Categories: PenguinPoop

The Penguins best friend, “Skinny Dugan”

You could probably forgive Rivers Casino if they ban our Pittsburgh Penguins from their premises. For the 4th time this season the Black and Goal (royalties to Jorenz for that ism) potted 7 Goals (G) in 1 game. This time Brian Elliot and the Philadelphia Flyers were the victim.

Granted, Elvis Merzlikins, Devan Dubnyk, Laurent Brossoit, and Elliot are not going to be compared to Georges Vezina for the work they have, so far, put in this season, but as I wrote not so long ago, last season our locals found a way to make struggling Goalies look great. This season, they are doing exactly what they need to do – bury them.

Justin Schultz kicked off Elliott’s nightmare with a floater that drifted over the Flyers’ Goalie’s shoulder. Perhaps Elliott was tricked on the shot by Bryan Rust’s attempt to tip the puck (he missed), but that first G kicked off a great treat for the 18,560 fans in attendance and thousands of others watching or listening on their audio or visual devices. Dominik Kahun was credited with the lone helper on the G.

Jared McCann was next up. After some seriously hard work by Rust and Kahun battling Flyers’ defenders near Elliott’s glove side post, they worked the puck free and in front to McCann for what turned out to be the Game Winning Goal, (WG).

Just 33 seconds after McCann’s G, the not so flightless fowl struck again. Sidney Crosby raced through the neutral zone with the mail, sporting a face shield on his helmet (a legacy from last games friendly fire incident). Jake Guentzel followed quickly behind him. Crosby pulled up along the boards while Guetnzel skated past him to give him an option in the corner. The Flyers defense overloaded on the Penguin’s top pivot man and his partner in crime, opening a clear lane to the net for Dominik Simon. Crosby spied his other winger coming late and fed him the puck for a wide-open shot at the net. All the now totally mystified Elliott could do was watch the puck go over his right shoulder into the net.

At 14:02 of the 1st period Crosby struck. Kris Letang bumped the puck up across the Red Line to Simon. The rattled Flyer defense immediately gave ground (or in this case ice) as Simon drove into the attacking zone. Guentzel raced on to the net, opening a lane for Simon to find Crosby, sneaking in the back door. The pass was slightly behind Crosby, giving Elliott time to get across the crease, while the Captain adjusted to the pass. Unfortunately for Elliott, it was not his night, and the shooter was Crosby. One hard wrist shot later, from a bad angle and the Pens’ sniper staked them to a 4 G lead.

The 2nd period was a little better for the visitors. They out-shot our seafaring Sphenisciformes 15 – 12 and kept our locals off of the scoreboard until 16:40, when Guentzel found a way to sneak the puck just across the goal line. Schultz and Simon started the play, playing catch at the Flyer Blue Line. Still in shock over the 1st period blitz, the Philadelphia defense gave Pittsburgh skaters tons of room and Simon finally glided down the Left Wing (LW) with the puck before slipping the puck to Guetzel in the slot. Guentzel pushed the puck toward the goal. The shot was offline, going just wide but Crosby kicked it back in front for Guentzel to get a Mulligan. Guentzel’s 2nd stroke wasn’t much better than the 1st but it did bounce off Ivan Provorov and skidded just enough over the line to be a G.

Zach Aston-Reese waved his magic wand 20 seconds later and the Halloween haul continued. Teddy Blueger won an offensive zone draw. Brandon Tanev, jumped into the circle and on the puck, kicking it back to Jack Johnson. Johnson threw the puck toward the net. Elliott thought he had a bead on the puck and was tracking it into his glove when Aston-Reese got his stick on the fluttering shot to redirect it over the befuddled Goalies blocker.

Mercifully, the Flyers Coach, Alain Vigneault, pulled Elliott, to wake him from his nightmare, to start the 3rd period. Oskar Lindblom, the Flyers’ LW, broke Matt Murray’s bid for back-to-back shutouts at 1:57 of the 3rd Period, ruining the Penguins shot at a “natural”.

Kahun capped off the scoring off a feed from Patric Hornqvist with 6.6 seconds left. (‘nuff said on that.)

Go Pens!!

Odds and Sods

October is in the books and our Penguins are in the 1st Wild Card spot.

Next up – the Edmonton Oilers, Saturday Nov 2 at 1pm – and afternoon game – at PPG Paints Arena. Evgeni Malkin may be back for that game.

FYI Gamblers are notoriously superstitious (maybe even more than me) and when shooting dice it is considered bad luck to say 7, therefore a quick primer for the uninitiated;