Penguins Refuse to Lose, Rally Past Canucks
If…and at this stage of the season it’s still a big IF…our Penguins regroup and make the postseason for a 17th straight year, last night’s exhilarating 5-4 comeback triumph over the Canucks may well serve as the springboard.
Casey DeSmith, the hero of Sunday night’s victory in the desert, simply didn’t have it. The Canucks struck three times within a span of 139 seconds (on five shots) to snatch an early 3-0 lead and send Casey to the bench in favor of journeyman Dustin Tokarski.
Perhaps it was our veteran leadership. Or maybe the boys vowed to win one for Kris Letang, whose father passed away recently. Perhaps the coaches offered a sage word or two. Whatever the source of inspiration, the Pens simply refused to lose.
The Canucks unwittingly opened the door for our comeback when Curtis Lazar and native son J.T. Miller took overlapping penalties to hand us a 5-on-3 near the nine-minute mark.
Appearing more confident with each passing game, Ty Smith skated in from the left point and delivered a gorgeous no-look pass onto the waiting stick of Evgeni Malkin in the right circle.