Penguins at Bruins

Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang are in uniform today for the Pittsburgh Penguins, of whom very little was expected this season. Add to that Stuart Skinner, who was his team’s starting goaltender in each of the last two Stanley Cup finals, and former Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson, and add on top of that former Bruins Connor Clifton and Parker Wotherspoon in defense and Noel Acciari and Justin Brazeau up front, and this is a very familiar looking Pittsburgh team.

The Penguins (21-13-9) are in the playoffs if measured by points taken per points available. They are 7-3-0 in their last 10 and have a 10-8-3 record on the road.

This game is somehow of lower profile than yesterday’s laugher against a depleted Rangers squad still shaking off the frostbite of their trip to Mystery, Alaska (just kidding about that last part).

Joonas Korpisalo in net for the Bruins. Morgan Geekie is out of the lineup attending to the family matter that took him off the ice during Saturday’s win. Elias Lindholm is a game-time decision according to Lauren Campbell of Mass Live.

Technical difficulties with the Penguins’ line chart, so here it is longhand:

LW … C … RW

39 Mantha … 87 Crosby … 67 Rakell

18 Novak … 81 Kindel … 16 Brazeau

71 Malkin … 13 Hayes … 59 Chinakov

19 Dewar … 46 Lizotte … 55 Acciari

LD … RD

28 Wotherspoon … 65 Karlsson

77 Kulak … 58 Letang

5 Ryan Shea … 75 Clifton

G: 74 Skinner / 37 Silovs

Head Coach: Dan Muse

FIRST PERIOD

Justin Brazeau reaches out to tip a pass that just misses the right post, but Tommy Novak is out for hooking just 2:21 in, putting the Bruins on an early powerplay.

Sean Kuraly thought that the Bruins scored after the powerplay, but it was ruled a hand pass and nullified.

Finally, at the 11:00 mark, Viktor Arvidsson outbattled Karlsson for a rebound and poked the puck underneath an outstretched Stuart Skinner. Assists from Henri Jokiharju and Casey Mittelstadt. 1-0 Boston.

Egor Chinakov in alone, save Korpisalo. Chinakov falls, sliding under Korpisalo, so Nikita Zadorov grabs him by the scruff and yanks him away from Korpisalo into the slot to the amusement of the Boston crowd.

Twice in this period, Kris Letang has timed out his hits ever so prematurely so as to surprise the puck playing Bruin (Tanner Jeannot in the most-recent instance) and also the officials so as to avoid an interference call. It’s a honed skill in the case of one of hockey’s more resilient and clever competitors of the salary-cap era.

Malkin off for high-sticking with 1:37 left in the period.

Period ends 1-0 Bruins. First-period shots: 10-10.

SECOND PERIOD

Malkin has 23 seconds remaining on his high-sticking penalty. The Bruins did a solid job pestering the big guy trying to carry the puck out from behind the Boston net, and Malkin has never been the most patient of characters, his enormous talent notwithstanding.

Weird icing call against Pittsburgh, but they break it out and Karlsson sets up a couple of scoring chances for the Pens. Korpisalo buttons it down.

Letang with some moves to shake off Tanner Jeannot, but the Bruins recover the puck and Mark Kastelic has a path that leverages Brett Kulak into a holding penalty – almost a penalty shot but not quite. Bruins to the powerplay at 4:55.

Decent powerplay for Boston, but Pittsburgh gets the critical touches and gets the kill.

McAvoy once again in the path of a puck not meant for him, goes down but is apparently not injured. It was a zone-entry hard dump toward the side glass left-wing side, which is McAvoy’s right side.

Kulak is called for shooting the puck over the high glass in the Pittsburgh zone. Bruins to another powerplay at 8:35 of the second period.

Kastelic argues that Kulak pushed him into Skinner, who goes down, drawing Boston’s first penalty of the game with 8:24 left in the period. Penguins to the powerplay.

Pittsburgh’s big push comes after the expiration of Kastelic’s PIM’s, and the Bruins are caught out there while the Penguins get their changes. The close call comes when Kulak centers the puck from the right corner and Novak redirects it off the post. The Bruins finally get the puck out but, in an effort to avoid icing, turn it over. Then they do so again, this time tapping it down ice and avoiding icing – quite a site watching four Bruins leap the boards and sprint into action like a speedskating race like we’ll soon see in the Winter Games.

Marat Khusnutdinov has a narrow look from the Zamboni gate but misses.

Wotherspoon apparently goes down from a blocked shot off his skate. He leaves under his own power.

The Penguins have another bid from Brazeau in the slot, then Crosby had an open side and Korpisalo wows the crowd with a big stop.

The Penguins continue the pressure, easily their best segment of the game, leading to a 10-4 second-period shots advantage. The Bruins embrace second intermission up 1-0 on the scoreboard.

Shots through two: 20-14 Pittsburgh.

THIRD PERIOD

Brazeau is off for taking down Fraser Minten illegally. Bruins to the powerplay 1:48 into the third period.

Casey Mittelstadt called for hooking, and that’s an even-upper for the next 1:26, followed by a 34-second Pittsburgh powerplay (if nothing else happens).

Any time Crosby gets his stick to a puck in the Boston zone, it’s leading to an extended possession for Pittsburgh with the potential for scoring chances.

One goal is probably not going to be enough in this game, especially if coach Dan Muse (yes, the former Boston College goalie) loads up Crosby’s line with Malkin and Brazeau.

Brazeau cuts off Peeke and takes the puck to the net with power, knocking down Mason Lohrei. But, once again, Korpisalo seals off the attempt.

Another Korpisalo sprawl.

McAvoy tripped through the middle and slides 40 feet into the sideboards in the Penguins’ zone.

Malkin long pass for Kevin Hayes, steers the puck slowly wide of the right post.

David Pastrnak at the other end, wide.

Jeannot almost reaches his own spot pass before Skinner can knock the puck away.

Another Korpisalo save: Shots are 25-17 Pittsburgh with 7:05 remaining in regulation.

The Bruins have to do more; a seven-minute “penalty kill” isn’t going to cut it today.

Korpisalo again. He’s holding up the ship.

Pittsburgh lost on home ice yesterday to Calgary; it took them a while to warm to the task, but the Penguins are playing the second half of this game like they don’t want to let their surprisingly strong season go up in smoke.

Muse had loaded up with Crosby between Malkin and Rakell. Sturm is matching up with the Zacha line and a Zadorov-McAvoy pairing.

More pressure from Pittsburgh. Muse pulls Skinner with two minutes left. The Penguins go offside and Muse calls his one and only timeout.

McAvoy reaches high to knock a soft dump out of the sky, Bruins get the faceoff with 25 seconds.

Big win for Elias Lindholm against Crosby, the wingers dig at the boards, Zadorov ices it.

One more draw to win with 6 second on the clock. Lindholm does it again. Bruins win.

That’s three straight, as the crowds disperses for TV sets trained out the New England Patriots.

Red Wings are here Tuesday night, and Thursday the Bruins raise Zdeno Chara’s 33 to the TDG rafters, then play red-hot Seattle.

Drive safely.