Evgeny Kuznetsov buries Penguins' 3-peat bid with OT winner
The greatest celebration in hockey was out in full force at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh on Monday — and for good reason.
Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov was flapping his wings after he scored the Game 6 overtime winner to eliminate the Penguins and lift Washington to the Eastern Conference final for just the third time in franchise history and first since 1998.
The goal that sent the Capitals to the Eastern Conference final.
(@MastercardCA) pic.twitter.com/ZtuClJJwat
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 8, 2018
It was Kuznetsov’s sixth goal of the playoffs and followed up a huge game-tying goal early in the third period of Game 5 which the Capitals went on to win.
The goal officially frees the Capitals from playoff purgatory as not only does it dampen the harsh memories of previous postseason losses — including the last two years — to the Penguins, it finally gets Washington over the hump and out of the second round for the first time in the Ovi Era — a run that’s included three Presidents’ Trophies as the NHL’s regular season champs, several division titles, and even more heartbreak.
This year, however, it’s jubilation for No. 8 and the Caps. Asked what he was thinking on Kuznetsov’s breakaway chance, Ovechkin told NBC’s Pierre McGuire exactly what was on his mind.
“Please score. Just F*****g please score.”
'Nobody believed in us.'
An emotional @ovi8 explains what this win means for the @Capitals and the fans. pic.twitter.com/mRSIa33DO4
— NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) May 8, 2018
Ovechkin, after his primary assist on Kuznetsov’s game-winning tally, finished the series with three goals and seven points and now ranks fifth in playoff scoring with 8-7–15 through 12 games. Kuznetsov, meanwhile, has seven goals this postseason including the biggest one in a long, long time for the franchise.
The win finally snapped the Capitals’ six-game losing streak with a trip to the conference final up for grabs, which tied the longest such streak in NHL playoff history, according to ESPN. It also ends a 20-year drought amongst Washington professional sports teams, with the Caps becoming the first D.C. club — including them, the Wizards, Redskins and Nationals — to reach a conference final in two decades, a total of 71 combined consecutive seasons.
The Capitals will face the Lightning, who defeated Boston in five games, in the Eastern Conference final.
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