Before most games, I do a little bit of research. You have to be working in sports to be able to afford the time to watch all of the games or go through all the highlights, stats and scores from around the league. When it comes to learning about our opponents, I usually just check out some informed radio shows, read a few articles from here and writers from the opposing city, and check out their recent, past games to see how they have fared against whatever quality of teams they just faced. Though not full-proof and there’s always my bias of wanting the Pens to win, that method has served me well in being able to come up with a “should be” outcome. I never imagined Dallas would take the Pens into a shootout. I predicted a 4-2 Pens win over the Stars in regulation. I was close being that I was only off by one goal, but the difference between a regulation win and a shootout win is pretty night and day. All I can say about that is, with the depth of high-threat shooters the Pens possess and with how astoundingly effective Fleury has been against 1 on 1 scoring opportunities, when games move into a shootout, I assume the game is all but in-hand for the Penguins.
Onto the good part. Here are the Pens’ goals from last night’s game and some of them are quite pretty looking, if I do say so myself.
(videos are flash so sorry again iOs users)
Already down 1-0 to the Stars, Dupuis forces a turnover and makes a beautiful touch pass off the boards to Steve Sullivan. Sullivan buries the goal with a gorgeous move to the backhand, complimenting Duper’s pass and tying up the score, 1-1.
The Stars answer in the 2nd, making it 2-1 Dallas, going into the 2nd intermission. With 16:27 left in regulation, Staal lets one rip and Craig Adams is able to get a stick on the puck in front of the net, which proves to be enough to make it trickle in behind Lehtonen. 2-2 tie.
Shortly thereafter, the Pens light the lamp again with 15:48 left in regulation, giving them their first lead of the game, 3-2. After working the puck in deep, Malkin is able to send a crisp pass out to the top of the zone to Paul Martin, enabling him a clear shot, redirected by Kunitz into the back of the net.
The Stars are able to tie it up at 3-3, where the score remained through the rest of regulation time. In OT, the Pens are forced to kill a penalty taken late in the 3rd period. With the rest of the overtime period going scoreless, the game is carried into a shootout.
I would hate having to click through every shot separately, so here’s the full shootout video:
As suspenseful as a game can be, the Pens take home the W in a shootout victory, 4-3 over the Dallas Stars.
Hope to see you back soon, Tanger.
