Streak Over! Penguins Dominate, Crosby Plays Hero with Tying & OT Winner

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Penguins (4-7-1) dominated the first and third periods but were hunting the game-winning goal deep into the third period. In fact, despite thorough control of the game for large portions of the opening and closing periods, the Penguins didn’t get their first goal until 1:47 of the third period.

To no surprise, staring down the possibility of a seven-game winless streak, it was captain Sidney Crosby who elevated his game in the third period, scoring the goal (2) with a brilliant deflection. Crosby also split a pair of defensemen at the halfway mark of the third period for a great chance, though Anaheim goalie Lukas Dostal made that save.

Crosby grabbed a loose puck in the Anaheim zone in overtime for the breakaway game-winning goal. The Penguins’ six-game winless streak is no more, as they beat Anaheim (4-5-1) 2-1 in OT at PPG Paints Arena Thursday.

Instead of a conglomerate of head-scratching mistakes, allowing goals in bunches, or a no-show effort, the Penguins dominated the first period. They were outshooting Anaheim 15-4 until about four minutes remaining in the first period, and Anaheim had nary a sniff of a high-danger chance. At the same time, the Penguins peppered Dostal with 15 scoring chances.

Penguins defenseman Kris Letang even helped out goalie Alex Nedeljkovic by making three goal-saving saves at 11:57 of the first period, including a nifty kick save.

However, one Penguins’ mistake was compounded by another, and old nemesis Alex Killorn (2) was left alone in the low slot with enough time and space to easily beat Nedeljkovic at 15:50.

Penguins forward Michael Bunting chased the puck to the corner where Jack St. Ivany was battling Trevor Zegras, but defenseman Ryan Graves vacated the front of the net, leaving the scoring zone wide open.

Whoops.

That’s been the Penguins’ self-destructive luck since the team beat the Buffalo Sabres 6-5 in overtime on Oct. 16. That was the emotional game in which Crosby registered his 1600th point, and Evgeni Malkin scored his 500th goal.

The Penguins game went sideways after Anaheim scored the first goal. Anaheim kept pace, and the shots between the goal and the end of the second period were 11-10 in favor of the Penguins. Yet Anaheim had five high-danger scoring chances, compared to just two for the Penguins.

The Penguins further imploded by squandering a two-on-one with Crosby and Rickard Rakell by taking a too-many-men minor at 19:05 of the second.

Perhaps it was the word coach Mike Sullivan hates, “desperation.” The coaches feels it implies a hopeless situation. Regardless of the semantics, the Penguins urgency was finally befitting a team trying to escape a six-game winless streak.

According to NaturalStatTrick.com, the Penguins had 14 of the first 16 shots of the third period and out-chanced Anaheim 7-0 (high danger).

Trevor Zegras almost scored the game-winner with just over four minutes remaining. He got behind the Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson and beat Nedeljkovic, but as the puck trickled toward the goal line, Marcus Pettersson dove to swat the puck away from the line.

Cutter Gauthier also had a breakaway for just over one minute remaining, but Nedeljkovic made the save.

The Penguins had 45 shots in regulation, including 16 in the third period. Karlsson had six shots in regulation and another 11 attempts.

Nedeljkovic stopped 22 of 23. Dostal made 44 saves in regulation.