The Washington Capitals came all the way back from a 3-0 deficit to force overtime in Pittsburgh last night. They trailed the Penguins 3-2 in the Eastern Conference semifinal round, so this was a do-or-die game. The Caps had already come back from the brink when Jay Beagle pulled this ridiculous stop out of thin air three minutes into overtime. Somehow Beagle was able to dive behind his goaltender and swat the puck out of mid air with his stick as he fell to the ground. The puck trickled harmlessly through his skates and away from danger.Penguins defenseman Trevor Daley had about three unbelievable chances on goal and he came up empty each time, with Beagle playing Superman on the final attempt. Just look at this nonsense:If you're a Washington fan in that moment, you have to be thinking Game 7 is officially necessary. The league's best team in the regular season, by a wide margin, scores three unanswered goals to force OT, a miracle save from one of your wingers in sudden death, and Doc Emrick on the national call. Even the most jaded of sports fans can't resist the allure of momentum when you can see it shift so clearly. Ah, but what we forget when get all swept up in the moment is that sports exist primarily to rip your heart out.
Not even four minutes later, the Penguins scored the game-winner after Braden Holtby made an outstanding kick save on Carl Hagelin, but left a juicy rebound right at Nick Bonino's skates. He was able to stuff it back in on the backhand and end the Capitals comeback, and their season.
With the win, the Penguins advanced to the Eastern Conference final against the Tampa Bay Lightning, which begins later this week.[NBCSN]
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