Penguins Crush Capitals

Pittsburgh
Penguins

"One game doesn't a series make," Penguins coach Herb Brooks said. "But it's a good start."

Ron Tugnutt stopped all 32 shots for his second career playoff shutout. Penguins acquired Tugnutt and Laukkanen from Ottawa at at the March 14 trade deadline for goalie Tom Barrasso.

"You're not going to score seven too often," Tugnutt said. "When you do, you've got to win them. We took the crowd out of the game and it made a big difference. The big play was to get the lead and get their fans out of it. This is only the first game and there is a long way to go yet."

The Capitals let the Penguins play their wide-open European style run and gun game totally unchecked. Three goals came skating four-on-four, two on five-on-four power plays and another on a five-on-three as Washington tallied 27 penalty minutes.

"We just lost home ice," Capitals coach Wilson said. "And we've got our work cut out for us. We're going to have to go in there and get at least a split if not a sweep or we're going to be in serious trouble."

Laukkanen, Robert Lang and Martin Straka scored in the first period, and Jiri Slegr, Jan Hrdina and Tyler Wright scored in the second. Laukkanen got his second goal in the third period for the Penguins.

A scheduling conflict at Pittsburgh's Mellon area is forcing Games 2 and 3 to be played in Pittsburgh. Earlier this week Wilson said that his team would beat the Capitals even if all seven games where played in Pittsburgh. That didn't go too well with the Penguins.

"It was up on the bulletin board," right wing Matthew Barnaby said. "It definitely made us angry. You want to be taken seriously."