The Pittsburgh Penguins were expected to provide plenty of fireworks with the offseason acquisition of five-time 30-goal scorer Phil Kessel.
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Carey Price and the Canadiens defense shutdown several quality scoring chances, notably a pass across the crease from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton call up Kevin Porter to Patric Hornqvist and a Sidney Crosby shot on a two on one with Chris Kunitz. In each of the other three instances – 1955-56, 1970-71 and 1977-78 (all 4-0-0) – the Canadiens ended the season by hoisting the Stanley Cup.
“It’s good”, Plekanec said of the spotlight changing from game to game. “Whether it’s two units or everyone’s on one, we have to find a way to make sure we’re winning the special teams”.
At 18 years, 273 days, McDavid became the sixth-youngest player in Oilers history to score his first National Hockey League goal (tied with Marc Habscheid: November 29, 1981 at WPG). The second wasn’t our best. “We just can’t pass up those shots (when we get there)”.
After tying the game at 2-2 in the second, a mishandle by Letang led to the eventual victor for the Canadiens.
Jason Spezza scored three goals, including the tiebreaker late in the third period in the Dallas win. “I think we were hard on them early, I think we agitated them a bit”.
Fleischmann scored off a feed from David Desharnais to help Montreal wrap up its season-opening trip at 4-0-0 and drop Pittsburgh to 0-3-0.
The series has followed suit with the Penguins (0-2-0) going 9-2-2 with 3.54 goals per game since the start of 2011-12. Luckily, the team worked on a few drills prior to the game against Pittsburgh, and it paid off. Oddly enough, Jeff Petry and Nathan Beaulieu were manning the blue line when the goal was scored, as opposed to the customary duo of Andrei Markov and P.K. Subban (4 assist each. +6).
Crosby led the Penguins with 237 shots last season, but he doesn’t have any through six periods. Alexander Edler had 1-1-2 and newcomer Adam Cracknell (GWG) scored for the second straight game. Initially, it was the fourth line’s duty to contain them, although head coach Mike Johnston made an in-game adjustment with no fruition. “The third game of the season, and (already) you’re clawing and scraping” for points. The two-time Hart Trophy victor might benefit from a return to the Consol Energy Center as he has collected seven goals and six assists in nine home openers. Dating to last postseason, the Penguins have gone five straight games without scoring more than a goal. We are comfortable together and have a lot of confidence together. “We were the better team in the last period (Saturday), but we couldn’t find the net, and that can’t happen”.
The Penguins take on the Ottawa Senators at home on Thursday, still seeking the first win of the 2015-16 season and hoping to avoid a 0-4-0 start.
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Alas, less than two minutes later, the Penguins would once again draw the game even. The puck found its way to Kris Letang at the Montreal Blueline, and he let loose a knuckler that would find it’s way through Price after deflecting off the stick of Dale Weise.
