Gritty. Gutsy. Courageous. Resilient. Game as the proverbial butcher’s block.
These are just a few of the adjectives I’d use to describe our Penguins in the wake of last night’s exhilarating, 4-3 shootout victory over the Senators last night at the Canadian Tire Centre.
Pure heart ‘n’ soul.
Especially when you consider the fact that we played the final 45 minutes without our captain, Sidney Crosby. More on that in a bit.
The game started like so many others in Ottawa, with the fast, forechecking Sens getting the jump on a power-play goal by Drake Batherson at 4:28.
The Pens knotted the score at 13:46 on a marker by Rickard Rakell from the slot, courtesy of a slick pass from Erik Karlsson, who sold shot in the right circle before setting up his Olympic teammate. A fortunate harbinger of things to come.
Then the worst thing imaginable occurred. With the period winding down, Crosby’s left leg got tangled up with a Sen as he was exiting the corner. His skating suddenly and visibly impaired, Sid motioned to the bench before leaving the ice and proceeding to the dressing room.
All I could do was hold my breath and pray that he was okay.
Alas, after returning for one shift early in the second period, Sid departed for good.
Adding insult to injury, Nick Cousins struck for the Sens at 1:50 of the frame to make it, 2-1, bad guys. With no Evgeni Malkin and now no Sid, not to mention our sorry recent record in Bytown, I thought we were cooked.
Then our Pens dug deep into their enormous reserve of character. In an incredible display of spirit and sheer guts, they proceeded to carry the play to their hosts. A scant two minutes later our Swedish connection struck again, with Rakell setting up Karlsson in the right circle, where he’s downright lethal. With Ben Kindel parked in front, EK65 wired the puck past countryman Linus Ullmark. His first-ever goal against his former team.
Anthony Mantha nearly padded our lead in the closing seconds of the period, only to be robbed by Ullmark. Keeping the score at 2-all entering the third period.
It wouldn’t stay that way for long.
Working on a 5-on-3 early in the third, Karlsson skated into the high slot and once again sold shot before setting up Rakell for a one-timer from the left circle. RikRak ripped the puck past a sprawling Ullmark to give the Pens their first lead of the night.
Unfortunately, the Sens would strike back at 3:58 on a disputed goal by Batherson, with assists going to old nemesis Claude Giroux and the War Room in Toronto. Giroux’s skate appeared to hook Stuart Skinner’s stick in the blue paint, preventing the Pens’ goalie from moving over to stop Batherson. Very similar to the play involving Justin Brazeau that resulted in an overturned goal against the Avs two nights earlier.
Again, the bleeps in Toronto ruled in favor of the opposition. Good goal, and a power play for the Sens to boot, which our Pens gamely killed off.
The rest of the game was a blur of pulsating action peppered with big saves by Skinner and Ullmark. Ditto overtime, with Big Stu thwarting Sens snipers Tim Stützle and Brady Tkachuk.
In the waning seconds, Tommy Novak steamed into the Sens’ zone on a breakaway, cut diagonally through the slot but couldn’t elevate a backhander over the spread-eagled Ullmark.
Happily, the Pens prevailed in the shootout, with Egor Chinakhov and Kindel doing the honors. In the process securing a HUGE and well-deserved second point for the black and gold.
Puckpourri
Flashing the connected play that served them so well prior to the Olympic break, the Pens had a decided edge in shot attempts (80-63) and shots on goal (36-29).
With the effectiveness our goaltending a hot topic recently, Skinner rose to the occasion with a big-game performance between the pipes. With tandem-mate Arturs Šilovs in a bit of a funk, I might be tempted to break out of our rotation and ride the big guy.
Karlsson (a goal and two helpers in 26:08 of ice time) continued with his brilliant play. He’s moved into the top 10 in scoring among NHL defensemen with 12 goals and 57 points. Over his past 15 games, he’s registered eight goals and 22 points! Incredible!
Along with Rakell and Bryan Rust, he’s been the straw that’s stirring the Pens’ drink. Chinakhov, too.
Dan Muse is now 0-for-9 in goalie interference challenges. Don’t get me started…I’m still fuming over Morgan Barron’s “good goal” after body-blocking Karlsson into Šilovs a few games back.
Let’s just say the hockey gods (and War Room idiots) have not been kind to our Pens.
Thankfully, Mantha was able to suit up. The Pens called up Avery Hayes and Joona Koppanen just in case Big Moe was a no-go.
It may not have been his best game. But I thought Kris Letang played with guts and fire.
Terrific game for Kindel. Prior to planting himself in the slot on Karlsson’s goal, he’d absorbed a bristling check from Tkachuk. Like the rest of the team, the kid’s battle readiness is off the charts.
It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Playoff Race
To borrow from the similarly titled 1963 film, there’s no other way to describe the insanely competitive playoff race that’s going on in the Eastern Conference. Six teams, including our Pens and Bruins (88 points), CBJ and Islanders (87 points), Sens (86 points) and Red Wings (84 points) are crammed within four points of each other.
To say nothing of the Canadiens (90 points) or streaking Flyers (82 points) camped just on the outskirts.
With our win, coupled with a 2-1 CBJ loss to the Habs, the Pens (36-20-16, 88 points) reclaimed second place in the Metro…for now.
The load doesn’t get any easier…or less critical. The Stars at home on Saturday, followed by the Islanders (away on Monday) and Red Wings (at home on Tuesday).
Hope we don’t have to face ‘em without Sid and Geno.
GO PENS!