Team protection could also be a very powerful facet of the Bruins’ identification.
But now and again, it will be good to have the ability to create some offense out of nothing. That is what the Penguins did on Thursday a few instances, capitalizing on some quick-strike functionality on a few Bruin breakdowns and using it to a 4-0 victory at PPG Paints Arena.
The B’s pumped 52 photographs on Penguins goalie Casey DeSmith however suffered their first shutout since Feb. 10. They additionally went 0-for-2 on the facility play, with benefits coming within the third interval when a purpose may have gotten the B’s again within the sport. The streak of futility is now at an 0-for-29 stretch.
The Penguins took a 1-0 lead at 7:49 of the primary interval. It appeared just like the B’s had dodged a bullet after the Pens hit the put up and Charlie McAvoy gathered the free puck earlier than clearing it out to the impartial zone. But because the B’s modified, the Pens went proper again on the assault. Rikard Rackell moved the puck to Sidney Crosby by the boards on the blue line and Crosby hit Jake Guentzel in stride. With Charlie Coyle defending, Guentzel made a slick transfer to his forehand and shortly received off a shot that beat Jeremy Swayman.
The Pens had the lone energy play of the primary and the B’s survived it, thanks in nice half to Derek Forbort’s willingness to eat pucks. He made three blocks and thwarted a cross. The B’s by no means cleared the zone throughout your complete two minutes however they managed to maintain it out of the online and preserve it at a one-goal deficit going into the second interval.
The sport turned within the first seven minutes of the second.
The B’s appeared decided to even it up early within the interval after they received the primary 10 photographs on web, however they might not get one by DeSmith.
And then, on its first shot of the interval, Pittsburgh made it 2-0 at 6:10. Off an extended diagonal cross from John Marino, Jeff Carter sprung Jason Zucker with a pleasant contact cross. Zucker, not picked up by both Coyle or Brandon Carlo, broke in alone on the left wing and beat Swayman excessive over the glove facet.
That appeared to take all of the wind out of the B’s sails.
Coach Bruce Cassidy tried flipping his three proper wings round, placing Craig Smith as much as the Taylor Hall-Erik Haula line, Marc McLaughlin to the Coyle-Trent Frederic line and Curtis Lazar again all the way down to the fourth line with Nick Foligno and Tomas Nosek.
But that couldn’t preserve the Pens from taking a 3-0 lead at 16:12. The Pens made a excessive lob into the Boston zone and Carlo tried to clear however banged it off Matt Grzelcyk’s shin pad, placing the puck into the excessive slot. Kris Letang pounced on it and carried it in deep earlier than making a ravishing cross-ice cross to Guentzel for his second of the sport.
After the B’s failed on their two third-period energy performs, Guentzel scored into an empty web to notch the hat trick together with his fortieth purpose of the season.
Source: www.bostonherald.com