Fansided

Penguins beat Rangers in a shootout 4-3

By Steve Paulus |
New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) in the shoot-out p Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) in the shoot-out p Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
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This was a game that the New York Rangers should have won.  It was a much better game than the effort on Tuesday when they threw 50 mostly ineffective shots at the Devils.  For a good chunk of the game, it looked like things were going to go the Rangers’ way, then Lady Luck intervened.

Why did they lose?  They blew a two goal lead against a Penguins team that has some gifted scorers, a fact that was clearly evident in the shootout.  They let the Pens back into the game when Ryan Lindgren made  a truly unfortunate mistake putting the puck in his own net.

David Quinn chalked it up to “the learning curve.” He explained, “We have to understand situational hockey.  You’re up 3-1 and  lot of good things are happening…we just really didn’t understand the moment.  With six minutes to go, we’re still doing things like we’re down 3-1.  It came back and bit us.”

Then the Rangers had numerous opportunities to regain the two goal lead in the third period, but they just couldn’t score and the Penguins tied it up.  We all knew the Rangers were doomed to lose when Filip Chytil hit the post in overtime.  The shootout was not an example of Igor Shesterkin at his finest though the goals that beat him were on great shots.

The good news is that Chytil, Phil Di Giuseppe and Kaapo Kakko are gelling and was the best line.   The bad news is the revamped top two lines are not.  An optimist will say that the Rangers got a point on the road.  A realist will say that they gave up a point they should have had.

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The game

The first period was a bit on the rocky side for the Blueshirts.  They couldn’t win a faceoff an the Penguins had stretches where they controlled play.  The Rangers weathered the storm and the period was pretty even, but the Penguins were able to score first.  Cody Ceci threw a shot from the blueline and Bryan Rust made a perfect deflection past Shesterkin.

The Blueshirts ended up outshooting the Penguins 14-8 and if they had been able to win more than two of 15 faceoffs, they might have been able to control play even more.

The second period was all Rangers and it resulted in three quick goals.  The third line was on the ice as a penalty to Jake Guentzel expired and Filip Chytil scored an absolutely fantastic goal at 2:41.  Phil DiGiuseppe took the puck away  and fed a wide open Chytil who put on a dazzling display of stickhandling before putting the puck behind Tristan Jarry.


With Sidney Crosby in the box for slashing Pavel Buchnevich, it was  Adam Fox’s turn to be the hero as he fired a one-timer from the blueline past Jarry.  It was a pass from Artemi Panarin and the Rangers were rolling.

24 seconds later Kaapo Kakko put the Rangers up 3-1 on the rebound of a Di Giuseppi shot.  Momentum was all with the Rangers and the high fives on the bench were for K’Andre Miller who got his first NHL point on the Kakko goal.

Six minutes into the second period and the Rangers were totally in control and Tristan Jarry was looking like the goalie who gave up 11 goals in his first two games.

That’s when Mike Sullivan made a key move, calling a timeout and lacing into his team.   Something worked as the play was much more even until late in the period when the Penguins began a push.

At 16:19, Kevin Rooney tripped Evgeni Malkin and that was the beginning of the end.   The thought in everyone’s mind was kill the penalty and get out of the second period with a two goal lead, but it wasn’t going to happen.

The Penguins kept the Rangers hemmed in and in a scrum in front of the Rangers net, Ryan Lindgren inadvertently pushed the puck into the net while trying to shuffle it to Shesterkin so he could freeze it.

Even though the Rangers outshot the Penguins in the third period 11-8, the only goal came from Pittsburgh.  The Rangers had their chances, but Jarry decided to channel Marc-Andre Fleury and stopped everything  that came his way.  Artemi Panarin, Pavel Buchnevich and Chris Kreider all had golden scoring chances, but couldn’t get that fourth goal.

At 11:23, Teddy Blueger tied the game on what was the second lucky goal for Pittsburgh. Rookie defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph, playing his first game in the NHL,  fired a one timer that missed the net by five feet but rebounded off the backboards right to Teddy Blueger who had a wide open net .

The Penguins pushed hard for the game winner, but couldn’t score as each team had four shots on goal in the last eight minutes.

The overtime was a thrilling five minutes highlighted by Filip Chytil’s shot that hit the post.  It was the best opportunity of the OT.

In the shootout Mika Zibanejad was stopped, Artemi Panarin scored and Tony DeAngelo was stopped by Jarry.  Shesterkin was beat by Guentzel before Crosby missed wide  The shootout winner came off he stick of veteran Kris Letang.

Letang came in having scored 19 times on 61 shootout tries.

Jan 22, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox (23) celebrates his goal with New York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin (10) and left wing Chris Kreider (20) against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the second period at the PPG Paints Arena. Pittsburgh won 4-3 in a shoot-out. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 22, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox (23) celebrates his goal with New York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin (10) and left wing Chris Kreider (20) against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the second period at the PPG Paints Arena. Pittsburgh won 4-3 in a shoot-out. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

Notes on the game

This was Igor Shesterkin’s first shootout in the NHL.  It was Tristan Jarry’s fourth shootout of his career and his third win..

Faceoffs continue to be a problem for the Rangers as they lost 35 and won 18.  Here are the winning percentages. Strome won 18.2%, Chytil was at 33.3% and Zibanejad won 42.1%.  Not good.

Phil Di Giuseppe is opening eyes.  He has assists in all three games he has played and he has a rapport with Chytil and Kakko that is making that line click. He had a team high five shots.

Panarin led all forwards in ice time with 22:57 minutes.  Pavel Buchnevich was second with 22:12 minutes.

The new trio of Panarin, Buchnevich and Strome had an active and effective night, though Strome still seems to be a step behind and his timing is off.  He was credited with four shots on goal.  In 11:30 of even strength ice time, the line had he best Corsi For percentage on th team at 71.43%.

The Zibanejad-Kreider-Lafrenière line did not have a good night.  They had a combined plus/minus of -6 and while Zibanejad had four shots, Lafrenière and Kreider had one shot though Kreider was credited with four hits.  Their possessions stats were worst of any line with a Corsi For of 23.08%.  The question is whether Quinn will leave the three together on Sunday.

Artemi Panarin got an assist on the Adam Fox goal giving him 100 points in 73 games as a Ranger.

In his return to the lineup Tony DeAngelo was scoreless and was a -2, but he held his own defensively.

The tandem of Jacob Trouba and K’Andre Miller showed a lot.  They combined for ten hits and four blocks and Miller got his first NHL point.

This is the third straight game the Penguins and Rangers have gone to overtime and the first time the Blueshirts have lost.

The Rangers were able to hold Crosby in check most of the game. He finished with a minus one rating and had two shots on goal.

Jan 22, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (58) skates with the puck as New York Rangers left wing Phillip Di Giuseppe (33) defends during the second period at the PPG Paints Arena. Pittsburgh won 4-3 in a shoot-out. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 22, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (58) skates with the puck as New York Rangers left wing Phillip Di Giuseppe (33) defends during the second period at the PPG Paints Arena. Pittsburgh won 4-3 in a shoot-out. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

My three Ranger stars of the game

  1. Phil Di Giuseppe is making a statement about staying in the lineup.  Two assists, five shots on goal including :39 on the powerplay and some time killing a penalty.  He may be making  a bid to replace Jesper Fast as the team;s defensively conscientious and versatile forward who can chip in offensively. His only misstep was when he had the puck in front of the Pens net, but tried a spin-o-rama pass to Adam Fox that didn’t work. It does who that his confidence is building
  2. Adam Fox led all Rangers with 26 minutes of ice time. He scored one goal, had two shots, blocked two shots and quarterbacked the powerplay.  He looked comfortable playing iwth Ryan Lindgren again.
  3. Filip Chytil continues to grow as an NHL player.  His goal was the play of a veteran goal scorer as he held the puck, deked the goalie and put it in the net.  He came within an inch of winning the game in overtime. Now, if only he could more than a third of his draws.

The official three stars

  1. Bryan Rust
  2. Phil Di Giuseppe
  3. Pierre-Olivier Joseph

East Division

Scores

Capitals 4, Sabres 3 (Shootout)

Standings

  1. Washington    5   3-0-2     8 pts.
  2. Philadelphia    5   3-1-1     7 pts
  3. Islanders          4  3-1-0      6 pts.
  4. Pittsburgh       5  3-2-0      6 pts.
  5. New Jersey      4  2-1-1      5 pts.
  6. Boston             4   2-1-1      5 pts.
  7. Rangers           4   1-2-1      3 pts.
  8. Buffalo             5   1-3-1      3 pts.

What’s next

The Ranger’s have  a chance to get revenge on Sunday night when this two game series concludes.  Gametime is 7pm.

More. Do they have the early goal blues?. light

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