WASHINGTON _ Disappointed and concerned.
Those were just two of the pointed words Penguins coach Mike Sullivan used on Saturday afternoon to describe a blowout loss to Buffalo, the second game in a row where defensive lapses and miscues showed up on the scoreboard.
Just 24 hours later, the result was the same in the win-loss column. But after the Washington Capitals won, 5-3, handing the Penguins their third loss in a row, the message from the coach was markedly different.
"I thought it was one of our better games in a while," Sullivan said. "I thought we had a lot of really good moments in the game.
"I thought we played on our toes. We were skating. We moved our feet. The power play was good. We didn't score, but we did everything but score. There was a lot to like about this game."
Except, of course, the result.
When the schedule makers planned this game, it already had a little extra intrigue. With the NHL's trade deadline looming at 3 p.m. on Monday, it provided one final look at two playoff contenders matched up before they completed their last-minute shopping.
The Penguins and Capitals did their part to add even more theater to Sunday afternoon. They entered the day with 80 points each in the standings, meaning the winner would walk out of Capital One Arena not only with a victory over a rival but also with a two-point lead in the Metropolitan Division standings.
For much of the first 40 minutes, it looked like the Penguins would be that team.
After Jakub Vrana raced end-to-end to put the Capitals ahead 1-0 just 6:12 into the game, the Penguins responded with a pair of second-period goals. Patric Hornqvist, a player who has made a career in front of the net, scored a classic Hornqvist-style goal. Less than 30 second later, Sidney Crosby made an athletic play that ended with T.J. Oshie, goaltender Braden Holtby and the puck in the back of the Capitals' net.
But the Capitals came storming back, scoring four goals in a wild third period.
Just 1:16 into the third, Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson coughed the puck up in the neutral zone. The turnover created a breakaway for Tom Wilson, who beat goaltender Matt Murray with a backhand shot.
Both Pettersson and Murray took blame for the play. Murray, who allowed four goals for the second consecutive game, was especially critical of his own performance.
"I'll take the blame for that one," Murray said. "I think if I make the save on the breakaway on Wilson, it's a different game. That one's on me."
When asked about his goalie's comments, Sullivan had Murray's back.
"We win as a team, we lose as a team," the coach said. "That's the way it is ... I appreciate Matt certainly taking ownership of his game. But we're in this together."
Less than four minutes after the breakaway goal, Lars Eller fired a shot on net. Murray got his glove on the puck but couldn't close it, creating a scrum in front of the net. Carl Hagelin found the rebound and the back of the net, giving the Capitals a 3-2 lead.
The Penguins responded again. Evgeni Malkin scored a beautiful goal, tossing the puck between defenseman John Carlson's legs and then burning Holtby to tie the score.
However, moments later the Capitals reclaimed the lead. During another scrum in front of the net, Oshie found the puck and buried it. Hagelin tacked on the empty-netter to seal the Capitals' victory.
With the win, the Capitals (38-18-6, 82 points) leapfrogged the Penguins (37-18-6, 80 points) into first place in the Metropolitan Division. Pittsburgh and Washington have now split two February meetings.
"Overall, we were the better team," Hornqvist said. "It's two good teams going at it. It's a hell of a matchup. It's fun out there. I think both teams feel the same way. We have something special, both teams. It's going to keep going that way."
The Penguins _ who have lost three consecutive games for the first time since they lost to Vegas, Florida and Tampa Bay in October _ now head to West for a three-game swing against the Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks.
Looking ahead, it won't be long before they see the Capitals again. They'll meet two more times at PPG Paints Arena March 7 and March 22.
And who knows. Just maybe, depending how the postseason unfolds, those might not be the last two games these rivals play against each other in the 2019-20 season.
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