NHL playoff series: Pittsburgh Penguins-Washington Capitals Game 3 preview, update

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals are looking for more of the same Monday when their playoff series resumes with Game 3 at PPG Paints Arena.

The details behind those plans, however, are vastly different.

The Penguins, while looking for improvements, simply want to add another victory to their resume after taking a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal series by sweeping the first two games in Washington.

"It's definitely where we want to be, but it's only two games," said Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who is 6-1 this postseason and has stopped 67 of 71 shots (.944 save percentage) in this series.

"It feels good (being up 2-0), but we know that they're going to be pushing back, so we have to be really good when we get back there," said Penguins winger Jake Guentzel, who leads the postseason with seven goals.

Pittsburgh's biggest gripe about its performance has been lapses or inconsistency. In Saturday's 6-2 victory, the Penguins and Fleury withstood a first period that was dominated by the Capitals but wound up scoreless.

"We've got to find a way to put a whole game together," Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby said. "There are things we have to improve on."

On Saturday, the Penguins chased Washington goaltender Braden Holtby, the defending Vezina Trophy winner and a finalist for that award again this season. But Holtby will be back in net. That's one of the things that will remain the same for Washington.

"Why would you think otherwise?" Capitals coach Barry Trotz said. "He probably hasn't had his (best) series to this point. But I do know this: His body of work has been excellent. His mental toughness is excellent. I think he has the ability to park things, and he'll park it. And he'll be the difference in this series."

Washington, the Presidents' Trophy winner for the second straight season, has given up 3.13 goals a game, most among current playoff teams, but that is not a goaltending problem, according to defenseman and ex-Penguin Brooks Orpik.

"It's easy to get frustrated when you feel like you played a good first period," he said. "We get a little impatient when we do play a period like that and have nothing to show for it on the scoreboard. I think sometimes we deviate from our plan a little bit. When you do that consistently, you give up odd-man rushes.

"I think patience is something we've got to preach. You've got to have belief in what you're doing."

That topic might have been broached during a players-only meeting following Game 2. The Capitals want more dominating play similar to the first period Saturday, but with better results.

"Believe it or not, it's the simple things that we have to do," said winger T.J. Oshie, who leads Washington with nine points this postseason. "More traffic, getting one guy in front of the net. Positionally, I think we have to get better with our offensive attack when the shots come from the point. They're blocking shots. We have to find ways to get pucks through.

"That's all we can focus on now -- seeing what doesn't work and seeing what we can do better and use that going into Game 3. I think we can use our first period (from Game 2) as a stepping stone and try to multiply that."

Neither team practiced during Sunday's travel day, although both coaches spoke with reporters.

Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said he had no update on the three players who left Game 2 with injuries -- wingers Patric Hornqvist and Tom Kuhnhackl and defenseman Ron Hainsey.