The Stanley Cup Playoffs stayed up to its usual, crazy standards Tuesday night, after the Pittsburgh Penguins eliminated the Washington Capitals 4-3 in overtime.
The Penguins had a 3-0 lead with just over six minutes to go in the second period. They appeared to be in great shape there and have the game in the bag, but the Capitals stormed back thanks to goals by T.J. Oshie, Justin Williams, and John Carlson, forcing the overtime period.
With 6:32 remaining in overtime, Nick Bonino punched in the game-winning goal:
The goal eliminated the Capitals, who were the Stanley Cup favorites heading into the postseason. The Penguins will now face the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Finals.
This doesn’t mark the first time the Capitals have had a 100-point season ruined. It’s actually been pretty common for them:
#Caps have had numerous 100-point seasons in recent memory that ended in heartbreak pic.twitter.com/7WnR0xBLva
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) May 11, 2016
Of course we know how the Stanley Cup Playoffs have been hectic, but it has truly been March Maddness-esque. The four favorites to win the Cup, the Capitals, Kings, Blackhawks, and Capitals, were all eliminated before they could even make it to the conference finals.
The Penguins are chasing their first Stanley Cup since 2009, and defeating the Capitals has to leave the Penguins feeling pretty good about themselves.
