With 59 points, the Vancouver Canucks are flying high. The Pacific Division leaders are also loaded with ex-Penguins, including forwards Teddy Blueger and Sam Lafferty, defensemen Ian Cole and Mark Friedman and goalie Casey DeSmith. To say nothing of head coach Rick Tocchet, assistants Mike Yeo and Sergei Gonchar and execs Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin.
While none of the aforementioned former Pens came back to haunt their old team, at least not on the scoresheet, it didn’t stop the Canucks from clipping the black-and-gold in overtime by a 4-3 count. In the process grabbing the extra point.
In a matchup that pitted the NHL’s top finishing team versus one of the best “process” teams, the quick-strike Canucks pounced on a pair of deflection goals 47 seconds apart from reborn sniper Brock Boeser.
Down but certainly not out, the Pens pushed back at 16:20 of the opening frame on a goal from the unlikeliest of sources. After dishing the puck to Jeff Carter, who in turn coughed it up, Jansen Harkins poked the loose rubber away from two Canucks before feeding an onrushing Marcus Pettersson at the left point. Making like his Vancouver namesake, “the Dragon” beat Thatcher Demko with a long-range slapper to close the gap to one.
Alas, Elias Pettersson would counter just 71 seconds later on yet another deflection tally, this one off a Filip Hronek flip to make it 3-1.
It proved to be game, set and match for Pens netminder Alex Nedeljkovic, who was replaced by Tristan Jarry to begin the second period. With Jars in top form, the move had a settling effect and allowed the locals to regroup.
The tenor of the game shifted dramatically at 6:05 of the frame when Jake Guentzel sprang Sidney Crosby with a nifty little bounce pass off the side boards. Sid streaked into the Canucks’ zone on a 2-on-1 with Rickard Rakell and let ‘er rip, beating Demko with a sizzling snap shot to the glove side.
From there the game turned into a slugging match, with both goalies holding firm. Front and center in the physical battle were Crosby and Pittsburgh-area native J.T. Miller. Making like Sid’s former nemesis Brandon Dubinsky, the abrasive Miller roughed up our captain early in the third period to earn a trip to the sin bin.
To borrow from an old Jim Croce tune, “You don’t tug on Superman’s cape and you don’t mess around with Sid.”
Although the Pens didn’t capitalize on the ensuing power play, Crosby would make Miller and the Canucks pay. With under a minute left in regulation and Jarry pulled for an extra attacker, Sid won a faceoff clean in the left circle and drew the puck back to Erik Karlsson. Making like country music legend Johnny Cash, EK65 coolly walked the line until he saw a lane, then unleashed a shot/pass intended for Sid’s stick. The puck bounced off No. 87’s leg instead and past Demko to knot the score at 3-all and force overtime.
The momentum squarely in our favor, the Pens went for the kill. Guentzel burst around a Canucks defender early in overtime but missed the net from in tight. Following another failed Jake thrust, Pettersson (Elias) zoomed up the ice on a breakaway. Jarry appeared to make a save, but the puck trickled between his pads and over the goal line for the OT winner.
A disappointing finish, to be sure. But a valiant effort nonetheless by our Pens to rally and garner a point.
Puckpourri
According to Natural Stat Trick the Pens, indeed, out-processed the Canucks. We held the edge in shot attempts (73-50), shots on goal (35-29), scoring chances (39-25) and high-danger chances (14-13).
Sid’s two goals gave him 574 for his career and moved him past Islanders great Mike Bossy and into 22nd place on the NHL’s all-time list. He earned third-star honors.
With a Corsi of 71.88 and an expected goals for percentage (xGF%) of 77.13, Sid’s line dominated the Miller line in terms of fancy stats.
While not totally at fault, Nedeljkovic had a rough night in net, yielding three goals on nine shots. Jarry fared better, stopping 19 of 20. I’ve said it before…we’re fortunate to have two quality goalies.
Speaking of rough goes, Reilly Smith’s night ended early when he was crunched into the boards by road grader Nikita Zadorov, forcing Mike Sullivan to juggle his forward lines. I’d made a pitch for the Pens to acquire the man-mountain defenseman this summer, albeit for the wrong price (Marcus Pettersson).
On the plus side of the ledger, my goodness has Harkins emerged of late. He’s picked up assists in consecutive games and in four of our last seven, nearly all on nice-looking plays. Keep up the good work, Jansen!
On the minus side? The Karlsson/Pierre-Olivier Joseph pairing continues to worry me…especially POJ. Great skater and decent puck mover he may be, Joseph struggles mightily to defend. His inability to win a puck battle on the end wall led directly to the Canucks’ third goal.
Despite pretty metrics (56.29 Corsi, 59.86 xGF%) POJ’s been on the ice for 11 5v5 goals against and only six for.
Although we came out on the short end, I still like this group’s character and moxie. Unlike last season’s bunch, this one doesn’t get rattled, even when down by a few. However, I do wish we could figure things out on home ice. We’re a solid 10-7-3 on the road, but only 10-8-2 at PPG Paints Arena.
Interesting that Boeser and Miller were rumored to be Ron Hextall trade targets last season. Now they’re key contributors to the Canucks’ success.
On Deck
The Pens (20-15-5, 45 points) travel to Raleigh for a set-to with the ‘Canes (23-13-5, 51 points) on Saturday night.
We’re two points out from the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot.
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Hey Rick,
Sorry for the late get to on this, but I was really exhausted yesterday.
1) Didn't that first GA (Broeser from Pettersson) look like they were channeling Crosby to Guentzel of yore? I felt bad for Ned on that one. It certainly was a lot different from the Tom Wilson to the top, far side corner from boards out in right field without a screen from a couple of nights back.
2) I wish our Penguins would create the kind of movement on the PP that the Canucks did on that PPGA, Wow, were our boys forced to skate around and try to play catch up. Again I felt bad for Ned when Broeser redirected that pass into our net. Again, another far more difficult play than the Was game when Jarry gave up the post far too easy, so that the puck could be redirected behind him by his own D - man.
3) GA3 was a perfect example for your rail against Joseph, he couldn't budge Pettersson and only added to the screen on Ned. Once again, Ned was helpless, unlike the 3rd Was GA that chased Jarry from the game. Jarry had a clean line-of-sight on the puck, but didn't seem to be following the puck to his stick side, standing straight up, on his heels on his glove side when the puck breezed into the net. Ned on the other hand was fighting multiple screens, trying to look around E. Pettersson and Joseph when Pettersson redirected the puck short side.
Ned may have surrendered 3 GA on 9 SA but his getting pulled was in no way comparable to Jarry's pathetic Caps game, when he gave up 3 easy LDGA on only 7 SA.
4) You won't get any argument from over Zadorov. If you recall, I have been coveting him every year since he was in Colorado.
5) Nor would you get any argument from me over your assessment of POJ. He is and has always been a defensive nightmare. I would not shed a tear over cutting ties with him.