{"id":328474,"date":"2025-10-24T06:37:18","date_gmt":"2025-10-24T06:37:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/328474\/"},"modified":"2025-10-24T06:37:18","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T06:37:18","slug":"penguins-florida-recap-plucky-pens-power-past-panthers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/328474\/","title":{"rendered":"Penguins\/Florida Recap: Plucky Pens power past Panthers"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Penguins stick with the familiar forward groups and rotate Harrison Brunicke out in favor of Connor Clifton getting into his second game of the season. The even goalie rotation continues which makes it Tristan Jarry\u2019s night.<\/p>\n

Their opponents on the night, the Florida Panthers, are going with this lineup:<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh starts out well, Tommy Novak keeps his legs moving and makes Jeff Petry take him down to send the Penguins to the game\u2019s first power play. The power play stays hot, albeit in a messy play around the net. Bryan Rust eventually gets the puck and Sidney Crosby has expertly removed himself from the fray, just waiting for the puck. Rust gets it to him, Crosby wrists a puck in before Sergei Bobrovsky can get back square to him. 1-0 Pens.<\/p>\n

The visitors continue the better of the play, late in the period Rust gets tangled up with Anton Lundell and many players on both teams get together. Parker Wotherspoon jumps into the fray to help his buddy and gets a penalty for it. Rust and a Panther also go, granting Florida their first power play of the night but the period ends before they can get much going.<\/p>\n

Shots are 7-6 PIT, they\u2019ve had a few slow starts recently (only one goal for in the previous three opening periods) and did well to get on the board in the early going on the road.<\/p>\n

The Pens kill off the rest of the penalty and later on get the game\u2019s second goal. The Crosby line goes to work around the boards, holding the puck, working it to the point and wearing down the opponent. Eventually Erik Karlsson gets the puck on net, the rebound sits right there for Rickard Rakell to poke into the net for his third goal of the season to extend the league to 2-0.<\/p>\n

Clifton heads to the box soon after, and the Panthers scored quickly on their second power play of the game. Brad Marchand set up shot at the far post and lets Mackie Samoskevich\u2019s shot\/pass go off Marchand and into the net. 2-1.<\/p>\n

Right off the next faceoff, the Panthers get a great chance off the rust but luckily for the Pens Marchand shoots high and wide this time.<\/p>\n

The Panthers control play for much of the period but then 18-year old Ben Kindel pops up to score. Kindel and Tommy Novak play a two-man game, passing the puck back and forth twice in the offensive zone. The crescendo is when Novak feeds Kindel for a one-time blast that beats Bobrovsky high to the short-side. 3-1 Pens with 4:36 to go in the second.<\/p>\n

Shots went 13-5 FLA in the second period, but the scoring went 2-1 in the middle frame to the Pens. The champs were in the midst of a push there in the middle, that late-ish period goal by Kindel looms large to re-extend the lead back to two goals.<\/p>\n

The Panthers narrowly miss a tap in right at the start of the period and then head to a power play when Evgeni Malkin trips a player in the offensive zone. The Panthers score again, creating a mini 2-on-1 down low, Ryan Shea takes the pass lane away for Marchand at the back door but Sam Reinhart is unmarked to snap a shot by Jarry. 3-2 game with 17:36 still to go.<\/p>\n

Every time the Pens have needed a response tonight, they\u2019ve found it and they get it again. Karlsson sends a puck up the ice and over a few defenders for Connor Dewar. Dewar doesn\u2019t get much on a low shot that some how hits Bobrovsky and floats past him and into the net. 4-2 game with 15:11 to play. Strange one, it looked like Bobrovsky was going to reach out and swipe the slow shot away, but instead ended up bungling it and having it leak on by.<\/p>\n

The Panthers aren\u2019t champs for nothin\u2019, they don\u2019t go away easy. Marchand scores his second of the night dekeing a puck to his backhand and tucking it in with 8:54 to go. 4-3 game.<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh finally gets their first power play since early in the game with Aaron Ekblad off for interference. It takes a matter of seconds before some elite passing from Rust to Malkin to Rakell to Crosby who lifts the puck into the net to re-establish a two-goal lead at 5-3 with 8:11 left in regulation. Big answer just 43 seconds to match Marchand\u2019s second goal of the night with Crosby\u2019s second.<\/p>\n

Jarry makes a scorpion-esque type of save with his lower leg to deny Marchand\u2019s hat trick effort.<\/p>\n

The Pens ice the puck with 3:42 to play and Florida moves to pull the goalie.<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh can\u2019t score on the empty net via pressure, the Panthers hit a couple of posts and resort to a timeout with 1:08 to play for a final push. They don\u2019t create much in the end.<\/p>\n