Penguins/Blue Jackets Recap: Malkin’s two PPG’s help Pens beat Columbus

Two power play goals for Evgeni Malkin and two assists for Sidney Crosby is a winning formula for Pittsburgh in a 3-2 victory

Pregame

Jeff Carter is back in the lineup, otherwise the Penguins are the same.

First period

The first period between the Pens and Columbus Blue Jackets is definitely a thing that happened. Lots of end-to-end play and free-flowing action at least. No goals were to be found, Pittsburgh had one fruitless power play and along we go.

Shots were 10-8 PIT through 20.

Second period

Sam Poulin takes a trip to the penalty box after tripping a Columbus player early in the second. Shortly after the power play ends, CBJ scores. Damon Severson slings the puck in from the left side and tough guy Mathieu Olivier uses his hands for something other than fighting. when he bats in the floating rebound. It’s called a good goal on the ice, the stick was mighty close to the cross-bar but after a lengthy review the officials couldn’t see enough to reverse the call on the ice. 1-0 Columbus.

Severson stays a central figure in the game when he slashes Sidney Crosby and goes to the box for it. The Pens’ power play scores in 15 seconds, Crosby wins the draw, a quick bit of the dreaded perimeter passing leads to Evgeni Malkin firing away from long range. It hits the back of the net and ties the game at 1.

Pittsburgh has a lot of momentum but in a scramble can’t find a finish. Chance at one end quickly leads to a 3-on-1 the other way and the Jackets work a give-and-go that leaves Alex Nedeljkovic with no chance and in the lurch on Cole Sillinger’s quick shot. 2-1 CBJ back in front.

But the Pens tie it on — brace yourself — another power play goal. It’s Malkin again, after passing back and forth with Crosby CBJ goalie Daniil Tarasov gets all twisted up and the shot gets partially blocked but ends up being a blessing in disguise to get knocked through the goalie’s legs. Tie game yet again.

Both teams change Grade A chances but somehow neither scores again. For as dull as the first period was, the second more than made up for it. Four total goals, two for each club that sets up the final period for a resolution in the game.

Third period

The Pens come out hot in the first shift of the third period and take their first lead of the game. Crosby sets up Drew O’Connor on the rush and a quick, nice shot later gets by the glove of Tarasov and into the net. 3-2 game just 35 seconds into the final period.

Pittsburgh gets another power play, but this time Nedeljkovic has to be their best player on it (never a good sign) when Alex Texier gets the puck in alone.

Columbus pulls the goalie with a few minutes to play, Crosby versus three Jackets below is as fun a battle as there was all night. The captain gets a little too aggressive getting his stick into Johnny Gaudreau (and Jonathan Hockey lunged down fairly easy) to send Sid to the box for the final 28 seconds of the game.

The clock runs out before the Blue Jackets can make that strong of a push. Pens pick up a win.

Some thoughts

• It turned into a long night for the Pittsburgh blueliners after Ryan Graves picked up an injury early on and didn’t return for the second period and beyond. But it didn’t necessarily mean lots of ice time for everyone else as a result, Kris Letang just played over 31 minutes to pick up the slack.
• Two Malkin goals, two Crosby assists, Letang playing over half of the dang game and keeping a clean performance meant all the best parts of the core group showing out. Dominant performances like that may only pop out every now and again (and against dregs of the league like Columbus) but they’re still in there somewhere nonetheless.
• Hand up, I’m so disillusioned and not paying attention to the Pens’ power play I couldn’t tell you exactly when Erik Karlsson was taken off the top group and Malkin got out there with the Crosby/Rust types. Worked well, hard to tell if that’s a function of Columbus not being very good themselves but hey, at this point PPGs are PPGs for the Pens, no point in putting too fine a point on it.
• Malkin was vintage on the finishes. The broadcast showed his parents and wife are in town, always helps and nice to see a good performance with family around.
• Classic NHL game of two teams with no stakes playing loose and giving/taking the odd man rushes up and down the ice. Has to drive the coaches crazy but fun to watch this time of year when you can catch two teams who know they’re not going anywhere and not buckled down on detail levels.
• Two more points for Crosby tonight have him tie and pass Ray Bourque for 11th place in NHL scoring. You’re up next, Phil Esposito (and only 10 points up).
• Anyone want to hear that the Pens’ playoff chances is going from 4% entering this game to 9% in the HockeyViz model (due to the Pittsburgh win plus the Flyers and Capitals both losing today)? Yeah, didn’t think. But just a reminder there probably is a chance for Pittsburgh — assuming they literally win each one of their last 10 games left this season. Anyone expecting that? Yeah, didn’t think so either.

But, a win is a win and the Pens and Jackets hook back up on Saturday for the final time this season. Columbus is so wretched, there’s no reason to think that Pittsburgh shouldn’t be able to pad stats and win again before officially getting mathematically eliminated from the playoffs.