Mike Sullivan could commit a murder in the streets of downtown Pittsburgh tomorrow night and probably find a way to walk off scot-free.
Pulling everyone’s best friend and Conn Smythe favorite Marc-Andre Fleury after exactly one bad game took some cajones. But Mike Sullivan has, does and will continue to have his finger all over the pulse of this team. Now, Sullivan probably needs a wheelbarrow to haul his balls around.
Did it really matter who the starting goaltender was tonight? Of fucking course not. Matt Murray has only been one of the top-two goalies in the league over the last 12 months. And Fleury had been so good up until Wednesday night — he was basically the mud that stopped the Nazi’s — there was just no getting through him. But Sullivan took the risk with Murray, and even though it was the team that got the win, he came out looking like a million bucks.
The real reason the Pens won tonight? They scored more than one goal, so that was a big leap forward. But they scored first, held the lead, and Ottawa had to spend the rest of the game pressing. And when Ottawa presses, they more resemble the team that gave up more goals than they scored in the regular season.
The result: Everyone who watched that game learned a lot about this Senators team that has been carrying itself like it belongs here. After the Pens piled on, what happened? The Sens did their best Columbus impression and tried to punch the Penguins into submission. All we can ask for now is that the Sens keep this approach. It didn’t work for Columbus. It didn’t work when Washington tried it. It certainly won’t work for fucking Ottawa.
And lets be real here: The Pens are so depleted on defense, so obviously exhausted from the Cup run last season and half their team getting zero rest because they played in the World Cup, so completely affected by a season where almost everyone got injured for a significant period of time — If Ottawa was any good at all, this series would be 3-1, probably 4-0. Since Ottawa is a joke team with joke players (except Karlsson) the Pens are still in it. And now this bitch is coming back to Pittsburgh for a best-of-three, and Ottawa’s upset odds are feeling like they’re smaller than the list of Soundgarden songs you can name.
FIRST PERIOD
The first 15 minutes of this game could be characterized as the Pens getting three decent looks per every Sens’ golden opportunity. The key was the Pens controlling the tempo, which was the first indicator that maybe the tide was going to turn in this one.
It felt like a Sens goal would completely deflate everything the Pens had going, and maybe send this series into a tailspin, but that never happened. While some Pens fans were still shedding tears on their favorite MAF poster, Matt Murray was out there answering the bell and shutting the door. Any time the Sens caught a sniff, Murray kicked them out.
Huge save by Murray on Brassard #Pens pic.twitter.com/F5WbtdprV7
— Marina Maher (@marinakmaher) May 20, 2017
Ryan creates a quality chance but Murray looks calm so far. Good save. pic.twitter.com/HpsUSSmwlL
— Sean Tierney (@ChartingHockey) May 20, 2017
Finally, with less than a minute to go, the Pens finally broke into Anderson’s kitchen.
Less than a minute left in the 1st period and the puck was in the back of the net… Right when it Maatta'd. 😉 pic.twitter.com/xvjWXZOOFN
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) May 20, 2017
Sack Smith is a forward marking Maatta on the rush, and you know Maatta knew this because how many times have you ever seen Maatta try to take a guy one-on-one to the net? Doesn’t happen a lot. Fortunately, Smith sucks, and Maatta toasted him. Unreal zone entry by Crosby, who probably also saw Smith with his pants down there, to pull-up and make the pass.
SECOND PERIOD
I’m not a big NHL Refs Fucking Blow And The Way They Call The Game In The Playoffs Is A Joke guy. But the way the refs called much of the game last night was a fucking joke, guy.
Here we see Chad Ruhwedel chasing a dump-in, catching a stick to the face, then getting an elbow to the temple, as his face is driven directly into the boards…
Brassard clips Ruhwedel then Ryan runs him into the end boards. Looked nasty. pic.twitter.com/rvMmw2f4f4
— Sean Tierney (@ChartingHockey) May 20, 2017
elbow, high stick, whatever you want to call this, it's absolutely a penalty pic.twitter.com/HLramdC8Gm
— ego (@notmalkinego) May 20, 2017
The aftermath:
Nobody makes me bleed my own blood pic.twitter.com/quhbnq42e1
— Marina Maher (@marinakmaher) May 20, 2017
And somehow the only player who got a penalty on the transaction was Ian Cole. Cole deserved one for acting on the feeling everyone has when they see Bobby Ryan’s punchable face, but still. For those scoring at home, Ruhwedel drew two penalties and was forced from the game, while the Pens received the only infraction. Okay.
when you hit that point in an argument when you realize the person you are arguing with is a complete idiot pic.twitter.com/j8rDuGjXae
— ego (@notmalkinego) May 20, 2017
The Pens PK was spectacular all night and killed it off, but JFC.
Faces, from left to right:
NHL referees, NHL fans, the NHL Department of Player Safety pic.twitter.com/v8CfsZdnbv
— fudge rodriguez (@vinnybatts) May 20, 2017
But this is where the Sens started going wrong. They were only down 1-0, with control of the series, and kept trying to do shit like this. They had the Pens on the ropes, and instead of just finishing them off last night by sticking to what worked, they tried to punch them to death.
punches to the face after the whistle are fine, but the nhl won't miss that too many men on the ice call pic.twitter.com/Elo2vfTyJ2
— ego (@notmalkinego) May 20, 2017
This was one of the many dust-ups where the refs had their choice of which Sen they wanted to throw in the box, and afterward the Pens found themselves on the powerplay, and finally cashed in.
Crosby gets down on his knee to make sure the pass does not miss him and then buries the loose puck. This is why he's the best. 2-0 Pens. pic.twitter.com/lLqOb0ulBR
— Flintor (@TheFlintor) May 20, 2017
Money.
The Pens got another not long after when everyone was reminded why Dion Phaneuf blows. Instead of actually watching the play and doing hockey stuff, he’s focused on trying to hack Malkin, and the result is about the only way he can score a goal these days, and Geno makes sure he knows it.
Puck goes in off the skate of Dion Phaneuf. Malkin turns around and makes sure he knows it pic.twitter.com/Lk7q1uGl9l
— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) May 20, 2017
Phaneuf gets sheltered in the 1-3-1 because that’s the only way he can count to five. Really can’t get enough of his periodic reminders that he eats garbage on the ice.
Dumoulin got credit for the goal, and if you had he and Olli Maatta scoring big goals last night, just go play the lottery right now.
In 163 career regular season games, Brian Dumoulin has two goals.
In 45 career playoff games, Brian Dumoulin has three goals.— Sam Werner (@sjwerner11) May 20, 2017
At this point, a 3-0 lead at the horn would have had everyone feeling pretty good, but the Sens got one late when Booby Ryan gained the zone thanks to Ron Hainsey’s skates exploding, and then found Clarke MacArthur at the side of the net on a desperation pass.
HOW DID HE pic.twitter.com/2LU5lb9Keq
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) May 20, 2017
About the only good thing you can say about Hainsey right now is he’s healthy, and I really don’t know if that even helps the Pens at all.
THIRD PERIOD
The Pens came out suffocating the Sens for much of the period, and you could see the Sens cracking.
Angry Karlsson. pic.twitter.com/zRmfpJszM8
— Sean Tierney (@ChartingHockey) May 20, 2017
But sure as shit, one goal changed everything.
Karlsson's point shot is double deflected and the Sens have life. pic.twitter.com/4w4rcy2Szv
— Sean Tierney (@ChartingHockey) May 20, 2017
#Ottawa #Senators 2nd goal credited to Tom Pyatt.#CallOutNews #OTTvsPIT #StanleyCupPlayoffs2017 pic.twitter.com/vYi76lkoId
— Call Out News (@calloutnews) May 20, 2017
It took a puck changing direction three times, but the Sens pulled within one. The Pens pushed back, but Anderson was there. First, he stopped Wilson on a breakaway, then got all of Kessel’s break not long after:
oh hello Craig Anderson! #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/GkrZxaOGNe
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) May 20, 2017
The butt cheeks were clenched when the Pens took their second too many men penalty of the game, and the Sens pulled Anderson for the 6-on-4, but Murray stood tall.
C R A Z Y closing sequence 😱 pic.twitter.com/9y5V4x6Onp
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) May 20, 2017
A post, a big save, a blocked shot, a win. Ball game.
NOTES:
- Sens are in the midst of a 0-for-25 powerplay drought. With the series shifting back to Pittsburgh, have to feel like the Pens are playing with house money here. That drought has to end sometime, but it may not matter.
- Ruhwedel is concussed and Ryan will probably dodge a suspension, which isn’t surprising. Anyone who has seen Ryan play hockey understands why his dad didn’t want to be part of his life.
- Have to think it’s Mark Streit getting the call if Ruhwedel can’t go in Game 5. That is…less than ideal.
- The starter got his net back.
- If the Pens can keep getting big goals from Phaneuf, they still have a chance to win this in six.
- Game 5 is in like ten minutes.
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