One of the wildest games in Pittsburgh hockey history ended when Rick Nash’s shootout attempt hit the top of Marc-Andre Fleury’s glove and trickled just wide of the cage.
Nash had just come back from the Rangers locker room; where he and his teammates were celebrating a 3-2 shootout win over the Penguins. Their celebration was short lived.
A call from the NHL war room in Toronto prompted referees Graham Skilliter and Kelly Sutherland to take another look at the Dan Boyle goal that had seemingly ended the game moments earlier.
After a quick review, it was determined that Boyle had hit the puck after it had struck the goal post to the left of Fluey on his attempt, and the shootout was back on.
“I was mad,” Fleury said, after thinking he had allowed the game-winning goal. “I had my jersey off, helmet off.” He added, “I was happy to get a second chance at it.”
Moments later, Brandon Sutter scored the game-winning goal as went five-hole to beat Henrik Lundqvist and give the Penguins the shootout lead.
The drama in the shootout was presaged by a frenetic pace through three periods and overtime that saw six power plays and 119 shots attempted, but just two goal for each side as Lundqvist and Fleury equaled each other through 65 minutes.
Lundqvist made two sparkling saves in overtime, stopping Sidney Crosby on a breakaway just moments into the extra frame, and then again blanking Kris Letang as he came out of the box during a Penguins penalty kill.
The Penguins had 44 hits in the game, and none was more impactful than the bone-rattling check Evgeni Malkin delivered to Rangers defensemen Dan Girardi late in the third period. As Girardi circled behind the net with his head down, Malkin put his shoulder into the chest of the Rangers defenseman and dropped him flat on his back.
“It’s just a tough game and I want to play hard sometimes,” Malkin said, “It’s just a good forecheck, and playing hard.”
Girardi was able to return to the game for overtime.
Malkin was impactful on the scoresheet as well. He took a cross-ice feed from Nick Spaling to tie the game in the middle of the second period and assisted, along with Patric Hornqvist, on Blake Comeau’s opening-frame tally that started off the scoring.
The Rangers scored two late first period goals two give them the lead. Just 15 seconds after Comeau’s goal, Lee Stempniak picked up his own rebound and beat Fleury from in front the net to tie the game at one goal a piece. Girardi and Carl Hagelin assisted Stempniak’s goal.
Less than a minute later, Steve Downie took a slashing minor— giving him 60 penalty minutes on the season and extending his league lead. Martin St. Louis scored from a sharp angle on the right wing side of an outstretched Fleury. Derrick Brassard and Nash had the assists on the power play goal.
The Penguins penalty killers finished 1-for-4 on the night. The Rangers killed both of the Penguins power plays.
Photo credit: NHL
