Pittsburgh forward Sidney Crosby raised his arms in celebration. Capitals defenseman Mike Green started skating towards his bench, certain the Penguins star had just put his team ahead.
But even in his short time in the NHL, Caps goalie Simeon Varlamov has shown the instincts of a veteran – not the 21-year-old rookie that he actually is.
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Flinging himself back into a play with 2 minutes, 3 seconds left in the second period, Varlamov had only his stick to try to block a shot from one of the world’s greatest players. Somehow, he did it.
Crosby shook his head in disbelief. Green just smiled. It was a huge play in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Then, just 1:46 into the third period, Caps forward Tomas Fleischmann chipped a shot over Pittsburgh goalie Marc-Andre Fleury and Washington held on for a 3-2 victory at Verizon Center and a 1-0 series lead.
Varlamov shook off a pair of soft goals — one by Crosby early in the first period and the other by defenseman Mark Eaton — and made several critical stops during the final minutes to finish with 34 saves. It was Varlamov’s fifth postseason win and included maybe the greatest save of his young career.
“There was no other option left to me. I had to play with my stick,” Varlamov said through a translator. “There was nothing else I could do. If [Crosby] put the puck anywhere else it would be in the net. So I guess it was lucky.”
In a series that generated enormous media hype before the puck was even dropped for Game 1, the stars lived up to their billing. Crosby’s goal was his fifth of the playoffs. Caps forward Alex Ovechkin scored on a 5-on-3 power play in the first period to put his team up 2-1. That was his fourth of the postseason.
But it was a role player – Fleischmann – who provided the game-winner. And another one in forward David Steckel, who drove the net hard and slammed a rebound past Fleury at 13:50 of the first period. That secondary scoring could be what carries Washington through what it expects to be a long, contentious series.
“Well, this is the tip of the iceberg, boys,” said Caps forward Brooks Laich. “We’re just getting started.”
Indeed, the Penguins received little from their other star center, Hart Trophy finalist Evgeni Malkin. He did have a primary assist on Eaton’s goal. But Malkin also took just two shots on goal in 20:49 of ice time. That limited production isn’t likely to continue in the coming days. The Caps penalty kill – a weakness for much of the season – actually held Pittsburgh 0-for-5 with the man-advantage. The Penguins finished with 36 shots to Washington’s 26.
Forward Alex Semin – the forgotten Russian entering this series despite a team-high five goals in the first round – set up two of the Caps’ goals. On Ovechkin’s 5-on-3 tally, Semin first faked a shot to get the Penguins’ defense out of position to give his teammate what amounted to a lay-up from the left side and a 2-1 Washington lead. On the game winner, Semin fed a pass to Nicklas Backstrom, who then found Fleischmann alone in front.
“I knew we were 3-on-2 on the second [goal],” Semin said through a translator. “I saw that if I were to pass the puck then Backstrom and Fleischmann would be 2-on-1. I just thought that was a better development on that play.”
Caps coach Bruce Boudreau thought his players looked nervous early in the game — maybe the hype surrounding the event finally getting to them. Washington had 22 giveaways to the Penguins’ six and was outshot 11-2 in the first period. Varlamov, meanwhile, so composed against the New York Rangers in the first round, was giving away long rebounds and looked shaky with his catching glove – especially on both Pittsburgh goals.
“But in games like this you shouldn’t be hard on yourself — even after you allow a softy,” Varlamov said. “You don’t have the right to be upset too much.”
He more than redeemed himself. Green, who was covering passer Chris Kunitz during Crosby’s golden chance late in the second, said that kind of shot goes in 100 percent of the time in the NHL.
“That’s got to be the highlight of the year. It’s got to be,” Green said. “I was out there and I seen it. Nothing made sense.”
A goal there would have put Pittsburgh ahead after a period where Washington had the better of the play. An Ovechkin shot hit the post midway through the period – one of three different times that happened on the afternoon. Fleury (23 saves) also kept out a handful of other quality scoring chances.
Yet the Penguins had already tied the game at 2 after Eaton’s improbable third goal of the playoffs at 12:54 of the second. He had just four during the entire regular season. It wasn’t enough, though, in a series that at least for one afternoon lived up to the anticipation.
“There were hits and there were goals and the stars were involved,” Laich said. “I think as the series goes on there’s going to be more close games and overtimes and controversy and a lot more things to come into play.”
