third on an Alex Ovechkin wrister from the left circle.

What the Capitals didn't know — and what they couldn't solve in their 3-2 Game 1 loss to the Penguins on Thursday night at Capital One Arena — was Murray's secret weapon.

The inside of his blocker.

Murray was the Penguins' Pinball Wizard, twice blocking a shot from his left with his glove hand and reflexively deflecting the rebound to his right by twisting the wrist on his blocker hand.

The first came early in the second period, with the Penguins trailing 1-0. Murray blocked Brett Connolly from the top of the right circle and then Devante Smith-Pelly's rebound from the bottom of the left circle.

The second came with 2:30 remaining in the third, this time first blocking Pelly-Smith's redirect followed by Connolly's rebound to protect the lead.

"It was kind of like deja vu — it was the exact same play," Murray said. "It was through a screen, so I couldn't pick up the first shot, and I wasn't able to control the rebound and it went to the guy wide open backdoor and I just tried to get something on it.

"You just try to be fluid and react quickly. Those are tough through traffic. It's hard to get the rebound where you want it to go."

The Capitals learned that lesson the hard way. Through the first two periods, Murray had nothing on Braden Holtby.

The Capitals goalie stopped all 17 shots he faced through the first two periods, with a little help from the post and crossbar.

"He made some big saves, especially early on to keep us off the scoreboard," said Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin, whose shot from the slot Holtby stopped. "You can tell he's playing well. Those goals we scored, they're tough goals to save. We've got to continue to get traffic and throw as many pucks as we can at the net."

Murray and Holtby were putting on a clinic, and it took both teams' top lines to beat them.

Despite the Capitals' quick-strike goals, Murray kept the Evgeni Malkin-less Penguins in the game by keeping the Capitals out of the net.

"It's critical. It's hard to win at this time of the year if you don't get a timely save, and Matt gave it to us," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "He does it time and time again for us. I think that's why he's as accomplished as he is as a goalie."

That's why Murray is more accomplished, at least in the Stanley Cup playoffs, than Holtby, who won four consecutive games against Columbus.

There was some squirming about which Murray we would see after he recorded two shutouts and gave up only one goal in the first three victories over the Flyers but allowed 14 goals in the other three games.

Giving up a goal in the first 30 seconds of a period is such a Penguins thing to do. Stopping every shot for the other 59 minutes, 15 seconds was such a Murray thing.

"I thought he was locked in all night long," Sullivan said. "He made some big saves for us, especially when they were pressing down the stretch the last six or seven minutes of the third period.

"They were pressing really hard, and he made some big, timely saves for us. When you get those types of saves, it's easy to play with some confidence in front of him."

That's because Murray continues to be a calming presence for these Penguins, one who uses his long reach and short memory to win the biggest games.

"You've just got to worry about stopping the next one," Murray said. "It doesn't matter. When one goal goes in, you can't take it back. So you just worry about the next one."

The Penguins never worried about Murray. Jake Guentzel, who scored the game winner, cited Murray's maturity in how he handled the early adversity.

"He never gets down after a goal, especially in the first minute like that," Guentzel said. "You don't know what it can do. A lot of credit goes to him because he won that game for us."

Murray won Game 1 with both his glove and his blocker on a pair of spectacular saves that gave him a sense of deja vu and had me singing The Who.

Sure plays a mean pinball.

Kevin Gorman is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at kgorman@tribweb.com or via Twitter @KGorman_Trib.

MORE PENGUINS/NHL

Three things we learned from Penguins-Capitals Game 1

Penguins score 3 times in 3rd period for Game 1 win over Capitals 

Comebacks becoming commonplace for Penguins, Capitals

Kevin Gorman's Take 5: Five thoughts on Penguins-Capitals Game 1

Hockey experts split on who will win Penguins-Capitals series

Snapshots: Caps suffer another crushing loss at hands of playoff nemesis

By Don Brennan

http://ottawasun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/snapshots-caps-suffer-another-crushing-loss-at-hands-of-playoff-nemesis

April 26, 2018

Jake Guentzel #59 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates his game winning goal at 7:48 of the third period against the Washington Capitals in Game One of the Eastern Conference Second Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Capital One Arena on April 26, 2018 in Washington, DC. The Penguins defeated the Capitals 3-2. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Lose OR win, this could be Barry Trotz’s last stand with the Washington Capitals.

There’s been talk of a disconnect between the team’s coach and GM Brian MacLellan for some time — even before the latter was reportedly signed to a contact extension while the former continues to work through the final year of his deal — and now, adding fuel to it is the exchange between Trotz and Columbus Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella as they shook hands at the end of their Round 1 series.

I agree with the lip-reading done by Hockey Night in Canada’s Elliotte Friedman — it sure looked like, in accepting congratulations and well wishes from Tortorella, Trotz said “I’m gone, I’m gone, I’m not coming back.”  

It’s natural to speculate Trotz will get the axe if he fails, for the fourth straight year, to lead the Capitals at least into the conference final. But imagine, if it has been pre-determined, either by Trotz, MacLellan or owner Ted Leonsis … the Stanley Cup winning coach being a free agent this summer?

Yes, this really could be Washington’s year. When we least expect it.

The Capitals have not made it out of the second round since 1998, when they defeated the Bruins (in six), the Senators (in five) and the Sabres (in six) before getting swept by the Red Wings in the Cup final. It remains the only spring in which they were one of the last two teams standing.

And usually, it’s been the Penguins who get in their way.

Washington has made six trips to the second round since then and lost to the Penguins three times, twice in seven games and once in six. The Penguins, who have eliminated they Capitals on their way to each of their five Cup wins, have beaten Washington in nine of 10 playoff series. The only time the Capitals eliminated Pittsburgh was 24 years ago, in a first-round series that went six games.

But as Alex Ovechkin told reporters before Game 1: “One day, it has to happen (again).”

That day will fall in the next two weeks, if the Capitals feed off the extra  motivation they should have to win one for the likable Trotz.

And if they can get past Thursday’s third period collapse that saw them give up three goals in 4:49 on their way to a crushing, 3-2 loss.

STARTS AND STOPS

Upon going over the replays of Evgeny Kuznetsov’s goal 17 seconds into the first period, in no way can it be blamed on Jake Gardiner … The real reason the Caps will win this series? Braden Holtby. Liked the theory presented in a column on NHL.com by former Senators coach Paul MacLean, who thinks Trotz went with Philipp Grubauer to start the playoffs in order to light a fire under Holtby, whose No. 1 standing had never really been challenged. When Holtby did get his chance to enter the series, he was outstanding. Just as he was in the first two periods of Game 1 against Pittsburgh. Of course, he did have help from his goal posts, and he didn’t look very good on two of the Penguins three straight goals in the third. Maybe the Caps will have to rely on the Trotz factor — or allow the Penguins to remain in their heads … When it comes to the good young wingers in the league, the two Jakes, Guentzel and DeBrusk, are worth all the credit they get. But not enough is said about Tom Wilson, a 24-year old power forward who uses his 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame to inflict damage and skates well enough to play with Ovechkin and Kuzentsov … Matt Murray won Game 1 for the Penguins with his best performance of the playoffs. 

BETWEEN PERIODS

Stop with the talk that Ovechkin isn’t a winner. He now has 52 goals and 100 points in 102 playoff games. He’s not the problem … Uncharacteristically, Ovechkin didn’t have a shot on goal through the first two periods. One of his three misses was with a wide-open side, off a 2-on-1, near the five-minute mark. He dropped to his knees in disbelief, while everyone else just rubbed their eyes …  Ovechkin scored 28 seconds into the third, then let Sidney Crosby escape his check for Pittsburgh’s second goal less than five minutes later. …. With a goal and two assists, Guentzel is now the leading scorer in the playoffs … The NHL has decided to tinker with its draft lottery to add even a little more tease to the presentation. Owners of picks four-through-15 will be revealed before Saturday night’s Vegas-San Jose game, while the top three will be announced during the second intermission. Perhaps it’s the league’s way of apologizing for the lack of drama in Round 1 … The lottery process will never be truly criticized until a team like Florida or St. Louis, which both missed a wild-card spot by a single point in their respective conferences, winds up drawing No. 1. Or until it winds up in the Edmonton Oilers hands again.

CHANGING LINES

After bolting the Senators, Daniel Alfredsson apparently had himself a pretty good season. He was named ‘Volunteer Of The Year’ by the Ottawa Sting minor hockey association … While Senators owner Eugene Melnyk erratically predicted the Maple Leafs would be “blown out” by the Bruins in five games, I had Toronto advancing — with a reverse mojo that rarely fails … Flyers GM Ron Hextall has confirmed coach Dave Hakstol and his staff will return next season … That the Penguins don’t seem to miss a beat with Evgeni Malkin injured is testament to how good they really are. Malkin has 164 points in 154 playoff games and he did win the Conn Smythe in 2009 …. Announced on Thursday were the three finalists for the Ted Lindsay Award, which goes to the most outstanding player in the league as voted on by members of the NHLPA. They are Taylor Hall, Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid — which were also the three names at the top of my Hart Trophy ballot. 

dbrennan@postmedia.com

One thing we know about these Capitals: They can’t handle prosperity

By Barry Svrluga

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/

April 26, 2018

Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins scores at 5:20 of the third period against Braden Holtby #70 of the Washington Capitals in Game One of the Eastern Conference Second Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Capital One Arena on April 26, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

The difficult part is supposed to be how to handle adversity, right? We know something of that about these Washington Capitals because it was just last week they were down by two games to the Columbus Blue Jackets — and ran off four straight. Push them to the wall, and they at least will manage something of a shove back.

But what if the Capitals are doing the shoving? Say they have the opponent pinned, both shoulders to the mat. It’s odd, in that moment, how they respond. They’re less likely to strangle than tickle — and then they just flat let the dude back up. Dust off, friend. Let’s keep playing. They don’t unleash the fury. They bottle it up and save it for another day.

Adversity is not the problem. We are left to wonder, as what’s sure to be another nausea-inducing second-round series against Pittsburgh begins: How do these Capitals handle prosperity?

Here’s the early answer, with the Penguins in town, essentially skating around wearing their championship rings over their gloves: like a toddler handles a toaster in the bathtub. On Thursday night, the Capitals led 2-0 in the third period. They lost 3-2 in regulation. They took a gift and asked, politely, if there was a receipt enclosed. They would like to return it, thanks very much.

Through what prism should we view this? So many from which to choose. Start with these playoffs, which are only seven games old. The Capitals had a two-goal lead in the first game of the series against Columbus that opened this postseason. They lost. They had a two-goal lead in the second game of that same series. They lost.

And it happened again, against the hated Penguins? There must be commonality.

“I’ll have to really look at that,” Coach Barry Trotz said afterward. “They all have their own unique identities.”

Like children. Except, in this case, Trotz can despise them all equally.

But what about the other form of prosperity the Capitals were granted Thursday night? Evgeni Malkin led the Penguins in both goals (42) and points (98) during the regular season — yes, more than ballyhooed pal Sidney Crosby. Yet Malkin spent Game 1 in a suit in the press box, not on the power play on the ice, the victim of a leg injury. Throw in speedy forward Carl Hagelin, a classic Capitals thorn, who isn’t even in the District because he’s healing up a face injury.

And then think about the ways the Penguins have beaten the Capitals in years past when, personnel-wise, they shouldn’t have.

●Game 4, 2016: Kris Letang, an important part of the Penguins’ glue, was suspended for a hit on Washington forward Marcus Johansson. Final: Penguins 3, Capitals 2 in overtime.

●Game 4, 2017: Crosby, who is so much more than just the Pittsburgh captain, sat out after suffering a head injury. Final: Penguins 3, Capitals 2.

Hey, Mike Sullivan. You’ve coached this team to the past two Stanley Cup titles. What gives?

“I just think our guys, they never look for excuses,” Sullivan said. “. . . To win championships, it takes more than 12 forwards and six defensemen.”

It takes, at some point, the ability to take a two-goal lead and make it a four-goal lead. Or, shoot, forget even that. It takes the ability to take a two-goal lead and have it be a one-goal lead when the third period ends. We’re really not asking too much.

“We let an opportunity slide,” defenseman John Carlson said.

Truth. It’s going to be a long wait for Sunday’s Game 2, which now feels pretty darned important. But to be clear, there are no must-win Game 1s, even those in which Malkin watches from afar. The Caps themselves have shown that over the years. In Washington’s 16 previous playoff series since Alex Ovechkin first appeared in the postseason, they have won eight openers and dropped the other eight. Their record in series is actually better (4-4) when they lose the opener than when they win (3-5).

Try to extract meaning or find a pattern. You can’t. In 2009, the Capitals took the first two games against the Penguins at what was then known as Verizon Center — and then lost three straight before falling in the series in seven. In 2016, they beat the Penguins in the opener here. Last year, they lost to the Penguins in the opener here. What difference did it make? In each case, they fell behind in the series three games to one — and lost.

So whatever happened Thursday night — heartbreak or blowout — exactly nothing about the entirety of the matchup was determined.

“It’s going to be a long series,” Trotz claimed.

It’s the right thing to say. He might even be correct.

But why — why — does it have to be that way? Why not put yourself in position to say — or at least think: “We beat them in Game 1, and we’re going to beat them in Game 2, and every time we have a chance to step on their throats, we’re also going to kick them in the groin”? What would be wrong with, when up a pair, turning savage instead of soft?

The lasting image of this one will be the pass Pittsburgh’s Jake Guentzel sent from the left side, cross-ice toward Crosby in the Washington zone. The Capitals led at the time 2-1, and it was less than three minutes after the Penguins had broken through. To reach Crosby, Guentzel’s pass had to get through Ovechkin, who had scored the goal in the opening minute of the third period that put Washington up by two.

All Ovechkin had to do was poke the puck away.

“It hit my stick,” Ovechkin said, “and goes right to Crosby’s stick.”

Crosby, of course, buried it. A shift later, Crosby fired one toward the net, and Guentzel tipped that in, too.

For Washington, a borderline comfortable lead — and a brain freeze. For Pittsburgh, no Malkin? No problem.

“We weren’t too worried about his status,” Capitals forward Devante Smith-Pelly said. “We were worried about ourselves.”

That’s a good way to put it: Worry about yourself. That’s what a team that takes two-goal leads at home and proceeds to stamp “Return to Sender” on the package needs to do. Worry. Fix. Now.

This series may well go seven games. But if it does, we have to be long past the point of congratulating the Capitals for pushing it that far. We have to look back and say, “What if you had taken a two-goal lead against a diminished Pittsburgh lineup and done what championship teams do, which is finish them off?” That was the situation that presented itself Thursday night, and it proved to be too much prosperity for these Capitals to handle.

[Penguins’ quick strikes in third earn them a 3-2 win over Caps, 1-0 series lead]

[Capitals braced for Sidney Crosby, but were beaten by Penguins’ Jake Guentzel]

[Barry Trotz doesn’t clear up scrutinized conversation with John Tortorella]