On the day Sidney Crosby learned he would be on team Canada for the 2014 games, he returned to Vancouver for the first time since winning the gold medal in the 2010 games.
The stakes may not have been as high, but the drama was hard to beat for a regular season game as the Penguins lost a lead, fell into a two goal hole late in the game, then tied the score with just under a minute remaining in regulation, setting up a shootout victory.
Gibbons got the Penguins on the board 13:15 into the first period. The Canucks won an offensive zone face off by defenseman Dan Hamhuis fumbled with the puck and eventually lost it to Gibbons who used his speed to get past the defense before beating the goaltender Eddie Lack with a shot through the five hole.
Five minutes into the second period, Jannik Hansen took a puck off the boards and skated in on Marc-Andre Fleury on a breakaway. Hanson faked the backhand and attempted a forehand shot but was denied. The Penguins came back the other way and got a goal from Evgeni Malkin. James Neal returned a pass to Malkin in the slot but the puck was deflected along the way which threw off the timing of the shot. Malkin got a piece of the puck and fluttered a shot that found its way past Lack.
Lack kept the Canucks in the game with a couple of big saves on Kris Letang later in the second period which sparked a Vancouver comeback.
Sidney Crosby tried to backhand a pass to Gibbons in his own zone but the puck landed right on Garrison’s stick. Garrison blasted the puck over the right shoulder of Fleury for his fifth goal of the season.
The Canucks then tied the game eight minutes into the third period on a shot by Chris Tanev from the left point. Tanev’s shot beat Fleury who was screened by Chris Higgins as the puck squeaked inside the far post.
Chris Higgins gave the Canucks the lead with his 12th goal of the season under the seven minute mark. Higgins received a stretch pass from Hansen and got behind a sleeping Simon Despres before beating Fleury by sliding a backhand shot five hole.
Just 17 second later, Zack Kassian scored on a backhand shot to put the Canucks up by two and seemingly put the game out of reach; but a goal by Kris Letang with 1:11 remaining moved the Penguins within one.
Letang’s slap shot from the point beat Lack on the glove hand to make it 4-3 Canucks.
Crosby needed just sixteen seconds to tie the game for the Penguins. Chris Kunitz batted a puck out of mid air towards the net and Lack made the save, but a big rebound off the save went right to Crosby who buried the puck for the game-tying goal.
After a scoreless overtime, Sidney Crosby beat Lack in the shootout to give Pittsburgh their third straight win.
Three Stars
- Zack Kassian
- Chris Higgins
- Kris Letang
Photo courtesy of NHL.com
