There’s an old saying, “Politics make strange bedfellows.”
I’m not sure how that relates to hockey, except that you couldn’t have packed two games with more polar opposite flows into the same weekend.
On Saturday, the Penguins lost a game to the Flyers that they technically never trailed. Well, Sunday they flipped the script and won a game against the Bruins in which they never lead.
Not only did we not hold a lead until the very end, we were down 3-zip by the 13-minute mark of the second period. The third Bruins tally by David Pastrnák off a blind, behind-the-net giveaway by Arturs Šilovs.
You almost expected the Pens, on a three-game losing jag and struggling mightily without top stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, to mail in the final 27 minutes.
That’s absolutely, positively what didn’t happen. Just the opposite, in fact. The boys dug down deep, pulled themselves up by the proverbial bootstraps and went big-game hunting.
Egor Chinakhov lit the fuse on the Pens’ powder keg at 14:44 while working on a 5-on-3. After playing pitch-and-catch with Rickard Rakell stationed down low, “Chinny” took a moment to look things over. Then, with a snap of those marvelous wrists he fired a bullet past Joonas Korpisalo from the left circle.
Next to take a chip out of the Bruins’ lead, Connor Dewar, two ticks past the six-minute mark of the third period. The feisty fourth-liner corralled a carom in the left circle, courtesy of a long stretch pass from Ryan Shea. Then he shook off a check by B’s defender Jonathan Aspirot, spun and buried a blind backhander, far side, top cheese.
Incredible goal, reminiscent in some ways of “the Geno,” Malkin’s sensational tally against the ‘Canes during our ’09 Cup run.
Thirty-three seconds later, big Anthony Mantha slipped a backhander of his own past Korpisalo on a breakaway to knot the score at 3-all. However, Pavel Zacha completed his hat trick at 8:34 to retake the lead for the Bruins.
The Pens, and more specifically Mantha, would not be denied. Parker Wotherspoon ripped off a shot from center point that struck the big guy stationed by the side of the cage. Mantha deftly settled the puck and slipped it past Korpisalo to knot the score at 4-apiece with just under nine minutes remaining.
Now barreling full steam-ahead, the Pens not only killed off a late penalty to Wotherspoon, but had the better chances during the disadvantage.
In overtime, Chinakhov was a one-man show, weaving through the Bruins before bunting a rebound to Tommy Novak, who dropped to a knee and buried the biscuit for the OT winner.
Puckpourri
How HUGE was this win? Let me count thy ways.
First off, we snapped a three-game losing streak (0-2-1). We snagged a second point against a Bruins team that occupies the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot and trail us by only two points. Temporarily at least, we reclaim second place in the Metro over the Islanders by a point with a game in hand.
In addition to Mantha’s two goals (his 22nd and 23rd of the season), 14’s were wild as Chinakhov, Dewar and Novak each scored their 14th goal of the campaign. Chinakhov has fit snuggly on a line with Rakell and Bryan Rust, a welcome development indeed.
Elmer Söderblom made his Pens’ debut, replacing fellow big ‘n’ taller Justin Brazeau, who’s dinged-up and listed day-to-day. The big (bigger?) guy had five shot attempts and three shots on goal while dishing out two hits in 10:21 of ice time.
Elmer received favorable reviews afterward from coach Dan Muse for his speed and ability to get in on the forecheck. He and linemates Ben Kindel and Avery Hayes had outstanding advanced stats, yet were a combined minus-6.
Muse shuffled his defensive pairings. Shea rejoined Kris Letang and Ilya Solovyov slotted beside Samuel Girard, bumping Connor Clifton from the lineup. Guessing that Solvoyov and Girard have some history together with the Avs.
Ilya’s a plus-6 with four assists in six games with the black-and-gold. Girard has no points and is a minus-2 in seven games since his arrival.
Erik Karlsson (six shots on goal, two assists) played another superb game. Novak finished a plus-4, linemate Ville Koivunen a plus-3.
We won 50 percent of the faceoffs for the first time since Mike Lange’s proverbial eighth-grade picnic.
The load doesn’t get any lighter for our Pens (32-17-14, 78 points), who embark on a crucial five-game, 10-day road trip that begins and ends in Carolina, with stops in Vegas, Utah and Colorado along the way.
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View Comments
That game was funny/odd,
Out shooting a team 39 to 28 should mean you deserve to win, particularly when you outshoot them 33 to 18 5-on-5.
However, when a Goalie gives up 4 Gs on 28 shots, it should mean he deserves to lose. Silovs owes the skaters a dinner for pulling his fat out of the fire. Silovs was slow to react to Zacha's first Goal. It may or may not have matter, since Zacha was so wide open on one hand but his shot was not a good shot on the other. It is hard to tell if Zacha intentionally went 5-hole, reading the play or he just shot center mass. Had Zacha ripped the shot high to the glove I would have exonerated Silovs but as it was, with the shot sneaking between his legs, I can't give him a pass.
On Zach's 2nd G, he used both both Kindel and Silovs, faking them right out of their proverbial athletic gear.
On Pasternack's G, it was all Silovs fault, he gave the puck away and then knocked a puck that looked like it was going wide through the crease, into his own net.
On Zacha's hat trick G, Silovs was slow again. That may really be on the Goalie Coach wanting him to hug the post that low and long but he never got back up on his skates nor moved off the Goal Line, to cut down angles, as the puck moved up out of the corner.
Our Pens whistled past the graveyard on this one, but I'll take it.
Hey Other Rick,
It certainly wasn't Silovs finest game in goal, but to his credit he hung tough and made the saves he had to make to give us a chance to win.
FYI, Joel Blomqvist allowed four goals on only 21 shots in his latest outing for the Baby Pens on March 4, resulting in a 5-4 loss to Springfield. I'd be interested to hear a similar (unbiased) critique of his game.
For the record, over his last 11 games, Silovs has posted a .919 SV% to go with a 6-3-2 record. Over his last 11 games, Blomqvist has an .887 SV% and a 5-3-2 record, with one no decision. In the AHL.
Just sayin'...
Rick
I haven't seen his game lately, but I have said on many occasions that I think both he and Murashov are starting to look like they are getting extremely lazy from playing in the AHL and not getting challenged. I really do not pull punches when even if I like a player. Blomqvist didn't look like Blomqvist the last time I watched him play.
Hey Other Rick,
I've been meaning to follow-up to your comment.
I mentioned this before and you've alluded to it as well. But I can certainly understand how a young player might become discouraged if he feels like he's being blocked from moving up the ladder.
Perhaps that's the case with Blomqvist. As you've pointed out, aptly so, he went went being a full-time starter and AHL All-Star two seasons ago to sharing the net with Murashov, who the organization seems to be fast-tracking. It would be hard on Blomqvist's part not to let any private disappointment seep into his play.
Too, he's had some injuries over the past couple of seasons that perhaps have stalled his development.
Here's hoping he's able to work through whatever issues he might be facing and that he'll become the goalie you believe he can be.
Rick