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Six Minutes of Hell; Penguins Waste Lead in Fifth-Straight Loss

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Pittsburgh Penguins lose 4-3 Vancouver Canucks

VANCOUVER — For the second time on the Pittsburgh Penguins (3-6-1) four-game road trip, they squandered a 2-0 lead and were overwhelmed following what should have been a feel-good second goal. Saturday, the Vancouver Canucks scored three goals in just 65 seconds, which was the fastest in their franchise history.



The Penguins stars took turns making mistakes, and goalie Alex Nedeljkovic was rendered essentially helpless as Vancouver hung four unanswered goals on the Penguins in the second period en route to a 4-3 win at Rogers Arena.

Penguins coach Mike Sullivan called timeout after the fourth Vancouver goal, which was scored by Arshdeep Bains at 9:58, and it did not appear he was nurturing any hurt feelings.

The Penguins immediately had more energy and ambition than they did 24 hours earlier when the Edmonton Oilers zeroed them 4-0 at Rogers Place. The Penguins needed approximately 30 minutes to get their fifth shot Friday. They had that fifth shot within the first five minutes Saturday.

The Penguins penalty kill also had a couple of odd-man rushes, including Drew O’Connor’s breakaway in the first period.

As part of the renewed energy, the Penguins scored first. Former Vancouver forward Anthony Beauvillier (3) neatly deflected Marcus Pettersson’s shot past Vancouver goalie Kevin Lankinen.

Beauvillier was part of coach Mike Sullivan’s great line shuffle. Just as the Penguins coach did last Sunday in Winnipeg, three of four lines had new members. Beauvllier played on Evgeni Malkin’s left wing.

Rickard Rakell was elevated from Malkin’s line to Sidney Crosby’s right wing, and Michael Bunting was dropped to the third line.

Bunting also spent more time in the penalty box than he did on the ice in the first period-plus. Bunting took a roughing minor two minutes into the game, which seemed like a harsh call by referees, but Bunting took a four-minute high-sticking penalty at 16:23 of the first period, which carried over into the second.

He played 4:07 in the first 21 minutes of the game but spent six minutes in the box.

Not long after the Penguins killed off Bunting’s double-minor, the newly formed Malkin line extended the Penguins lead when Bryan Rust (3) completed a wrap-around at 1:56 of the second.

That’s when the Penguins’ good feelings became a full-blown meltdown.

Vancouver scored three goals in 65 seconds beginning at 4:06 of the second. Vancouver pushed the Penguins until Sidney Crosby, Erik Karlsson, and the rest of the defenders were chasing parked cars. Elias Pettersson (1) was wide open in the slot and easily whipped a shot past goalie Alex Nedeljkovic.

Just 43 seconds later, Penguins winger Bryan Rust tried to stickhandle through three defenders at the blue line. Former Penguins center Teddy Blueger easily slipped a pass across the slot past defenseman Kris Letang, and Keifer Sherwood (2) quickly one-timed it past Nedeljkovic.

And 22 seconds after Vancouver tied the game, J.T. Miller got behind Erik Karlsson for a contested breakaway. Miller (4) not only beat Karlsson to the net but shouldered away Karlsson’s defense for the rebound and tapped it in for Vancouver’s first lead.

Karlsson didn’t look good on the fourth goal either. He stepped up to defend former Penguins winger Daniel Sprong at the red line, but Sprong blew past him for a two-on-one. Kevin Hayes pulled up short on his backcheck and Arshdeep Bains (1) scored his first NHL goal at 9:58 of the second.

Sullivan began juggling the Penguins’ lines like a Vegas street performer with a chainsaw and bowling ball. Despite having five shots in about the first five minutes, the Penguins had just seven shots in the next 35 minutes. Only seven Penguins had shots on goal by the end of the second period.

What looked like a promising game crumbled in moments. For all of Sullivan’s pushing and line changes and timeout midway through the second, the Penguins could not complete the comeback because few other teams are as generous with a lead as the Penguins.

Rust left the game early in the third period after tangling with Nils Hoglander. Rust felt the contact was beyond the rulebook and had a few words before hobbling off the bench down the runway.

Crosby pried the puck from three Vancouver players at the offensive blue line, and Malkin (3) swooped past for a breakaway goal at 13:22. Malkin laid on the ice in pain as he collided with both the post and end wall, but he returned after favoring his left shoulder.

The Penguins late third period surge and improved play was not enough to erase six minutes of hell and they are winless in five.

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Aaron Hermann
Aaron Hermann
8 days ago

They say a picture is worth a thousand words so this should just about cover it.

comment image

Eri
Eri
8 days ago
Reply to  Aaron Hermann

Six Minutes of Hell, sounds like a title to a 90s action film.

King Penguin
King Penguin
8 days ago

EK65 looks like a guy who was rushed back without the benefit of training camp, yet another piss-poor management decision.

Shaff
Shaff
7 days ago
Reply to  King Penguin

No, he looks like a guy who has sucked for years and is quickly losing the battle to Father Time which means his bad decisions are now exposed due to less athleticism.

JoJo
JoJo
8 days ago

Can we have a new coach that maybe he’ll try something different?
I saw this game like 100 times in the last seasons

Katzwasrightallalong
Katzwasrightallalong
8 days ago

For the very very few who have been right this isn’t sweet. But for those who disparaged us I say look in the mirror

howard
howard
8 days ago

They won’t, they are all in hiding. They are the ones who said Jarry is a great goalie or Sullivan knows what he is doing. The Penguins are in dire need of a new system and definitely a new coach.

Dave
Dave
8 days ago
Reply to  howard

Yes,totally agree and long past due.

BrianX
BrianX
8 days ago

What? You don’t think this is better than rebuilding? The silver lining is that we might get the #1 pick next summer.

Justin
Justin
8 days ago

Imagine a world where the precious, do no wrong Sully gets rightfully fired like pre-covid…

What a waste of Crosby’s twilight years ,🤮

King Penguin
King Penguin
8 days ago

What does Sidney Crosby do for a living? I’ll hang up and wait for your reply . . .

King Penguin
King Penguin
8 days ago

After years of gross mismanagement, this organ-i-za-tion gets what it deserves.

Nathan
Nathan
7 days ago

The Jake G. trade will go down as the point at which the Crosby / Malkin era ended.

Aaron
Aaron
7 days ago

Could you imagine the outcry if Jarry had allowed 3 goals in a minute?