An effective power play has the Carolina Hurricanes heading in the right direction.
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In the hope of snapping their three game losing skid and giving head coach Mike Sullivan his first win as Pittsburgh’s coach.
Jordan Staal and John-Michael Liles scored first-period power-play goals to lead the Hurricanes over the struggling Penguins 2-1 on Saturday night.
Vatrano wasn’t the only UMass product with a couple of points Friday, as his former teammate in Conor Sheary had both a goal and an assist for the first two points of his career.
“It’s always nice when the power play is clicking, ” Staal said. “We just have to keep going forward”.
The Penguins have lost five straight, including four since hiring Mike Sullivan as coach to replace the fired Mike Johnston (see full recap).
“It’s the first time I’ve done that”, he told reporters after the game, as aired on “Bruins Overtime LIVE”.
Sullivan, putting an upbeat spin on the Penguins’ situation: “Sometimes, you feel like you’re sludging uphill, but when you continue to try to improve your game and play the right way, it starts to turn”. Pittsburgh C Nick Bonino returned after missing Wednesday game due to illness…. Goaltender Cam Ward made 16 saves for the Hurricanes. He started a 2-0 loss Friday night against Florida, allowing one goal on 17 shots.
The Penguins got their only goal when Evgeni Malkin scored during a power play at 1:59 of the second.
Boston scored even strength, shorthanded, on the power play and during 4-on-4 play. “We’ve got a lot of guys that can play power-play time”.
Daley tonight was the Penguins’ best defenseman tonight.
Although Hurricanes left winger Jeff Skinner didn’t get a goal Saturday night, he has scored six in the past five games. He, along with goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, are carrying this team on their backs and are probably wondering when this team is going to left some of the weight off of their backs.
Malkin’s goal marked the first time the Penguins have scored with a man-advantage in eight games. Landon Ferraro was able to pin the puck along the boards during a Bruins line change and once his reinforcements arrived, he fed Ryan Spooner who found Vatrano who found the back of the net.
Ottawa has won just two of its past five games. “I don’t really care what anybody says about the Penguins; they’ve got a really good team over there, some high-end skill, and you really have to be on your toes”.
Pittsburgh Penguins’ Patric Hornqvist (72) can’t get the puck past Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask (40) on a wraparound during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Friday, Dec. 18, 2015, in Pittsburgh.
Staal was drafted by the Penguins with the No. 2 overall pick in 2006 and won a Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh in 2009, but was sent to Carolina in a 2012 summer trade. Surrounded by four Penguins, Vatrano prevents David Warsofsky from clearing the puck with his hand, recollects himself and slams it into an open net to increase the Bruins’ lead to three goals.
– USA Hockey on Thursday presented Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs with the Lester Patrick Trophy, given annually to an individual who displays “outstanding service to hockey in the United States”. Defenseman Justin Faulk picked up his 100th career assist.
Liles scored on a slap shot from the point, a goal that turned out to be the eventual game-winner.
Patrice Bergeron added two goals, Loui Eriksson also scored, Ryan Spooner added three assists and Brad Marchand had two for Boston, which swept the teams’ home-and-home series after winning 3-0 at home on Wednesday night.
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Daley and Sidney Crosby assisted on Malkin’s goal. We play better, we’re tight.
