Penguins Hang Tough, Earn Point in 3-2 Shootout Loss to Panthers
When the final curtain drops on the 2024-25 NHL season, our Penguins may once again find themselves on the outside of the playoff picture looking in. Our defense is threadbare, the goaltending a little too iffy, and there doesn’t seem to be enough talent up front to go around.
Just don’t tell that to the players.
Indeed, the one thing I like about this bunch is its moxie. Unlike the teams of the past couple of seasons, this one seems to possess some push back and tensile strength.
Last night our guys battled the defending Cup champions hard for 65 minutes, and in the Panthers’ barn to boot. Down 2-1 in the late stages of regulation play, the Pens refused to give up or give in. When Sam Bennett took an ill-advised run at Drew O’Connor to earn a roughing penalty with two minutes to play, we made him pay.
With 40 seconds remaining and an empty net yawning at our backs, Evgeni Malkin moved to open space and fed Michael Bunting a short pass below the right circle. “Bunts” wasted no time in slipping the biscuit to Rickard Rakell in the bumper position.