Not that they had Jake Guentzel, but the Pittsburgh Penguins, injury or not, won’t going forward. Guentel is a member of the Carolina Hurricanes, and Sidney Crosby finds himself in his mid 30s watching a rebuild around him. Will his career last long enough to realize its timeline? With three championships and another final under his belt, parades in two distinct iterations of his team, does he assign more value to riding it out in Pittsburgh?
The same questions could technically be asked of Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, but the relatively mercurial nature of those careers certainly isolates Sid as the generational franchise icon.
For the Boston Bruins, this home game is the first since yesterday’s trade deadline that saw only Jakub Zboril and Luke Toporowski leave the organization with the promise of a big, right-shot defenseman (Andrew Peeke) and aging LW Pat Maroon eventually playing for them.
Meantime, Hampus Lindholm returns to the lineup.
A-I image by Daryl Vautour
FIRST PERIOD
Pittsburgh looking sparky to start with ABC on the game and, perhaps, the relief of the trade deadline passed.
Neglected to mention: Michael Bunting is in this game. Bunting knocked Erik Cernak out of the Toronto-Tampa series last year, which the Leafs wound up winning once the Lightning’s defense was compromised. The Bolts had let Big 3 member Ryan McDonagh go to Nashville and promoted Cernak. (This time around the Lightning are trying to get it done without Mikhail Sergachev, but that’s another story.)
Fast-forward to late first period, and it seems Bunting had lined up Marchand as the Bruins captain was skating through traffic and receiving a pass coming out of the D zone, but it was hard to tell without a replay if Marchand’s little twist negated a hit or if Bunting – remember this is garbage time for Pittsburgh – laid off.
Trent Frederic, meanwhile, got a clean lick on Letang, and later drew a tripping call by sneaking up on Marchand and falling over his stick.
Pittsburgh to the powerplay:
Good powerplay, but Linus Ullmark getting it done in the Boston net.
First-period shots: 13-8 Penguins
46 seconds of Marchand’s PIM carries into the second period.
SECOND PERIOD
Penguins still on the powerplay to open the second.
The Bruins found some hot water in their own end after the penalty, but when they transitioned, Kevin Shattenkirk had a 3-on-1 and passed left, no shot, but David Pastrnak got the puck between the circles and beat Alex Nedeljkovic to make it 1-0 Boston at 2:26 of the second period.
It was Pasta’s 40th goal of the season, complemented more heavily this season by assists (40-52=92). Assists to Jake DeBrusk and Pavel Zacha.
Long delayed penalty on Pittsburgh. It becomes a scoring chance for the Bruins, despite some Pittsburgh touches. John Ludvig to the box for hooking. Bruins to the powerplay with a chance to put some scoreboard distance into this one.
Bad bounce off the side glass on Charlie Coyle, and brief Providence Bruin Rickard Rakell weaves into the slot, but Ullmark plucks his attempt out of the air. Still 1-0 Bruins.
Rakell gets the stick up on Coyle chasing the dump, Bruins to the powerplay.
Post. Fans were counting it.
Bobbler out to the right point, McAvoy can’t corral it. Lars Eller blows by McAvoy – no penalty – goes in and rings his shot off the post and out of play. The Western Hemisphere could hear Eller scream his disapproval (or was that at Kyle Dubas for not bringing his luggage and arranging a dropoff.
Zacha love-tips home a shot-pass and it’s 2-0 with 44 seconds left on Rakell’s PIM. Assists from Morgan Geekie and Mason Lohrei.
Jesper Boqvist gets flung to the ice in a halfwall collision with Ludvig. He’s right back up.
Ullmark stops Pens winger Jonathan Gruden at the doorstep. The Penguins have had a few chances to make a game of this.
Nedeljkovic shuts down a James van Riemsdyk partial breakaway.
Shattenkirk goes 3-on1 with Pastrnak and Danton Heinen, blows his window to make a good play, not happy. But Coyle springs Marchand, who lifts a backhand top corner to make it 3-0 with 1:35 left in the second period. Beautiful play all around.
Shots after two: 26-17 Pittsburgh.
THIRD PERIOD
Penguins were getting too many chances to avoid the inevitable, and Letang spoils Ullmark’s shutout bid early in Period 3. 3-1 Boston
On the fly down the off wing, Pastrnak takes a pass a little too far out front and contorts to make a great shot that I think caught the post.
Even a game like this has a chance of becoming a nail-biter, but after Erik Karlsson’s pass across to the left point angled out of the zone, the Bruins got the puck back and Marchand fed DeBrusk for the 4-1 goal. The balcony is once again a happy land. Lindholm with the secondary assist.
Letang with another bid, labels it low far corner, but Ullmark snares it. Pittsburgh is up to 38 shots. Linus is going to finish this game with over 40 saves, and there have been some Grade A’s sprinkled among bailouts.
With 8:00 on the game clock, I’m shutting this blog down and will make any further updates on X (Twitter) @MickColageo. I will also file a Sunday column at http://www.bostonhockeynow.com.
Drive/ride safely.
Rink Rap with Mick Colageo 