WASHINGTON – Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are starring acts but no longer the entire show for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Penguins supplied evidence of that truth Saturday when they used the strong play of their third line and a key goal by a limited ice-time forward Eric Fehr to down the Washington Capitals 2-1 in a series-tying Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinal.
Fehr played fewer minutes than any healthy Penguins player and scored the game-winner on a deflection with 4:28 left in regulation. Fehr played for the Capitals last season, and Pittsburgh general manager Jim Rutherford acquired him to increase the team's size and depth.
“I redirected it toward the net,” Fehr said. “Did I mean for it to go high glove, post and in? Probably not.”
The Penguins’ depth has become even more important to their success than their star power. They have too many credible scoring threats and speed to be stopped.
In the first two games of this series, the Penguins’ third line of Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino and Phil Kessel have generated 23 shots on goal. They have scored three of Pittsburgh’s five goals. They created Pittsburgh’s first goal Saturday when Bonino set-up Hagelin from a skillful pass from the net.
Rutherford is one of NHL’s most aggressive traders, and through trades he has created a team that doesn’t need Crosby or Malkin to have big games in order to earn a win.
Crosby doesn’t have a point yet, and this best-of-seven series is going back to Pittsburgh for Game 3 tied 1-1.
They'll have to rely on each player even more now after losing defenseman Olli Maatta at 4:13 the first period on Saturday after he received a blow to the head from Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik, a former Penguin.
Pittsburgh's coach Mike Sullivan said the team would update Maatta’s status on Sunday.
“I thought it was a late hit,” Sullivan said. “I thought it was a target to his head. I think it's the type of hit that everyone in hockey is trying to remove from the game. That's how I saw it."
The Penguins played the next 55:47 of the game with only five defensemen. Kris Letang played 35:22, which was 10-plus minutes more than anyone else on his team. He also played more than 34 minutes in Thursday’s overtime loss.
“We try to manage their minutes as best we can, but when you lose a guy that early in a game it's tough,” Sullivan said. “(Letang)'s a real efficient player. He's a great skater. His fitness level is tremendous. That's what allows him to be the player that he is. We really haven't had a line that we've drawn yet on him this year. He continues to just have such influence on our team and helping us play the game we want to play it. He helps us come out of our end zone.
"He joins the rush. He's on the power play. He kills penalties. He really is an elite player at both ends of the rink."
Pittsburgh's resolve seems stronger than it has been recently.
"We lose defenseman, we have five more," said Malkin, who set-up Fehr's game-winner with a pass. "We have 12 forwards who help the (defense) play (in the defensive) zone. We understand we are a good team."
Having coached against the Penguins in the past, Sullivan knew when he took over the team in December that he needed to make the Penguins a tougher opponent. Pittsburgh has shown a stronger mental toughness under his coaching.
“I felt we could be more difficult to play against when we handle adversities through the course of a game or within a stretch of games,” Sullivan said. “Things don’t always go your way out there and it’s important that we respond the right way.”
When the Capitals tied the score on a power play early in the third period Saturday, the Penguins didn’t allow them ride the momentum to a win. They didn’t sulk when their power play faltered five times.
After playing well in Game 1 and losing, the Penguins showed the resiliency that marked their play in the second half of the regular season.
“Every year kind of has its own story and I don't really want to look back at other years right now given the situation we're in,” Crosby said. “But (resiliency) always goes a long way no matter what team you play on and no matter what situation. If you have that ability you give yourself a chance every night to win.”
