Capitals Cash Chances While Penguins Meet the Post
The story wasn’t the five on the board — it was that the Capitals created the better looks and finished them, while the Penguins saw prime bids glance off metal. Washington owned the chance quality edge (expected goals of 3.59 to 3.16 — how many the chances were worth), then converted.
Pittsburgh did get two pipes from Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, with those near-misses carrying a combined iron value of 1.09 xG — the kind of inches that kept this closer than the flow suggested. Even so, Washington’s forwards tilted the night: Tom Wilson (goal and two helpers), Pierre‑Luc Dubois (goal, assist) and Alex Tuch (six shots) turned pressure into finish.
In net, Logan Thompson’s 27/30 line gave Washington steadiness that Arturs Silovs couldn’t match at 22/27. Special teams nudged it too: Washington went 1-for-4, Pittsburgh 0-for-3.
Takeaway: The Capitals remain 4th in the Metropolitan and 11th in the East, still in the playoff race; the Penguins sit 3rd in the Metro and 6th in the East, likewise firmly in it.
