Penguins Show Heart ‘n’ Holes in Shootout Loss to Islanders
If ever a team had an excuse to lie down and die, our Penguins did last night. The Islanders had stormed back from an early deficit to snatch a 3-1 lead, including a soul-crushing tally in the final minute of the opening frame.
Adding injury (or sickness) to insult, our beloved Rusty Razor, Bryan Rust exited after skating just two shifts. Evan Rodrigues would soon follow, leaving us two forwards short. Three if you counted Evgeni Malkin, sitting out the first of a four-game suspension.
I thought we were goners for sure.
But the Pens didn’t roll over. To the contrary, they dug their heels in and began clawing away at the Islanders’ lead. Eventually knotting the score not once but twice before pushing the game to overtime and then a shootout.
No, we didn’t win, coming out on the short end of a 5-4 score. But we did earn a point. Perhaps more important, we showed more heart and moxie than at any time in recent memory. Something to hang your hat on.
Casey DeSmith typified the team’s performance.