Penguins win in shootout
said. “It’s cool to see such important players on our team putting their bodies on the line to get our team going, and it definitely worked.”
While Penguins players seem to agree the fights served as a momentum swing, the more tangible effect was a three-minute power play the team got early in the third period. Even with Crosby and Malkin still in the box, the unit converted when Patric Hornqvist tipped home Phil Kessel’s wrist shot from the left circle.
The 17:35 (plus overtime) that followed was about as close to playoff hockey as you’ll see in December. Malkin scored, again on the power play, to put the Penguins ahead, 2-1. Barely a minute later, Artemi Panarin beat Murray to level the score and force the extra session.
The Penguins came close to winning in overtime — Crosby and company forced the Blue Jackets into a twominute long defensive shift — but had to wait until the shootout to get a valuable two points in the standings.
“With the chances tonight, it felt like we deserved to win, but it doesn’t always go that way,” Crosby said.
Letang’s shootout winner and Murray’s save on Oliver Bjorkstrand to seal the win capped a game that, really, felt a whole lot like Game 5 of the team’s first-round playoff series last season, which the Penguins took in five games.
“I think that we’re familiar with each other,” Crosby said. “A lot of guys have played on that team for a while, a lot of guys here, same thing.”
That means physical play, after-the-whistle chirping and, yes, the occasional scrum.
“They play, I wouldn’t say a dirty game, but a hard game,” Letang said. “They go in there, they’re not afraid of the scrum and stuff like that. When you have a team that brings that game, you have to match it.”
Letang, Crosby and Malkin stood up to match it Thursday night.
“It’s certainly not something we’d like to see them do on a consistent basis, but I thought tonight, they’re competitive guys and it was a competitive game out there,” Sullivan said. “It was a hard-fought game. Sometimes, emotions get high, but certainly I thought the energy and the emotion in the game, that’s as good as it’s been this year for us. And I think that’s when we play at our best.”
The Penguins will need to be at their best, or at least close to it, moving forward. They’re still barely on the outside looking in at the playoffs, and have five of their next seven games against Metropolitan Division opponents.
The next one of those divisional games?
Against the Columbus Blue Jackets, next Wednesday.
“We’ve had a lot of really good, hard-fought, emotional games against them,” Sullivan said.
“They tend to be physical games, they’re competitive.
The adrenaline gets flowing, and I think those are the ones that are most fun to be a part of and certainly I thought our guys, they brought that necessary emotion that it takes to win in this league.”