“I made a bad stick play and they scored…” Ovechkin took responsibility for the loss to Pittsburgh

Malkin’s advantage – four points at once!

The evening began solemnly, and before the match, Washington hockey players entered the arena along the red carpet.

“Kuzi!” Kuzi! – the fans chanted as a smiling Evgeny Kuznetsov approached them, dressed in a fashionable checkered jacket and yellow boots. He stopped and signed a few autographs then headed to the studio for an interview.

“Ovie!” Ovie! – the crowd roared when Alexander Ovechkin, as big as a bear, got out of a black Lexus in a light gray suit. Finally, people saw their idol.

Everyone expected Ovechkin (822) to score at least one goal to get even closer to Wayne Gretzky’s eternal record (894). So far, they are separated by 72 goals. If Washington wins on top of that, it will be absolutely fantastic.

But the reality turned out to be too harsh and similar to the match between Avangard and Dynamo Moscow (3:0), which also took place on Friday 13. Dynamo Ovechkin will understand this scenario. In the first period there was an equal fight, but in the second one team staged another formal tsugunder: Avangard scored three goals against Dynamo, and Pittsburgh punished Washington three times, deciding the fate of the match in their favor.

And it all started with Ovechkin’s mistake. He tried to move the puck out of his zone, but he let it go too far. Pens defenseman Erik Karlsson intercepted it, passed it to Rickard Rakell, and he passed it to Evgeni Malkin, who dealt clearly and calmly with goaltender Charlie Lindgren.

Before Washington had time to come to his senses, Trevor van Riemsdyk caught the ball, Malkin made a diagonal pass on the power play to the far post, and there, captain Sidney Crosby also took care of the goalkeeper aim.

Pittsburgh’s third goal quickly followed when Rasmus Sandin hit former Washington player Lars Eller with his stick, and Crosby, from the same right wing, converted another power play when Malkin passed him the puck.

And at the end of the third period, Gino, with a brilliant pass from Fetis in two zones, brings Riley Smith into the breakthrough, who does not miss: 0-4.

It is clear that Malkin was recognized as the first star of this meeting. The last time he scored four points in a game was Jan. 10 of this year, when he scored twice and assisted twice against Vancouver.

Ovechkin: ‘We just didn’t score, but they did’

By the way, Malkin is approaching his birthday. Another 28 goals and he will become the second Russian to score 500 goals in the NHL. In total, there were 47 hockey players in the league. So Gino can really conquer Everest.

“He literally flew across the ice,” Crosby said of his comrade. — Malkin took several excellent shots. He had some chances of scoring more than one goal. In such matches, when he feels comfortable, Gino creates chances and gives good passes to the guys. Today he was perfectly prepared.

“He’s still a player who can dominate. Malkin was at his best again,” added Pittsburgh head coach Mike Sullivan. — He sees the ice well. And he made a simply phenomenal pass to Riley. And before that, he followed the puck and made a tackle. He played very well on both ends of the floor. She’s facing tough competition. One of the best players in the league. As he was, he is.”

As Washington correspondent Ilya Sviridyuk says, for some reason Malkin never came for an interview. All the reporters waited a long time for him, but the Pittsburgh press secretary finally said, “Sorry guys, next time…”

But Ovechkin summed up the disappointing results of this meeting.

— Why do you think Washington lost this game six or seven minutes into the second half, when the score went from 0:0 to 0:3?

— First of all, it was my mistake when Pittsburgh scored the first goal. I made a bad play with my stick on the blue line, I dropped the puck and they intercepted it.

In general, I think that in the first period we showed normal hockey. In the second, we didn’t score, but they did. And you’re right, it influenced the outcome of the match.

—You’ve spent enough time in the Pittsburgh area. But why did they throw away so little?

— Yes, all that is true, and it was particularly evident in the third period (12-4 on shots in favor of the Pens). If we don’t shoot the puck and create dangerous chances going towards their goal, it will be difficult to win. We knew right away that it was the right thing to do and that it’s the secret to success. But we failed to demonstrate the required intensity, which also affected the score.

— How did the team perceive this defeat?

– We must move forward. The guys were ready to win. But we did not achieve the expected result. Let’s watch the video, study our mistakes and try to win next time – Monday against Calgary.

There is a place for old people here

Pittsburgh began the season with a surprise loss to Chicago, leading 2-0 but allowing four straight goals to ruin the NHL debut of young prodigy Connor Bedard.

But now the Pens have shown they are a real force. Maybe Malkin will actually try to win his fourth Stanley Cup this season?

Crosby (2+0) and Malkin (1+3) scored six points between them. “When they’re at their best, they’re still elite players,” Mike Sullivan said. “I think this evening was a great confirmation of that point.”

It’s also important that the Penguins have a deep roster. Two assists from Jake Guentzel, back in the lineup after injury. Smith scored the first goal after being traded from Vegas on June 28. Erik Karlsson, the reigning Norris Trophy winner as the NHL’s top defenseman, helped Malkin get his first point with the Pens since arriving in an Aug. 6 trade with San Jose.

And visiting goaltender Tristan Jarry played well, making 19 saves and stopping Ovechkin on a breakthrough late in the second period, ultimately creating the 14th shutout of his career.

Malkin, Crosby and defenseman Kris Letang are in their 18th year playing together. This is a record for a trio in North American professional sports. Washington has the same line, as Ovechkin, center Nicklas Backstrom and defenseman John Carlson have been playing together since the 15th year.

But Pittsburgh’s three have proven to be better here and now. And it’s better in the long term, after winning three Stanley Cups (2009, 2016, 2017), while Washington (2018) managed to do it once.

Both teams are similar in their focus on older stars. Pittsburgh is the oldest club in the league this season (the average age is 32), Washington is in second place (31) and has eight players under 25 on its roster.

But the core is Ovechkin (38), Backstrom (35), TJ Oshie (36), Carlson (33), Kuznetsov (31) and Tom Wilson (29). And the Penguins are betting big on Crosby (36), Malkin (37), Letang (36), Brian Rust (31), Guentzel (29) and now Karlsson (33).

Old people have their place here. They still know how to put on a show. During the last championship, both clubs did not reach the playoffs. Let’s see what they achieve this time.