Capitals Routed by Penguins in Game 7

WASHINGTON D.C. – May 13, 2009 – The Washington Capitals, having led by 2 games in their NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series with the Pittsburgh Penguins, found themselves in what was billed to be an epic Game 7 at the Verizon Center.  The highly anticipated battle between two eastern conference powerhouses and their star players, Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, concluded in a 6-2 romp by the Pens which left many questions unanswered, and Caps fans furious over NHL officiating and the performance of their young stars.

Pittsburgh Penguins’ goalkeeper Marc-Andre Fleury (29) made 19 saves including this stretch against a break-away by Alex Ovechkin (8), holding a 5-0 lead until late in the second period. (Pete Silver/OffWing Photo)

Outshooting the Capitals 30-21, the Penguins repeatedly found the net despite replacement of Sidney Varlamov with backup goalkeeper Jose Theodore in the second period, following Pittsburgh’s fourth goal.  With two back-to-back scoring flurries the Penguins amassed a 6-1 lead, the final goal being scored by Crosby, his second of the game, after stealing the puck from Ovechkin.

“It feels good, just because of the way the series went, not particularly because it was me and him,” said Crosby about a series that many sportswriters referred to as “Sid the Kid vs. Alexander the Great.”

Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby (87) scores in the first period
against Capitals’ rookie goalkeeper Simeon Varlamov (40). (Pete Silver/OffWing)

Pittsburgh awaits the winner of the Boston Bruins – Carolina Hurricanes series, which is tied at 3-3.

See all photos from Game 7 and other events on the Off Wing Photo Flickr site: