Maybe it’s just me getting numb to the reality, but this one didn’t even feel that frustrating. For the 800th game in a row (approximate and estimated), the Pens piled up a ton of shots and expected goals but barely dented the goalie.Can hardly be a surprise which two answered the call.

They’re going to need some help eventually, but on a night like this the Pens simply needed anyone to make a play and put the puck in the net. Fitting that Zucker and Guentzel were the goal-scorers, those two are the main sources of offense these days in Pittsburgh.Well, besides showing up for work the next time the team is on the ice and not dealing with any new or existing injuries. He stopped all 28 shots he saw and you can’t ask for much more than that. Jarry was good when he had to be, similar to his last game last week against Colorado.Saros did as much as he could in this game too, but he can only carry them so far with an inexperienced and not so talented group in front. Nashville miraculously beat Boston the other night, despite being thoroughly out-shot they had Saros to hold them in there. Technically the Preds are still in the playoff hunt, but between selling at the deadline and having almost all their good skaters hurt (Josi, Forsberg, Duchene, Johansen) they just have no juice.His energy and skating has remained at a very high level despite how deep into the season it is. Meanwhile, Malkin is on a 10-game home-scoring streak and playing very fine hockey.Some of that frustration is showing through. Per the Bob Grove stat of the night, Sid is mired in a new career-long seven straight games without an assist. It’s a tale of two stars right now, Crosby was fighting behind the play with no name Preds like Jeremy Lauzon and Michael McCarron.(Getting Guentzel to the front of the net was a nice enough consolation in the third period). What ever happened to that glorious 3-4 game stint a while back where the Pens were doing that cool thing where either Crosby or Malkin would get in a shooting position in the right corner and someone would feed them and they would snap shots on goal? It was effective and then just completely evaporated.Unfortunately for them, time is not working in their favor and the clock reaches 0:00 without further goal scoring. Nashville goes from 4v5 to 6v5 quickly when they get their player from the penalty box back, then lift Saros for an extra attacked. The Pens don’t get much on their power play, but they also used two defenders and were playing cautiously and wisely to get on out of Dodge as quickly as they could. Pittsburgh gets awarded another power play, and like Bill Cowher nursing a lead in the second half back in the ‘90s, the Pens stall and play keepaway to drain even more time off the clock before the Predators can get a whistle. X2YPZjUeTM- Pittsburgh Penguins March 31, 2023 1-0.įun fact: Jake Guentzel has ten goals (10G-3A) over his last 13 games, and since March 7, his goal total is just one behind the league-lead. It’s an easy finish for Zucker to lift the puck up and over Saros and the Pens are on the board. It’s to Jason Zucker who is posted right at the front of the net. Kevin Gravel takes himself out of the play by laying out to block the pass (finally it strikes the opposition!) and Dumoulin combats that by holding the puck, making one more stick-handle around Gravel to make that pass anyways. Evgeni Malkin passes it to Brian Dumoulin and no one is tracking with him, so he takes the open space and moves up in the offensive zone. Pittsburgh is able to respond however and get on the scoreboard first. Joseph for a mini-breakaway but Jarry is able to stop the puck and hold it. Nashville gets a 3-on-1 but Jarry stops the long shot. Sidney Crosby gets a few cracks at the front of the net, but Saros stands tall.Ĭracks on the Penguins not-so-vaunted defense begin to show. Soon after, Mark Friedman buys Pittsburgh a make-up call when he feels a stick on him and grabs it while making sure the refs see it. The Rudy train is coming through /kD5AIUxN7K- Pittsburgh Penguins March 30, 2023īrian Dumoulin gets called for a weak interference penalty only 16 seconds in, the Pens kill it off.

Penguins score last night