Penguins Rally, Skewer Sabres 4-3

As is my custom on weekends, I went to the Pennsbury Pub and Grille yesterday afternoon to watch the Penguins take on the visiting Sabres.

In stark contrast to my previous game-time visit to the Pub, when the Pens’ fortunes took a downturn the instant I showed up, I think I may actually have helped our cause in some cosmic sort of way.

You see, I didn’t arrive until the second period. Thus, I was spared the apparent horror and agony of watching the Pens sleepwalk through another somnambulant first period in which they were outscored 3-0 and outshot, 21-13.

Instead, I got to witness yet another miraculous black-and-gold comeback, culminating in rookie Jake Guenztel’s immaculate game-tying deflection at 16:14 of the third period and Conor Sheary’s electrifying winner 50 ticks later.

My three stars?

“Murph,” “Wavy Davey” and “Last-Minute Mike.” I’ll explain.

By the time I settled onto my bar stool and ordered a beer, Marc-Andre Fleury (the game’s actual first star) made the first of his 28 saves in relief of Matt Murray, unfortunate victim of the Sabres’ first-period fusillade.

Still, our karma didn’t swing until Dennis Murphy arrived following his bartending turn at the Ukrainian Club in DC (dahn Carnegie in Pittsburghese). “Murph” (aka “Laddie”)—former owner of the popular Pour House—bellied up to the bar for a spell. Then he headed outside for a couple of smokes, as he is wont to do.

With St. Paddy’s Day just around the corner, lighting up somehow must’ve released a little luck ‘o’ the Irish. By the time Murph returned the Pens had closed to gap to 3-2 on goals by Justin Schultz and Evgeni Malkin. The latter on an absolute laser of a shot from the right faceoff circle, “Geno’s” favored spot.

Next in line for honors was our beloved bartender, Dave Yelich. Or “Wavy Davey,” after the old hippie activist “Wavy Gravy.” (It should be noted that Davey in no way, shape or form resembles Gravy. It’s just one of those goofy nicknames I like to bestow on friends.)

Anyway. With about four minutes left in the game and tension so thick among the viewers you could cut it with a steak knife, Dave swung around to my side of the bar and paused, directly in front of me. To digress, Dave and I have shared a strange symbiosis in the past, whereby key goals have been scored whenever we’ve been in close proximity.

Well, we must’ve been properly aligned in this instance, too. Guentzel raised his stick in Hail Mary fashion. Next thing I knew, the puck had fluttered past stunned Sabres goalie Anders Nilsson.

Had the kid’s stick been even an inch or two higher, the goal surely would have been disallowed. But the video crew back in Toronto, which had denied an apparent Pens tally early in the contest, couldn’t overturn this one.

While I’d like to give full credit for Guentzel’s magic marker to Dave and me, I can’t. That’s because “Last-Minute Mike”—so named after his penchant for ordering food just before the kitchen closes—had entered the Pub virtually the instant Jake’s deflection popped into the net.

The crackerjack car salesman had barely said his hellos when Sheary converted a brilliant diagonal set up from Schultz. The patrons of the Pub roared in unison.

“Number-one star of the game,” I bellowed, pointing across the bar at Mike. Mike smiled and gave me a bemused look as if to say, “What the heck are you talking about?”

Guess you had to be there.

Ice Chips

Schultz tallied a goal and two assists to earn the No. 2 star. Sheary collected two points (a goal and assist).

With a goal and an assist, Malkin continued his hot streak. Since returning to the lineup on February 14, Geno’s scored seven goals and 13 points in 10 games. He’s currently tied for fourth in the NHL scoring race with 67 points, two behind teammate Sidney Crosby and seven behind leader Connor McDavid of the Oilers.

Defensemen Ron Hainsey (23:22 TOI) and Mark Streit (four shots) each finished a plus-1.

Buffalo outshot the Pens, 49-45. The locals won 59 percent of the faceoffs.