Penguins’ series with Capitals is far from over

Well, this series is over.
There’s no way the Capitals can recover from blowing a two goal lead at home to the Penguins in the first game of a series. The Penguins are in the Capitals’ heads — especially their goalie’s — and we’re about to see another early exit by one of the greatest choking, underachieving teams of all time.
That’s the narrative up until 3 p.m. today when they play Game 2. The narrative won’t change much if the Penguins go up two games to none and a sweep will be on the minds of every hockey fan in Western Pennsylvania when the Capitals show up in Pittsburgh tomorrow night.
But, if the Capitals win Game 2 …
Nothing that happened in Game 1 will matter.
It’ll be best of five.
Keeping in mind what happened way back when the playoffs started a couple of weeks ago might help with perspective. The Penguins beat the Flyers, 7-0, at home, and then were embarrassed, 5-1, in Game 2. It took six games.
The Capitals lost the first two games at home to Columbus and everybody in North America declared the series over. The Capitals won the next four.
If you want to refer to ancient history, look at last season. The Penguins won the first two games in Washington, lost Game 3 at home in overtime and won Game 4 to go up three games to one. That series was declared over until the Capitals won the next two and it required Marc-Andre Fleury shutting them out, 2-0, for the Penguins to win the series.
Let’s wait.
— The Penguins needed a spectacular game from Matt Murray in goal to win Game 1, but it might not have mattered if not for what may have been a sign of the Capitals’ alleged gag reflex. They led 2-0 in the second period when Alex Ovechkin may have had a tight choke hold on his stick when he missed an open net by five or six feet. Good chance 3-0 at that point puts it away.
What was impressive about the Penguins was the way they shut the Capitals down after taking the lead in the third period. Murray made some big saves but he didn’t have to work nearly as hard as he did in the first two periods.
It might be a good idea for the Penguins to tighten it up a little earlier today.
— Are you old enough to remember when lots of people in these parts, including many in the media, were suggesting that Sidney Crosby just wasn’t what he used to be, including some who were suggesting he be traded or dropped to the third line? His two points Thursday night gave him 61 multiple point games in the playoffs. That’s third best all time.
Wayne Gretzky had 108 and Mark Messier 77. That’s pretty good company and he’s probably going to end up second all time. When you consider how much tougher it is to score goals these days, that’s an amazing accomplishment. It’s also is just a little more evidence to support the contention that he’s one of the three best players of all time.
— When the Steelers took Oklahoma State wide receiver James Washington in the second round of the draft Friday night, I immediately went to YouTube to check out his highlights. I saw what looked like a really good if not spectacular college wide receiver, but the throws by the quarterback are what jumped out of the screen at me.
A little while later, the Steelers took that quarterback, Mason Rudolph, in the third round. This guy throws 55-yard passes with no windup and they don’t spend a lot of time in the air. It says here that, unless Ben Roethlisberger makes him wait too long for a chance to play, he will be better than some of the guys picked in the first round.
— Baker Mayfield’s career as a Cleveland Brown began with fans booing him loudly when the Browns made him the No. 1 pick in the draft. These, of course, are the same people who cheered wildly when the Browns drafted Johnny Manziel in 2014. Who knows what it is about Mayfield that really bothers the Browns fans, but there’s a pretty good chance it’s his height.
He’s only 6-1 and, because they have way too much time to fill, way too many analysts spent way too much time talking about it.
Russell Wilson is 5-11.
Drew Brees is 6-0.
Brock Orsweiller is 6-7.
Wilson and Brees are as good as any quarterback in the NFL. And, yes, that includes Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger.
OK, maybe not Aaron Rodgers.
Brock Osweiller is 6-7.
If Mayfield doesn’t justify being the first guy picked it will have nothing to do with his height.
Based on YouTube highlights, Mayfield is more mobile than Rudolph but Rudolph throws a much better ball.
— Where the Steelers finish in the AFC North a few years from now may depend a lot on who’s the better quarterback, Mayfield, Rudolph or Lamar Jackson, who the Ravens traded up to take with the 32nd pick in the first round.
I don’t know what it is about Jackson that caused him to fall to the last pick in the first round, but he sure looks like he’s going to cause the Steelers a lot more problems than Mayfield.
He reminds me of Kordell Stewart. Great runner. Strong arm. Before you laugh, keep in mind that it will probably be much different for Jackson. Jackson’s coaches will probably know how to use him.
It becomes more apparent every year that Stewart came along about 15 years too soon.