Penguins Come Up Short in OT in Preseason Opener

Don’t be too disheartened Penguins‘ fans. Yes, true enough our seafaring Sphenisciformes did lose their first preseason game to the Buffalo Sabres last night 5 – 4 up in Happy Valley, but the loss wasn’t all that significant.

First, it was only the first preseason game.

Second, our aquatic avians faced a Sabres team liberally laced with players likely to be on their opening night roster, including such top stars as Jack Eichel, Jeff Skinner, and Rasmus Dahlin, while our Penguins mainly brought prospects and bubble players to the tilt.

Third, the Sabres had to wait until Over Time (OT) to top the Black-n-Gold, despite playing many veteran players against our kids.

On the other hand, although I didn’t see the whole game, from what I saw, they looked like the “Same Old Pens” (SOP).

Not up for conjecture, they were heavily out shot. 47 – 18

From what I saw, there were many instances of Sabres splitting Penguins’ Defensemen and other odd man breaks, the Defenseman often looked like turnstiles allowing more Sabres past them than fans through the Pegula Ice Arena gates.

Andrew Agozzino opened up the scoring with a quick one-time snapshot of a Nathan Legare pass. Legare got the puck in the corner, fed the puck up to the slot where Agozzino snapped it home.

But then our tuxedo wearing water-fowl’s defense returned to their normal MO of channeling Tennessee Tuxedo. John Gilmor blew past Chad Ruhwedel at the blue line for an uncontested shot at Casey DeSmith and the score was tied. Then Conor Sheary Split John Marino, Kevin Czuczman, and Oula Palve, again at the blue line, racing one-on-one with DeSmith right down the slot and the Penguins were down 2 – 1. Then the Calen Addison and the Penguins’ no. 1 line decided to hang Czuczman out to dry and the Sabres raced back on another odd man break (2 on 1). Czuczman played it pretty well, helping deny the initial attack but during the ensuing scramble Henri Jokiharju converted the defensive breakdown into another Buffalo goal and a 3 – 1 lead (this time Tristan Jarry fell victim to the porous defense).

The bad boys from Buffalo were able to net one more goal, a Power Play Goal (PPG) off of Tage Thompson’s stick before our locals could stem the tide.

Although SOP may now mean a lack defense acumen, it also means a team with quick strike capability, and these young guns did show that kind of spunk, fighting back in the 3rd period. Marino flashed the offensive instincts that attracted GM Jim Rutherford’s attention, promting the GM to trade for him, when he charged down the Right-Wing (RW) boards, arcing as if he were going to go behind the net. Rather than circling behind, with his head up, he found Sam Lafferty at the Sabres’ back door and our kids started climbing back into it.

Adam Johnson then picked off an errant pass at the Buffalo blue-line streak in on his off wing, dipped his shoulder, and powered his way past a defender on goal, cutting the Sabres lead to 1.

Ryan Haggerty pulled the Penguins even, tapping a Jack Johnson shot into the net.

But the comeback was for not. In OT, Eichel split Bryan Rust and Juuso Riikola and Buffalo’s veterans sneaked past our Penguins’ kids 5-4.

Wins are always better than loses or OT loses but the young Penguins’ forwards looked pretty good, so there is a lot of good from last night.

Next Up Columbus this Thursday September 19th at 7:0 pm.

Go Pens!!!!