The Penguins defeated the Panthers 3-2, after Jake Guentzel's game-winning goal in overtime on Tuesday night at PPG Paints Arena.
This was significant, considering three-on-three overtime has been a struggle.
The Penguins have dropped games in overtime nine times this season, the fifth-most in the NHL. That's nine points left on the table in a season where the Penguins are in a tight playoff race. Eight of those overtime losses have been against Eastern Conference teams, including the Canadiens and Flyers, two other teams in the hunt for a spot.
In a race this close, one of those failed overtime games could be the difference between making the playoffs and having an early summer. With the personnel the Penguins have, and with that much open ice in three-on-three, the Penguins should be having more success than they have so far this season. Mike Sullivan spoke on his team's situation in his postgame press conference.
"Historically, this team has been very good three-on-three," said Sullivan. "It's been a frustration point from my standpoint for this year, because I know we're capable of a lot better. When you think about the overtime opportunities that we've had that we haven't maximized, we'd be in a much better position if we did."
"We've had opportunities where we just haven't been as good, and that's on all of us, myself included," Sullivan would say.
After the game, Florida coach Bob Boughner referred to three-on-three as a "skills contest." Sullivan went a little more in-depth with his assessment of overtime following the game.
"I just think it boils down to the details," said Sullivan. "For me, overtime is about puck possession, it's about shot selection, and it's about line changes. If you're locked in with those three things, then you significantly increase your chance of having success. I think we've got the skill set that should do well in the overtime, because it's hard to create a game plan from a defensive standpoint; it really boils down to man-on-man. There's only three guys on the ice. It's not like you can build in a support mechanism or create some sort of a zone defense."
The Penguins attempted five shots to the Panthers' one in overtime, recording two actual shots on goal to the Panthers' one. Two of the Penguins' attempts were from the close-range, high-danger areas, including Guentzel's game-winner:
Ideally, according to Sullivan, the Penguins would attempt their shots in overtime from inside the faceoff dots — the area considered high-danger and a portion considered medium-danger. The player waiting to take a shot until he is in close range is even more crucial in overtime, because the open ice presents a bigger opportunity for a breakout to quickly form in the other direction if the goaltender is able to handle the puck.
Guentzel knows that as the Penguins look to secure a playoff spot in these final weeks, they'll need to have more play like that in any overtime games.
"I think it's kind of hurt us a little bit this year," Guentzel said of the team's play in overtime. "I think it's something that we all took pride in that we need to be better. They're big points right now, so we need to be good."
THE ESSENTIALS
• Boxscore
THREE STARS
My curtain calls go to …
1. Jake Guentzel
Penguins right winger
He scored the Penguins' opening goal and the game-winner. Easy.
2. Sidney Crosby
Penguins center
1,200th career point on Guentzel's first goal, and a huge goal of his own.
3. Vincent Trocheck
Panthers center
The reason the game even went to overtime.
THE GOOD
The Panthers came into the game with two players -- Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov -- averaging at least a point per game. Both were held off the scoresheet on Tuesday.
Huberdeau was held to just two shots on goal on two shot attempts in five-on-five play, and Barkov was able to attempt six, with five of them making it to the net. Of those shot attempts that Barkov was able to get off, not one was from a high-quality scoring area.
Their line, along with Evgenii Dadanov, was matched with the Penguins' top line and top pairing of Jack Johnson and Justin Schultz for most of the game, and the Penguins were effective in neutralizing two of the Panthers' biggest scoring threats.
THE BAD
Evgeni Malkin took two offensive-zone penalties tonight against the team with the No. 3 power play in the league. He got off to an early start on his first shift, with this trip on Aaron Ekblad just 37 seconds into the game:
Henrik Borgstrom scored on the ensuing power play to put the Penguins in an early hole.
At 10:43 of the third period, with the game tied, Malkin was called for tripping again, this one on Mike Hoffman:
This time, the Penguins were able to kill the penalty.
Malkin leads the Penguins with 85 penalty minutes this season, a 40-minute lead over the next guy. He's taken 29 total penalties, 25 of which were minor penalties. The majority of these have been stick infractions -- four trips, six slashes, seven hooks and one crosscheck.
Malkin taking bad penalties has been an issue throughout the season, but two stick infractions in the offensive zone against a power play as successful as the Panthers' is especially bad. The Penguins were lucky that it only cost them one goal.
THE PLAY
Seconds into the second period, Florida defenseman Mike Matheson misplayed the puck ... right in front of Crosby. If there's any player you don't want to turn the puck over to in your own zone, it's got to be Crosby.
He fed the puck to Jared McCann, who wasn't able to get control of it and left it for Guentzel in the slot.
Guentzel buried the puck, and tied the game. Crosby's secondary assist was his 1200th career NHL point. Crosby would get his 1201st and 1202nd points later in the game, scoring his own goal and assisting on Guentzel's game-winner. The chemistry between the two has been remarkable this season.
"(Guentzel's) shot stands out the most," Crosby said of Guentzel's game. "He knows where to go, and when he gets it he gets it off quick, I think he's accurate."
For more on Crosby and Guentzel's work together, read Bradford's Drive to the Net.
THE CALL
Erik Gudbranson received a two-minute minor for this "check to the head:"
Gudbranson was the one carrying the puck, Dryden Hunt was coming in for a hit, and backed off a bit when Gudbranson got rid of the puck. The two graze each other, and Gudbranson's head also gets some slight contact, judging by the way his helmet moved. And Gudbranson sits for two minutes.
Later in the period, Jamie McGinn was called for interference after this collision with Malkin:
Malkin started skating back to his right, in the direction of McGinn, and both players appeared to try to avoid each other.
Both were pretty weak calls from the officials. Luckily for the Penguins, the Panthers didn't score on the Gudbranson minor. Crosby, though, capitalized on the McGinn minor to give the Penguins a 2-1 lead.
THE OTHER SIDE
With tonight's loss, the Panthers dropped to 28-26-12. They sit 11 points out of the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, and their 12 overtime losses are tied for the most in the league.
"Another hard-fought point," Boughner said after the game. "It's just getting frustrating obviously not being able to execute in the overtime or put a game away in overtime. ... We get to overtime, and we have a 3-on-1 right before they scored and didn't execute."
Boughner thought his team brought effort and a high compete-level to extra time and called overtime a "skills contest."
Roberto Luongo was one of the stars for the Panthers, stopping 34 of 37 shots, including 11 of 13 high-danger shots.
"(Luongo) gave us a chance to win and that's what we ask of our goaltenders," said Boughner. "I think he came up with some big saves at the right time."
The Panthers will head to Boston next for a 7 p.m. matchup this Thursday. They'll return home on Friday for an 8 p.m. game against the Wild.
THE DATA
• Dominik Simon attempted more high-danger (close-range) shots during five-on-five play himself — four — than the entire Panthers team combined (3).
• Patric Hornqvist's five hits led the Penguins.
• Ekblad blocked six shots, each from a different Penguins shooter.
• Only three Penguins -- Phil Kessel, Zach Aston-Reese, and Cullen -- had a Corsi For percentage below 50.
• This impressive stat came from the Penguins: "7,051 skaters, including Matt Cullen, have suited up for at least one game since the NHL formed in 1917. Since Cullen's debut, 3,467 skaters have played at least one game, not including him. Cullen's NHL career has overlapped 49.1% of all skaters to ever play a game."
THE INJURIES
• Kris Letang, defenseman, has an upper-body injury and is day-to-day.
• Bryan Rust, right winger, has a lower-body injury and is out longer-term.
• Chad Ruhwedel, defenseman, has an upper-body injury and is out longer-term.
• Olli Maatta, defenseman, has a separated left shoulder and is on IR.
THE LINEUPS
Sullivan’s lines and pairings for this game:
Jared McCann — Sidney Crosby — Jake Guentzel
Zach Aston-Reese — Evgeni Malkin — Phil Kessel
Dominik Simon – Nick Bjugstad – Patric Hornqvist
Teddy Blueger – Matt Cullen – Garrett Wilson
Jack Johnson – Justin Schultz
Marcus Pettersson – Erik Gudbranson
Brian Dumoulin — Zach Trotman
• And for the Panthers:
Jonathan Huberdeau — Aleksander Barkov — Evgenii Dadanov
Frank Vatrano – Vincent Trocheck — Mike Hoffman
Jamie McGinn — Riley Sheahan — Troy Brouwer
Jayce Hawryluk — Henrik Borgstrom — Dryden Hunt
Mike Matheson — Aaron Ekblad
Keith Yandle — Mackenzie Weeger
Mark Pysyk — Josh Brown
THE SCHEDULE
The Penguins will practice at noon on Wednesday in Cranberry. Bradford will cover that one. Their next game will be Thursday at home against the Blue Jackets.
THE COVERAGE
Visit our team page for everything.
MATT SUNDAY GALLERY
Penguins vs. Panthers, PPG Paints Arena, March 6, 2019 - MATT SUNDAY / DKPS