Before the game Saturday at PPG Paints Arena, the Pittsburgh Penguins took the ice to celebrate their captaincy.
The 20 players who officially lined up for the game surrounded Sidney Crosby. So the healthy scratches like defender Chad Ruhwedel and forward Colton Sceviour and even those who were in the injured reserve, including forward Jared McCann and defender Juuso Riikola, took to the ice in full uniform.
After all, it was time to honor the franchise pillar on the occasion of his 1,000th career game.
Crosby held a ceremonial silver stick and took a handful of photos with his teammates in the east side of PPG Paints Arena.
It was a deep moment for anyone interested in the Penguins.
It was also possibly the most cohesive display of teamwork that Penguins offered before the third period.
With a slow effort through the first 40 minutes of regulation, the Penguins were able to make a comeback in the third period and defeat the New York Islanders 3-2.
It was the fifth time this season that the Penguins dropped back into the final frame to secure a victory.
“Even if we do not have an A-game or one of the isolated evenings, we can still be in the fight to win and get points in the standings,” said Penguins defender Kris Letang. “This team never gives up. It does not matter. We keep working hard. ”
Despite the fact that most of the game went badly – the Islanders finished 35-18 in that measure – the Penguins were able to stay in the game thanks to another strong effort by goalkeeper Tristan Jarry, who finished with 33 saves has.
Over his last four games, Jarry has stopped 131 of 140 shots, which equates to a saving percentage of .935.
“I mean, Tristan won us that game by a landslide,” Penguins defender Mike Matheson said. “After the second period … we had no reason to be in the game. We did not play as we should or should have to stay with a team like the islanders. But he kept us in it and did it during the third period as well. ”
The Penguins actually took the first lead at 12:35 of the second period thanks to Letang scoring his first goal of the season on a power play.
But an offensive turnover between Evgeni Malkin and Jason Zucker, the Penguins forwards, resulted in the islanders being drawn less than three minutes later. From the turnover, Jordan Eberle, forward of the islanders, made a brilliant rush from the right wing and collected his seventh goal at the point of 15:28.
Only 53 seconds after the third, another turnover from Zucker, this time in the defensive zone, led to the Islander’s forward, Brock Nelson, claiming his fifth goal with a pulse from the high lock.
It cost Matheson a determined effort to forge at 7:35 of the third. Matheson allowed forward Teddy Blueger to get the offensive zone, and then a pass from the right corner to the right circle back to Matheson who tore a wrist next to the goalkeeper. Semyon Varlamov’s blocker on the other hand for his first goal since joining the Penguins last season.
The Penguins took the lead at 13:34 from third place. After the Penguins’ forwards, Jake Guentzel and Brandon Tanev, won a picking battle on the island’s orchards, Crosby gave a pass from near the left corner to the left point for Letang investigating a shooting range and a pulse along Varlamov ‘s blocker stuck.
The victory was important because it pushed the Penguins ahead of the islanders for fourth place in the Eastern Division.
But it seems that this triumph had a greater significance for their captain.
“It means a lot,” Crosby said. “It’s a special day regardless of the outcome. But it makes it so much better when you win. Just all of the guys, the ceremony in the room (s) on the ice. Just spoiled today. It was a pretty amazing experience. A day I will always remember and even sweeter that we could win. ”
Seth Rorabaugh is a staff writer for Tribune-Review. You can contact Seth by email at [email protected] or via Twitter .
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