The Penguins got off to a rabbit start last night against the Blues, letting the turtle visitors to catch up, then raced them to the finish for a spirited 6-3 win.
Talk about jumping on an opponent! The Pens took a two-goal lead after two goals Bryan Rust And Anthony Mantha before the match was a minute old. However, the annoying Blues countered with goals from ex-Pen Nick Bjugstad and fast Jordan Kyrou to bring the score to 2. Both goals came from haste. Both were the result of turnovers on the far blue line.
I’m not aware of what And Muse and his staff said between periods. But we tightened up our puck management in the second period and it paid off.
With a delayed penalty about to be awarded to the Blues around the seven-minute mark and an extra attacker in tow, Sidney Crosby slipped a cross-slot pass to Parker Wotherspoon unattended on the left dot. Just like his partner, Erik Karlssonthe stay-at-home defenseman wired the top shelf of the puck Joel Hofer gauntlet to regain the lead for black and gold.
Halftime put us back into a two-goal lead just 42 seconds into the final frame, with Crosby getting the second helper. It was Sid’s 1700e career point.
The Blues refused to go quietly, as Mathieu Joseph sprinted onto the ice on a 2-on-1 and shot the puck past Tristan Jarry at 4:35 to make it 4-3. The match was still up for grabs going into the final stages until Sir Sidney struck on a breakaway with 3:21 to go. Twenty seconds later, Evgeni Malkin added a slam-dunk empty-netter to make the final score 6-3.
Puckpourri
Wow! To quote the old hockey-based tearjerker: Love storywhere should I start? So many storylines.
I’ll start with Sid. He collected a goal and two helpers to bring his career total to 1,701 points. Only twenty-two behind franchise leader Mario Lemieux. I have run out of superlatives to describe him for a long time.
In the same breath, my goodness, Geno is on his way to one start. The big man rages positively, to the tune of 13 assists and 16 points (tied with the best in the league) Jack Eichel for first place). I don’t think he’s looked this dominant since his stunning MVP season in 2011-12 over a decade ago.
Speaking of big and tall, Geno’s linemates, Mantha (a goal) and Justin Brazeau (two assists) continue to amaze. I especially loved Mantha’s goal. Just before he got a beautiful feed from Geno, he had a bad shoulder Jimmy Snuggerud out of the way in real life Mike Lange“Get that dog off my lawn,” fashion.
Amazing what size combined with skill can do.
Karlsson collected a hatty with three assists. After a slow start in terms of output, he has six apples in the last three games, and nine in total.
Philip Hallander ended up on Sid’s line in place of the injured compatriot, Rickard Rakelland assisted on the opening goal. This “boy” (he is 25) has really grown with me. Just smart, responsible and rock solid. He always seems to make the right play. I hope he is rewarded with some production.
Jarry wasn’t great, he was a workman. He made the saves he needed while deflecting 26 of 29 shots.
To add some balance, it’s not all funnel cake and cotton candy. For starters, those off-the-rush goals were allowed.
Also the third line of Ben Kindel center for fellow rookie Ville Koivunen And Tommy Novak smothered, grand. After his dazzling cameo last spring, Koivunen, red hot in Wilkes, has played nearly three games with the big boys so far.
It should be noted that he replaced the aforementioned Hållander.
The third defensive pair of Matt Duma And Harrison Brunicke Had a rough night too, especially that last one. His blunders immediately led to a few goals conceded. The youngster seems to want to do too much alone, instead of playing smart.
Growing pains.
If Other Rick noted, Kyle Dubas Rumor has it that there is a hunt for a port side defender in the aftermath Caleb Jones’s injury. Veteran Erik Gustafsonwho currently skates for Detroit’s top farm club is reportedly on his radar.
Currently, the Pens (7-2-1) occupy second place in the Metro with 15 points, one point behind the red-hot Devils. Boost the rear? Mike Sullivan’s 3-5-2 Rangers.
We have a busy week. Tonight we visit the Flyers to kick off a four-game road trip. Then Wild Thursday night, the Jets for a matinee clash on Saturday before wrapping up in Toronto next Monday.
On a more somber and serious note, our sincere prayers go out to the fan who fell from the top bowl during the first period.
#Penguins #speed #Blues