Snap Shots: Bruins 4, Pens 3
* Mike Sullivan likes to say that nothing breaks up coverage better than a shot on goal, and a play late in the second period exemplified that. Matt Hunwick put a puck on net that didn't quite reach the netminder, but it caused a scramble. Patric Hornqvist got to it and threw it at Bruins goalie Anton Khudobin, who reached and hit it with his blocker before it bounced off his body as he fell. Sidney Crosby whacked at it twice, getting it to go in the second time.
That prompted a review to see if the puck had crossed the goal line before the whistle blew. After quite some time, the referee skated to center ice and said it was a good goal. That led to a coach's challenge from the Bruins to see if there had been goalie interference. And after another review, it was ruled that there was none. It was still a good goal. That turned what had been a 2-0 deficit entering the period into a 3-3 tie.
* Can we talk about the vision Crosby displayed on that play? When it first went off Khudobin's blocker, Crosby watched it the whole way and was able to get his stick on it. It bounced onto Khudobin's stomach, a black puck on a black jersey, but Crosby still never lost sight of it. And again, he displayed incredible coordination to make contact with it and get it over the line. Plays like those are why he's still the best at what he does.
* Sullivan's message to his players yesterday was that they need to have a certain level of resilience and resolve during this challenging stretch. He wanted them to make sure they react and respond the right way when they're facing adversity like they are right now. They took positive steps in that direction today by coming back from a pair of two-goal holes to even the score heading into the second intermission. Credit to them for showing some pushback and battle, though there's still some frustration in the locker room considering the third period was their strongest and they gave up a breakaway that ended up being the game.
* The Pens haven't been happy with their starts this season, and today wasn't any better in that regard. The Pens were outshot 14-4 in the opening period and had barely any sustained offensive zone time, spending most of the frame in their own end. It didn't help that they took two penalties, including one in the first minute of play. They went into the first intermission down 2-0. Sullivan said after the game that they simply got outplayed.
* The Pens won the special teams battle tonight. The struggling penalty kill was able to thwart both of the Bruins' chances, buoyed by a couple of terrific stops from Matt Murray. Meanwhile, the Pens converted their only power play of the day.
* That goal came from Jake Guentzel, who has scored three times in the last two cames, all on the man-advantage He's done a tremendous job of filling in on that first unit for injured Evgeni Malkin, finding soft spots on the ice for his teammates to get him the puck. Overall, Guentzel has five goals in his last six games and is tied for the team lead with nine.
