Game 2 Fallout
Sidney Crosby picked a great time to end his disappearing act.
Disappearing act that is when it comes to putting a puck in the net.
Scoring for the first time in nine games, Crosby delivered a 3-2 overtime win for the Penguins in Game 2 to tie the series at 1-1.
You asked for it, we delivered. Here's the OT winner by Crosby! @IceSinghHNIC @BhupinderHundal#HockeyNightPunjabi pic.twitter.com/4shVIN8itt
— Hockey Night Punjabi (@HkyNightPunjabi) May 17, 2016
It was Crosby’s first career playoff overtime goal and the fastest overtime goal in Penguins history at 40 seconds.
The Penguins capitalized on a neutral zone breakdown from the Lightning with Brian Dumoulin making a great pass to Bryan Rust as the Penguins had numbers with Rust showing patience and dishing the puck to a yelling Sidney Crosby who beat a red-hot Andrei Vasilevskiy for the goal.
Rust had the option to shoot the puck and even admitted his first intention was to move the puck over to Matt Cullen coming down the right side but Cullen stumbled.
“I didn’t think ‘Rusty’ saw me,” Crosby said afterwards. “I just kind of let him know I was there.”
Crosby had 6 shots on goal and when he was on the ice vs the Lightning’s best players, Pittsburgh carried the play. Crosby Against Tyler Johnson, Pittsburgh controlled 71% (15/6) of their shot attempts. When Crosby was out against Victor Hedman, the Penguins drove possession on 73% of their shot attempts.
Just like Game 1, the deserving team won Game 2.
“Whether I had scored in the last seven games or hadn’t scored in the last whatever, it feels good to get rewarded. I think we deserved that win tonight,” said Crosby.
Mike Sullivan felt afterwards that Crosby scoring would be a boost for him moving forward.
The Penguins are 4-0 this post-season when following a loss.
Both teams are surely feeling good going into Game 3.
For Pittsburgh they got to their speed game and came through again in winning another game they were decisively the better team. All post-season they have won games they should. This performance will give them confidence again that when they bring their-A game, they can’t be beat.
For Tampa Bay, they got the needed split by taking Game 1, could be getting Steven Stamkos back for Game 3 and playing without their Vezina caliber goaltender and their No. 1 center Tyler Johnson clearly hobbled from the Kunitz hit in Game 1, they were a bounce away from stealing game 2. Not to mention Anton Stralman returned in Game 2 and figures to get stronger as the series goes on.
Key Takeaways
The Penguins stormed out of the gates and got a needed 2-0 lead in the first period. It could have been worse if not for Andrei Vasilevskiy who was sensational in making 38 saves on 41 shots.
Key turning point, though, was Pittsburgh failing to score on the power play when up 2-0 and the Lightning showed why they are a different type of opponent than the Capitals.
They can be getting badly outplayed and get back into the game with one shot. If the Penguins would have lost Game 2, I’m sure failing to capitalize on the power play and then again when up 2-1 would have been hot topic.
While the Lightning were just one shot away from winning, Pittsburgh did limit Tampa Bay to just 6 high danger scoring chances at even strength.
They played suffocating defense for the most part, minus some breakdowns which are going to happen against this Lightning team.
— The left wing play from Conor Sheary and Chris Kunitz was as bad as it could get for top-9′ players. Father time has hit Chris Kunitz but at least he can still drive possession at this stage of his career.
Sheary was benched for the entire the third period. Has he hit a wall? Maybe but this is just a bad series for him. Sheary is such a shifty and quick player, he’s going to be more of a factor against teams that are bigger and slower. He’s more likely than not to look like an AHL player when he’s going against more of a skilled team with type of players the Lightning have, especially on the backend. Think we’re seeing it here.
The problem for Pittsburgh is they don’t have any other options in the top-9 unless Mike Sullivan can be talked into bringing an unproven rookie like Daniel Sprong up, something he has had no interest in doing.
The Kuhnhackl – Cullen – Fehr line was excellent, you don’t want to split them up. Maybe Sullivan found his lineup moving forward in this series in shortening the bench and playing with 11 forwards for the most part when games are tight. I also think the coaching staff needs to find ways to get Matt Cullen a few shifts with Crosby and Malkin on the wing. Worry about rest in the summer.
— When Matt Cullen scores, the Penguins win 95% of the time. The Penguins are now 18-1 this season when Cullen scores a goal. Another plus for Cullen who had a goal and was on the ice for two Penguins’ goals, he had great possession numbers in the win, a 75 CF%, on the ice for 18 shot attempts and just 6 against. His zone starts were at 55%. Against Capitals it was often in 15% range.
— The Olli Maatta – Justin Schultz lineup move had an impact and paid dividends. Playing Ben Lovejoy in a top-2 pairing role might not be ideal but the addition of Schultz made the Penguins quicker and more efficient in the transition game.
Compared to the 13 minutes Olli Maatta gave the Penguins in Game 1, Schultz gave the Penguins a very productive 13 minutes. He retrieved pucks quickly and the Penguins as a team were so much quicker in getting back to pucks. Wonder why? Where I thought Schultz was also much more effective than Maatta has been was his first pass on the breakout. No reason to go back to Maatta for Game 3.
— Penguin coaches made a further importance coming into Game 2 of game planning for Victor Hedman and make him play in his own end more. Results, Hedman a minus-8 in Corsi Percentage and on the ice for two goals against, one against the Penguins 4th line and the overtime winner.
— “What we’ve always liked about Matt is his ability to respond when things don’t go the way he would like they to go or he expects them to go. He’s always responded in such a positive way,” that was Mike Sullivan following a shaky performance from Matt Murray in allowing two goals. He never seemed to be tracking the puck well all night and the rebound control was poor but he shut the door over the final 41:30 of the game.
Many always remember the ones you let in but Murray made some big stops after allowing the two goals, one in particular on Palat who got behind the Penguins defense and Murray turned him away, then late in the second period a breakaway stop on Alex Killorn.
“Matt is a mental rock back there,” defenseman Ben Lovejoy said via the Tribune-Review. “He’s able to put goals behind him. He does an amazing job of just stopping the next puck.”
No one would have faulted Mike Sullivan for going with Marc Andre Fleury in the second period and I thought he might, but as I keep on saying, Sullivan is going to win or lose with Murray and he’s hitched his wagon to him.
Credit to Murray for this.
Game 2 had a feel where the Penguins could have been the Capitals in Game 3 of the last series. Badly outplaying the opposition but find a way to lose. Braden Holtby lost that type of game last series, Matt Murray won that type of game last night.To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
I heard Bennett got injured just by watching Crosby Score in the overtime
just like chuck norris has jokes BB should have Injury jokes
Will you write them? I think we all agree youre an amazing joke teller.
And writer in general.
Probably punched himself in the face because he thought he was dreaming.
Punjabi Hockey
Hey i just heard Mario never scored an OT winning goal in the playoffs. Fraud
even letang was shocked it was sids first OT goal and it might be his first but he has set up alot of other overtime goals and the fact Sid opens up the game to us its amazing
something that Stan and the average have no clue about
You should consider average as a huge accomplishment.
Im not shocked that Letang, with his long history of concussions, couldn’t remember
No surprise. The guy isn’t exactly a mental giant.
Like I said, maybe Kunitz did a better job of getting Sid the puck and out of the way or maybe the benching altogether played a role in what we seen but Sid seemed amped up after he was reunited with Kunitz. If he can play like he did in the 3rd going forward it’s one less thing to worry about.
Did he ever go four years while shitting down his leg and then followed up with 3 assists (one primary) in 10 games? Or no….
I just love how Murray gets the credit for slamming the door shut because the TEAM only allowed 13(mostly hamless) shots over the last 2 periods and overtime. Murray made 1 big save on the Killorn breakaway and that constitutes slamming the door shut for 41:30…lol
its the media they have a certain agenda if murray played all year and the playoffs i wouldnt be surprised if he wouldve been mentioned in the Vezina candidate either
yet when fleury win games its always because the team is doing good crosby and company gets credit and when team is doing bad yoda and rest of clowns blame Fleury
your just mad because st.bleury isn’t playing. your name should be jaydoggdoublestandard. you say st.bleury is getting into the hall of fame because of all his wins and wins are all that matter. so according to you, murray’s performance last night is hall of fame worthy. you act like he lost the game for the pens. the pens won.
wow, kettle calling the pot black has never been more apparent than it is right here lol
Your the only idiot concerned with whose in goal and your ignorance to any other topic simply proves your knowledge of the game isnt that vast…..and your fandom cant be too great as you would rather bitch and moan like a woman on her period about a goalie who happens to not even be playing then to give any other incite…Im assuming because your predictions never come true (pens wont make playoffs, they will break it down and start over, fleury will eb traded etc…)
What a classic Yoda response, start by referencing that was never said and isn’t true, follow that up with a bunch of half truth ramblings that have nothing to do with the original post and then finish off with another incorrect statement that is basically a lie. Well played.
Fraud.
Will bennett be available for a shift or 2 ?
How about the pens FINALLy not having to rely on merely swedes and Americans to score a goal yesterday Sam? Canada’s game and then they all go on holiday come playoff time. Can’t play in the tough games.
Loud noises!
Aww. Our resident Crosby apologist. How cute.
Still waiting for the proof Uncle Stan. Shouldn’t be hard for you to get, you are on this site 24/7. Your delusional and angry. I have always called Sid out when he is invisible.
it’s about time sid decided to shoot.
Fraud.
d lives