PREGAME
To quote the great Lou Brown “We won a game on Tuesday. We won a game on Thursday, that was two in a row. And if we win one tonight, that’s called a ‘winning streak.’ It has happened before.”
After hanging six on the Avs and Islanders, it was time to head back to the capital of America’s hat, a place called “Canada” to take on the Ottawa Oovoo Javers.
Duchene and Ryan were out for Ottawa, Hornqvist for the Guins.
Lineup:
Welcome back to the Penguins lineup, @jsdea10! pic.twitter.com/DSnIf8pAUK
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) December 8, 2018
JS Dea on the fourth line, Sheahan to the second.
Game on.
FIRST PERIOD
The Penguins came out with their asses on fire. The first line of Guentzel-Crosby-Kessel spent nearly a minute in the Ottawa zone just under four minutes in. A promising start, but if you thought they would build on that, then you thought like an idiot.
The next shift, a rocket from Thomas Chabot beat DeSmith from the point.
1-0 Sens.
[protected-iframe id=”2f5114f23d60b0a3ab8ff409c07107ef-142507471-50437453″ info=”https://www.nhl.com/video/embed/chabots-slap-shot-beats-desmith/t-300007170/c-63772403?autostart=false” width=”540″ height=”360″] Early on, Crosby was doing what Crosby does and putting more pressure on the Sens than a coal lobbyist. An unreal backhand, no-look pass right after the Ottawa goal to….Jack Johnson. $3.25 million well spent.Despite a power play that saw the Pens pretty much hold the zone for a near full two minutes, Anderson would shut the door.
It was then you knew what was coming from the National Hockey League’s preeminent Bond villain Guy Boucher: a 1-3-1 and an absolute slog.
The Penguins sent 16 shots to the Sens seven in the first, but it was all Craig Anderson. Penguins with a staggering 5 high-danger chances to the Sens one…their goal was not one of them.
Yeah, so, keep the process and the goals will come.
SECOND PERIOD
It took just eleven (11!!!) seconds for the Pens deficit to mount to two. Casey DeSmith did his best Marc-Andre Fleury impression as Zack Smith would put a rebound past a sprawling (for god knows what reason) The Smith.
Sully would challenge for offsides and Bob Errey had more analysis on this one than the Zapruder Film during the deliberation. HCMS’s gamble paid off. The play was offside and we were stuck at one.
Please get healthy, Murr.
Then, just a few minutes later, The New Bryan Rust, JS Dea would tie this bad boy at one.
[protected-iframe id=”293fb3a426f764a73ae8ab082a1cd331-142507471-50437453″ info=”https://www.nhl.com/video/embed/dea-roofs-shot-from-the-circle/t-300007170/c-63777603?autostart=false” width=”540″ height=”360″]
Great play by Dea to keep an arm on the defenseman, change his shooting angle and beat Anderson.
Dea’s goal would lead to the Pens taking the game back, or momentum if that’s your thing, and owning possession. A peek at Natural Stat Trick during the first media timeout saw the Pens sitting at a +30 CF%.
With 10:19 remaining, the Best Damn Third Line Center and good boy Brassard would get rung up for tripping. Ottawa was disjointed the first 1:15 of their power play, but then the final 45 seconds was the Casey DeSmith Redemption Tour. The Sens had unlimited chances, but The Smith was The Wall.
The whistles went away for the period as Sid caught an elbow to the face, Bryan Rust slew-footed a Senator, but a seemingly mild check in the offensive zone by Sheahan with under a minute to go was deemed boarding.
Tie ball game after two.
Pens added four high danger chances and owned a #nice CF% of 69.
THIRD PERIOD
Sheahan’s penalty was killed with ease. If the whistles were put away in the second, they came out in third. Just a few seconds after Sheahan was released, Dumoulin went off for tripping. Much like the Sheahan minor, this was killed with ease.
Sid would catch another elbow to the chops from Zack Smith and they went to work. Much like the rest of the game, the Pens owned the puck, but no goals.
Again, it was back to the PK. Letang was called for….slashing? I think? It was a stick check, but nevertheless. The Pengs came out unscatched.
With 5:30 to go, Kris Letang flipped Keith Tkachuk’s embarrassing offspring, which led to Tkachuk filling his diaper over it. Both went off for roughing and we played some 4-on-4.
The Penguins would, as they had the entire game, own the puck, but no goals.
Jack Johnson and his $3.25M contract would miss a wide open net even Bryan Rust would’ve hit. Only four years to go!
It was time for some 3-on-3. The Pens got a point. Eighth OT game of the season.
OVERTIME
The OT began with DeSmith stopping White on a breakaway and then Geno jumped the boards when Guentzel changed. Can’t fault Malkin, Guentzel needs to get off the ice there.
Dzingle ended it.
OT Dzingoal! @Ryandzingel pic.twitter.com/LJZG4584u2
— NHL GIFs (@NHLGIFs) December 9, 2018
Game.
THOUGHTS
- For those of you that suffered through the early-2000s Penguins, didn’t this feel familiar? Pass, pass, pass, pass and then pass some more. Granted, the Pens had nearly 30 shots on goal through two periods, but a lot of passing tonight by the Pens. One way to spin that: they had the puck a lot.
- NHL officiating, man…it’s awful. That’s where we leave that.
- Surprisingly good night for the fourth line and the third defense pairing:
Marcus Petterson was on the ice for 15 shot attempts for and 0 against at 5v5. (the 4th line also didn’t let up a shot attempt)
— ck (@404ResponseCode) December 9, 2018
- Evgeni Malkin is about to go off, mark my words. He’s had seemingly unlimited chances. Once they start falling, it’s gonna be silly.
- Speaking of, Geno is going to catch hell for that too many men penalty in overtime, but Guentzel needs to get to the bench. In a 3-on-3 OT, a good change can spring a breakaway, especially with Sid surveying.
- Admittedly, I wasn’t a huge fan of the idea of putting Sheahan on the second line at wing, but dude has been playing with an unreal amount of confidence.
- I still don’t know what to make of DeSmith. His low-danger save percentage is awful. His high-danger is pretty good. Guess at the end of the day, he is a backup goalie.
Off to the island on Monday.
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