Frustration Erupts as Mike Sullivan Rips the Penguins for Blowing Another 2-Goal Lead
Photo credit: Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Penguins see their winning streak end with shootout loss to Islanders, after blowing another 2-goal lead with a horrible 3rd period performance.
The Penguins led 3-1 in the third period but gave up the final two goals of regulation to a team that was missing five of its regulars due to undisclosed injuries: defensemen Adam Pelech, Mike Reilly, and Alexander Romanov; forwards Anthony Duclair and Mathew Barzal, a three-time All-Star; and forwards Anthony Barzal.
The outcome was frustrating because New York scored twice in a 3:07 period to tie the score after Pittsburgh had taken a two-goal lead just under eight minutes into the last period.
Following a scoreless first period, the captain scored his fifth goal in the last three games at 5:27 in the second. With two more goals to go, Crosby will become the 21st player in NHL history to reach 600 goals.
Kyle Palmieri would tie the game for the Islanders after a bad bounce skipped by Nedeljkovic.
Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Michael Bunting all scored goals for Pittsburgh, while Nedeljkovic recorded 23 saves. After stopping two of three shots in the shootout and making 23 saves on 26 shots in regulation (he did not face any shots in overtime), goalie Alex Nedeljkovic's record dropped to 2-2-2.
«It's frustrating,» Nedeljkovic said to media in Elmont via audio provided by the team's media relations staff. «We played great the first two periods. I thought we took it to them. I don't know. It's a tough pill to swallow.»
Nedeljkovic stopped Palmieri and Islanders forward Oliver Wahlstrom in the shootout. However, defenseman Kris Letang and forwards Rickard Rakell and Sidney Crosby of the Penguins were unsuccessful in their shootout attempts.
«We've got to play better.
We should have played the way we played in the first two periods, and we would have been fine,» said coach Mike Sullivan. «We played a straight-ahead game (in the first two periods). We weren't as diligent with the puck (in the third period). We didn't play as much north-south. Give the Islanders credit. We had opportunities to break the game open, give (Ilya) Sorokin credit.»
We should have played the way we played in the first two periods, and we would have been fine,» said coach Mike Sullivan. «We played a straight-ahead game (in the first two periods). We weren't as diligent with the puck (in the third period). We didn't play as much north-south. Give the Islanders credit. We had opportunities to break the game open, give (Ilya) Sorokin credit.»
The Pens suffered a huge defeat. With ten minutes remaining and up 3-1 against the league's lowest scoring team. When the game goes into extra time, the Islanders do what they do, but it was disappointing to get there. Pittsburgh should have had it all after the first forty to forty-five minutes, so it's difficult to leave with just one point.
Before wrapping up the road trip in Washington on Friday, the Penguins will play Carolina on Thursday.
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