The Pittsburgh Penguins’ first-round Stanley Cup playoff series with the New York Rangers got out to a nightmarish start on Thursday night. The Penguins completed one of the worst first periods in recent memory, giving up a goal on the game’s second shot and taking four minor penalties in the first 20 minutes en route to a 2-1 series-opening loss.
The home crowd at Madison Square Garden didn’t even have time to sit down before Derick Brassard lit the red lamp behind Marc-Andre Fleury, scoring just 28 seconds into the contest. Brassard was the beneficiary of a long rebound let loose by Fleury, who had a hard time handling Rick Nash’s slap shot from the left-wing circle. Keith Yandle had made a long outlet pass to spring Nash behind the Penguins defense.
The Penguins then got themselves into a ton of penalty trouble. The PK unit killed off Chris Kunitz’s goaltender interference minor and Taylor Chorney’s interference penalty, but with Blake Comeau in the box for roughing at 14:33 of the first, Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh fired a slapshot through a Nick Spaling screen and past Fleury to give New York a 2-0 lead.
The Penguins weren’t finished with their parade to the penalty box, as David Perron took an ill-advised slashing penalty at 16:43. The Penguins penalty kill unit was again able to make the kill and escape the first period with just a 2-0 deficit. Because of all of the Penguins penalties, Sidney Crosby played just 3:03 in the first period.
Blake Comeau got the Penguins on the board just after the 6-minute mark of the second period. Penguins defenseman Ben Lovejoy connected on a heavy one-timer from the blue line that Henrik Lundqivst had trouble handling. With Max Lapierre screening Lunqvist, Comeau found the rebound and fired it into the Rangers net to cut the lead in half.
The Penguins were unable to capitalize further, as the Rangers defenders, minus Dan Girardi, who left the game early when he was struck in the face with the puck, frustrated the Penguins attack through the final period-and-a-half.
Fleury made 36 saves in the losing effort, and was stellar down the stretch, keeping the Penguins in it with several key saves. The Pens were outshout 38-25.
Game 2 will be back at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night at 8:00 p.m.
Photo credit: NHLI/Getty Images
