Penguins' Bennett injured yet again

WASHINGTON -- Hours before the Penguins' 4-3 overtime victory over the Capitals on Thursday night at the Verizon Center, Beau Bennett was taking regular rushes with the fourth line at the morning skate.

Right after the skate, Bennett and I had a lengthy talk at his stall, mostly about how he's worked to fit into Mike Sullivan's speed-based system despite "not exactly being a burner," as he jokingly put it.

Then, he was gone. Again.

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He was announced as a scratch before faceoff, then, after the game, Sullivan confirmed what pretty much any lucid observer of the Penguins would have suspected: He was scratched because he was hurt.

"Beau's been dealing with the same injury that he's been dealing with in the three months that I've been here," Sullivan said. "And so, obviously, we've got to be somewhat cautious because he's had a hard time with that injury."

The injury has never been disclosed, but it's long been believed to be a shoulder.



ENFORCE THIS

Tom Sestito, freshly recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL, took no penalties over his seven shifts and 5:52 of ice time on the fourth line -- taking Bennett's place -- and even chimed in with an assist on Conor Sheary's second-period goal.

That was Sestito's only shift of that period, but he also, strikingly, took one with five minutes left in regulation shortly after the Capitals had rallied from three goals down to tie.

"We just wanted to roll our lines and get our own game in order," Sullivan said of that span.

MURRAY'S WORRY?

Matt Murray stopped 27 of 30 shots in winning his fourth consecutive start, and only one of the Capitals' three goals -- a short-side, long-range wrister by Marcus Johansson -- was one he could have been expected to stop.

I asked if this W, given the opponent, might have meant a little more:



SECONDARY ASSISTS

• The Penguins were fuming afterward about a filthy boarding major by the Capitals' Tom Wilson -- not exactly a stranger to the stuff -- against Nick Bonino in the second period. Bonino briefly left the ice but was back in time to participate on the ensuing five-minute power play.

• One of the Penguins found it funny that Wilson wasn't credited with a hit in the official stats for the entire game.

• The Penguins aren't exactly a physical team, but the Capitals most assuredly are, and it probably says something that Ben Lovejoy has been their most effective defenseman against Washington. He finished this game plus-1 with a team-high four hits and, once again, contributed to Alexander Ovechkin going without a point.

• Speaking of Ovechkin, how about this comically blatant dive after a Kris Letang crosscheck late in the second?



Referees Dave Jackson and Brad Watson made the right double-call in punishing the crosscheck and Ovechkin for embellishment. And yes, it can be both. A player can be legitimately fouled and not have to add theatrics to it.

• Remember T.J. Oshie chipping everyone in sight at Consol last month?

Funny, but whether Sestito's presence contributed or not, Oshie was virtually invisible on this night: No points, no shots, no hits.

• Well worth your watch: Taylor Haase, our social media coordinator, made her way outside to the National Portrait Gallery steps for the now-ritual celebration that Penguins fans have after beating the Capitals here. It's quite the sight. Oh, and Taylor makes her video debut with us to discuss: