Islanders Trip Penguins in Shootout

After watching our team absorb a second-straight shootout loss, it might be easy for us Penguins fans to lose heart. We’re so accustomed to success. Especially in shootouts, where until recently, we ruled.

I’ll address the collective concerns of Penguins Nation with a riddle. What do Trevor Daley, Jake Guentzel, Carl Hagelin, Ron Hainsey, Kris Letang, Olli Maatta, Evgeni Malkin, Tom Sestito and Scott Wilson have in common?

You get my drift. They’re all on IR or nursing injuries.

That’s a significant chunk of horseflesh to have sidelined. Not to mention talent.

Indeed, man games lost (309 for the season, 122 over the past five weeks) keep accruing like the compound interest on an onerous credit card. Heck, even a seasoned health care practitioner like American Red Cross founder Clara Barton might confuse the Pens’ locker room for a hospital ward.

That’s why I’m not overly concerned with last night’s 4-3 shootout loss to the New York Islanders at PPG Paints Arena. The club’s second shootout defeat within a 24-hour span.

Considering how banged up we are, I thought the Pens gave a good account of themselves. After falling behind, 2-1, to a desperate and determined Islanders squad—one fighting for their very playoff lives—our guys clawed back to earn a point. Thanks, in no small part, to another lead-from-in-front effort from captain Sidney Crosby.

Talk about picking up the slack. The Kid from Cole Harbour logged 20:29 of ice time, unleashed four shots on goal and won 63 percent of his draws. In his favored style, Sid dropped to a knee to rip a made-to-order rebound past Jaroslav Halak at 13:41 of the second period. Knotting the score at 2-all and giving his team new life.

While No. 87 led the way with a take-charge performance, Marc-Andre Fleury continued his electrifying resurgence between the pipes. Flower made 43 saves, including 21 during the pivotal third period as the comparatively well-rested visitors poured it on.

Phil Kessel rebounded from a string of zombie-like outings to register two assists. He was particularly brilliant in overtime, roaming all over the ice while denying the exhausted Islanders a chance to change personnel. Only an unfortunate bounce of the puck in the waning seconds prevented him from a crack at the game-winner.

The locals got help from unexpected sources, too. The goalposts, for one, which took the brunt of at least three or four Islanders shots. And a favorable Mike Sullivan challenge on an apparent New York goal in the waning seconds of the first period.

Can’t forget Cameron Gaunce. After watching from the press box while Derrick Pouliot and Frank Corrado struggled to fill the void, the all-but-forgotten defenseman re-entered the mix and contributed a goal and an assist to earn the game’s third star.

Gaunce’s gritty performance typifies the mostly exemplary efforts the Pens have received from their Wilkes-Barre/Scranton call-ups. Josh Archibald, Carter Rowney and Oskar Sundqvist all have performed admirably while filling in for the likes of Malkin, Guentzel and Hagelin. To say nothing of Chad Ruhwedel, who appears to have established himself as a bona fide NHL defenseman.

Still, the Penguins are no doubt anxious for the return of their wounded teammates. Just as we are.

Keep the faith.

Better days lie just ahead.

Puckpourri

Bryan Rust returned to the lineup after missing 16 games with an upper-body injury. Slotted beside old linemates Crosby and Conor Sheary, “Rusty” registered four shots and two hits in just over 16 minutes of action.

The Penguins are presently in second place in the Metro Division—as well as the overall NHL standings—with 103 points. One point behind front-runner Washington. The Capitals and Columbus (101 points) each have a game in hand on the Pens.

Crosby leads the NHL with 42 goals, four more than Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov. Sid is second in points (82), five behind Edmonton phenom Connor McDavid.

New York outshot the Pens, 46-40, and led the way in hits (44-39). The Pens won 57 percent of the faceoffs.