Tomas Vokoun was looking for a pleasant homecoming when he returned to Florida to face his formal team. Instead, he was pulled in the second period and the Penguins were forced to play catchup. While they did even the score before the second intermission, a mistake by Kris Letang and a perfect shot from Tomas Fleischmann ended up making the difference as the Panthers defeated the Penguins 6-4.
Tomas Kopecky got the Panthers on the board with a backhand shot. Brian Campbell took the puck to the slot and delayed before shooting a slap shot that was originally stopped by Vokoun. The puck was kicked right to Kopecky who backhanded it into the net.
James Neal added his 13th goal of the season just 51 seconds into second period. Neal fired a wrist shot from the right point and the puck squeezed between Theodore and the left post as the goaltender appeared to be cheating in anticipation of a shot from Sidney Crosby.
The game wouldn’t remain tied very long.
The Penguins sent a parade of players into the penalty box in the second period and the Panthers took advantage. Just twelve seconds after Matt Cooke went to the box for delay of game, Brooks Orpik took an elbowing penalty to give the Panthers a 5 on 3 power play.
Kopecky scored one second after the first power play and the Penguins got a power play of their own as a result of the melee that ensued after the goal. Tomas Fleischmann’s shot was stopped in front but Kopecky was able to spin around and slide the puck past the right pad of Vokoun. As Kopecky was celebrating the goal, Craig Adams crosschecked him into Vokoun which led to an eight man scrum around the cage. In the end, Tomas Vokoun, Kris Letang, Brian Campbell and Tomas Kopecky all had penalties.
Later in the second period, Tanner Glass took a high-sticking penalty. Brian Campbell’s slap shot whizzed past Vokoun’s stick side as there was a delayed penalty called on Pascal Dupuis. Marcel Goc scored his first goal of the season thirty seconds later, adding a fourth power play goal of the game for Florida. Tomas Kopecky cut straight to the net then dished a pass to Goc for the easy goal, ending Vokoun’s night.
The Penguins were down 4-1 with 11:06 remaining in the period. They would head to the second intermission tied at four a piece.
Dustin Jeffrey took a slap shot from the right face off circle and the puck squibbed through Theodore. After the Penguins killed the Panthers’ sixth power play of the game, Paul Martin scored to move the Penguins within one. With the Penguins on the power play, Chris Kunitz tried to center the puck but it bounced off the defenseman Colby Robak and went five-hole on Theodore.
The Panthers took a penalty early in the third period but Scott Clemmensen, now replacing Theodore, made five saves on the Penguins before Fleischmann scored to give the Panthers the lead again.
Kris Letang tried to pinch in the offensive zone and Jerred Smithson’s outlet pass to Fleischmann, coming out of the penalty box, resulted in a two on one chance. Fleischmann’s wrist shot beat Marc-Andre Fleury on the stick side, rattling off the right post before going into the net.
Clemmensen stood tall for the remainder of the game and the Panthers did an excellent job to crowd the neutral zone and prevent any clean entries by the Penguins. The Penguins pulled Fleury with just over a minute remaining and Tomas Kopecky’s clearing attempted bounced into the empty cage for the hat trick.
- Paul Martin’s goal moved him into a tie for second in most points by a defenseman this season.
- The Penguins have given up 16 goals in their last four games.
Three Stars
- Brian Campbell
- Tomas Kopecky
- Tomas Fleischmann
Photo courtesy of NHL.com
