When Jamie Oleksiak let fly with a 60-foot one-timer early in the first period of Game 5, he became the first Penguin not named Sidney Crosby or Jake Guentzel to score an even-strength goal in their second-round series. It was the first goal of any kind they had scored without Crosby even on the ice.
And that wasn't even the most remarkable thing about Oleksiak's goal.
Against a Washington defense that likes to collapse and block shots -- the Capitals' 199 blocks are the second-most in the playoffs -- Oleksiak was able to get a shot through. Finally.
"It's tough, that's kind of playoff hockey," Oleksiak was telling me after Monday's morning skate. "Guys are going to get in shot lanes, have to walk the line a little more. At the same time, the more you shoot, the more you back them off. They're going to be more ready for your shots, you can make plays here and there. I don't think you can be afraid to shoot the puck. You can wear those guys down and make them think whether you're going to shoot or pass."
It was exactly the kind of secondary scoring the Penguins have been desperate to receive -- and will need more of -- if they are to overcome their 3-2 series deficit against the Capitals, beginning with tonight's must-win Game 6 at PPG Paints Arena.
Truth be told, Oleksiak's goal wasn't very pretty but, more importantly, it got past Braden Holtby, who has been consistently outstanding through the first five games.
"A lot of playoff goals aren't going to be the prettiest, especially against a guy like Holtby," Oleksiak was saying. "Make it hard for him, get traffic. It was kind of a seeing-eye shot but we had a lot of guys in front of him."
The big defenseman's goal was made possible by a screen in front by the smallest forward, all 5-foot-8 and 175 pounds of Conor Sheary:
Yes, that Conor Sheary of the Penguins' much-maligned fourth line. Though Sheary wasn't credited with an assist -- he still hasn't had one of those since Game 5 of the last series -- his work, and that of linemates Derick Brassard and Tom Kuhnhackl, made it possible.
Pittsburgh's fourth line has been a barren wasteland nearly all season, but the addition of Brassard -- even if he's struggling -- gives that line a very different dimension. The Capitals have to respect him. Notice that when Brassard got the puck behind the Washington net, three defenders started to move toward him before he backhanded a pass to Oleksiak.
Below, Kuhnhackl explains the importance of getting Brassard involved offensively:
No, it's not your typical fourth line, Sullivan was saying Monday morning, but they are expected to produce, too.
"I don't think it's gravy (if they score), that's an expectation we have of that group," the coach said. "That's a good line. They have some good offensive instincts on that line. When you look at Brass, Conor Sheary, those are two guys who can score goals and bring offense and Tommy Kuhnhackl brings a dimension to that line where he's a great netfront guy, he's good on the forecheck and he's a physical presence and he's good defensively. So it brings a lot of balance."
Save for the first line, of course, the fourth was the Penguins' best in Game 5. They had zone time and created a number of scoring chances and helped to create momentum.
"We just kept it as simple as possible, we got in, worked hard, retrieved pucks and got pucks to the net," Kuhnhackl said. "Just feels like the more pucks you throw in, they're going to go in. That's always the case in the playoffs. We just have to make sure we do the same things tonight."
With the first line carrying the load and the second and third lines ineffective, the trio of Sheary, Brassard and Kuhnhackl could be an advantage for the Penguins. Sullivan isn't big on matchups but the Capitals' fourth line is one that can be exploited. The Capitals are expected to have rookie Nathan Walker, an Australian, replace Shane Gersich on their fourth line with Jay Beagle and Alex Chiasson. This would be Walker's playoff debut.
Below, Sheary says he and his linemates got some confidence from their last game:
The Stanley Cup playoffs are filled with stories of lesser-known players stepping to the fore and becoming unlikely heroes. The Penguins don't have to look far into their past to see examples of that (see Cullen, Matt and Talbot, Max).
Could Sheary or Brassard or Kuhnhackl be next? Stay tuned tonight.