It may have taken three years but Sidney Crosby found another way to haunt the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Crosby scored a goal and added the game-winning shootout marker to push the Penguins over the Maple Leafs 5-4, Saturday night at the Air Canada Centre. It was Crosby’s first game in Toronto since January 9th, 2010; a game that ended in a 4-1 victory for Pittsburgh thanks to two points from Sidney Crosby and two goals from Sergei Gonchar.
The Penguins jumped out to a 3-1 lead after the first period, only to see the Leafs come back and tie the score at four with under five minutes remaining in the third. After a fast-paced overtime, the Penguins were able to white-wash the Leafs in the shootout, outscoring Toronto 2-0.
James Neal scored his 16th of the season just 36 seconds into the contest. Evgeni Malkin won the face off back to Kris Letang who set up Matt Niskanen for a one-timer. The shot was partially blocked by Phil Kessel’s stick and the puck went right to Neal in the slot who fired an off-balance slap shot that found its way past James Reimer.
The Maple Leafs came back later in the period to tie the score with a power play goal from James van Riemsdyk. Beau Bennett went to the box for holding and it took the Leafs twelve seconds to score a goal on the power play. Phil Kessel shot the puck from the half boards but JVR deflected the puck past Fleury as he was screening the goaltender in front.
The Penguins would score two more goals before the end of the period. Kris Letang muffed a shot from inside the blue line but Reimer failed to corral the bouncing puck. Letang intercepted Reimer’s attempted clear and tried to score on the wide open cage but hit the post. The puck came out to Sidney Crosby who buried his twelfth of the season.
Just 50 seconds later, Paul Martin scored to give the Penguins a two goal lead. Martin skated down right side and threw the puck on net hoping to give the Penguins a big rebound. The puck was kicked out by Reimer’s right pad but Carl Gunnarson swept it into his own net trying to keep Beau Bennett from pouncing on the rebound.
The Leafs came back in the second period and outscored the Penguins 2-1 to bring the total score to 4-3.
Cody Franson scored on the power play 10:12 into the second period on a slap shot from the right point. Franson’s slap shot went over the Brandon Sutter as he was laying out to block the shot. The puck beat Marc-Andre Fleury on the high stick side as he was being screened by van Riemsdyk a second time.
Pascal Dupuis scored on a wraparound goal three minutes later to get the Penguins back out to a two goal lead. It didn’t last long as Clark MacArthur scored exactly one minute later to move the Leafs back within one. MacArthur crossed the blue line skated to the left face off circle and fired a wrist shot past the glove hand of Fleury.
The third period saw a lot of up and down action for both teams. Unfortunately for the Penguins, it was also a period of ups and downs for their two star players. Evgeni Malkin was crushed into the boards by JVR, forcing the russian star out of the game after he attempted one more shift. Shortly after Malkin’s hit, Sidney Crosby went flying into the boards after he was upended but a Toronto defenseman.
Crosby would return.
The Leafs weathered a storm of shots from the Penguins before tying the score at four late in the third period. Mark Fraser’s shot from the left point hit a body in front and produced a rebound for an easy put back by Kessel.
In overtime both teams picked up the intensity, possibly giving a glimpse of what a future playoff series might look like in a few months. Neither team was able to score and the game went into a shootout.
Marc-Andre Fleury stopped Tyler Bozak while James Reimer allowed a goal to James Neal. After Nazem Kadri was denied, Sidney Crosby picked the top right corner of the net with a perfectly placed snap shot to beat Reimer and the Maple Leafs.
- Per NHL.com and the Penguins, Malkin was held out of overtime for precautionary reasons. He did suffer an upper body injury but it is not concussion-related.
- Clarke MacArthur has 9 goals in 23 career games against the Penguins. Phil Kessel has 9 goals in 25 career games against the Penguins.
- The Penguins have given up four goals in their last seven penalty kill opportunities.
Three Stars
- Sidney Crosby
- Phil Kessel
- Dion Phaneuf
Photo courtesy of NHL.com
