The Florida Panthers extended their franchise-record road win streak to nine games on Tuesday at PPG Paints Arena, defeating the Penguins by a score of 5-2 – their third straight setback.
“I think tonight's a hard one to evaluate, to be honest with you. It was kind of a wacky game,” captain Sidney Crosby said. “Obviously, we got to win games, so whatever that takes. But the Winnipeg and Minnesota games, we're in the game and we’re a goal away from it being a different outcome. Tonight was just a weird one. It’s a hard one to evaluate.”
Pittsburgh’s head coach had the same assessment.
“It wasn't like we were under siege or anything. We just gave up some untimely goals,” Mike Sullivan said. “I thought the power plays had some opportunities to get us going early in the game. We didn't execute at all, I don't think we handled their pressure very well. They’re a real aggressive kill. I think we could have done a better job there.”
Rookie defenseman John Ludvig got the first goal of his NHL career, while Bryan Rust also scored for Pittsburgh. Jake Guentzel, who was originally credited, and now has the primary assist, left the game with around 12 minutes to go.
"He's being evaluated right now for an upper-body injury. That's all I have for you,” Sullivan said.
After a low-event first period, Pittsburgh’s fortunes turned on a tough sequence early in the second, which began with the teams 4-on-4 after roughing minors to Evgeni Malkin and Oliver Ekman-Larsson at the horn.
The Penguins came out strong and generated a number of chances, drawing a penalty and appearing to score 10 seconds in… before Rickard Rakell’s tally got successfully challenged for a high stick before the goal. It would have been his first goal since Jan. 8 in Philadelphia.
The Penguins remained on the power play and had a glorious chance in the final seconds that they just couldn’t corral. The Panthers went the other way – going back to full strength on the way – and got on the board. They added to their lead exactly 34 seconds later.
“We got that goal disallowed... it's the right call. But they got two quick ones, and that deflated us a little bit too much,” Marcus Pettersson said.
The Penguins struggled to do that, as Florida scored a total of four unanswered goals in the first 13:02 of the period. Pittsburgh did start to chip away late in the middle frame, with Rust officially getting his team on the board despite another coach’s challenge, this one for goalie interference.
The call on the ice stood, but Bobrovsky responded with an unreal save to keep a re-direct from Guentzel from going over the line. Jarry also pulled out some heroics by denying Matthew Tkachuk on a breakaway.
Jarry was the recipient of a tough bounce early in the third, when a puck deflected and went high in the air before dropping into the net. Ludvig quickly responded with his tally, one he’ll remember for the rest of his life.
“It’s a cool feeling for sure, something you want your whole life,” he said. “But yeah, all I really care about right now is just getting some wins, and that's all anyone in this room cares about, so we got to find a way to do that.”
