The struggling Pittsburgh Penguins traveled to Ottawa on Thanksgiving and overcame adversity as they came from behind twice to beat the league leading Senators by a score of 6-5 after an extended shootout. The game, played with a tremendous amount of intensity from both teams, could well signify a turning point for the Penguins who have struggled through the first 1/4 of the season. The Penguins wiped out a 2-goal defecit late in the first period and again in the third to force the overtime and shootout where they beat the league's winningest goaltender on his own ice. In recent comments, Penguins GM Ray Shero welcomed the early season adversity that the Penguins have been struggling through and noted that it will help build character throughout the organization to include the players, the coach, and the GM. In beating the Senators, the Penguins never gave up and displayed a ton of character. Hopefully this self-injected dose of confidence will begin to pay dividends for the Penguins from this game forth.
In the first period, the Penguins came out and played a physical game with a lot of jump and intensity. However, it was the Senators who struck first on an even strength goal by Jason Spezza, from Luke Richardson and Daniel Alfredsson at 4:56. Then at 9:01, Jarrko Ruutu was sent to the box for "diving" after being punched to the head and falling to the ice. It was the 2nd diving call of the period for Ruutu, and should have been offset by a matching penalty to Ottawa for roughing. Instead, the questionable call was assessed solely to Ruutu and the Senators were given the gift of the man-advantage. At 10:55, they converted on the power-play with a goal by Chris Phillips and assists by Chris Kelly and Antoine Vermette. The goal prompted Coach Therrien to pull Marc-Andre Fleury from the net in favor of goaltender Dany Sabourin. The Penguins continued to battle strong throughout the first and were rewarded on a Senators turnover in the Penguins zone as Evgeni Malkin took the puck on a pass from Petr Sykora, poked it past an Ottawa defenseman and then beat Ottawa tender Martin Gerber on the stick side. The goal extended Malkin's point streak to 15-consecutive games. Just 18 seconds later, the Penguins drove in another goal off from the stick of Ryan Malone to tie the game at 2-apiece. Sidney Crosby and Colby Armstrong were credited.....click the link below for the full article....
In the first period, the Penguins came out and played a physical game with a lot of jump and intensity. However, it was the Senators who struck first on an even strength goal by Jason Spezza, from Luke Richardson and Daniel Alfredsson at 4:56. Then at 9:01, Jarrko Ruutu was sent to the box for "diving" after being punched to the head and falling to the ice. It was the 2nd diving call of the period for Ruutu, and should have been offset by a matching penalty to Ottawa for roughing. Instead, the questionable call was assessed solely to Ruutu and the Senators were given the gift of the man-advantage. At 10:55, they converted on the power-play with a goal by Chris Phillips and assists by Chris Kelly and Antoine Vermette. The goal prompted Coach Therrien to pull Marc-Andre Fleury from the net in favor of goaltender Dany Sabourin. The Penguins continued to battle strong throughout the first and were rewarded on a Senators turnover in the Penguins zone as Evgeni Malkin took the puck on a pass from Petr Sykora, poked it past an Ottawa defenseman and then beat Ottawa tender Martin Gerber on the stick side. The goal extended Malkin's point streak to 15-consecutive games. Just 18 seconds later, the Penguins drove in another goal off from the stick of Ryan Malone to tie the game at 2-apiece. Sidney Crosby and Colby Armstrong were credited.....click the link below for the full article....
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