I still can’t believe we managed to fuck things up with 0.1 seconds left in the 3rd. If that isn’t peak Penguins hockey, I honestly don’t know what is. And with that, we’re now up to seven points left on the table in OT.

But hey, I’m not trying to be ALL doom and gloom here. Admittedly, there was plenty to like about that game, regardless of how it turned out. Shea, Graves, Mantha, Kindel, Novak, Acciari, and even Silovs were dialed in. (And I’m probably still forgetting someone.) The boys fought hard, didn’t quit, and went toe-to-toe with a great team. OT issues aside, this team has been damn fun to watch.

Now, it’s time to focus on the present. Tonight our heroes host the Montreal Canadiens for game 2 of this 5 game home stretch. Montreal’s a pretty banged up team, and like us, are coming into this one on a 2 game losing streak. This will be the 1st of 3 battles against the Habs this season, and while I don’t like to try and predict how a game will go, I’ve got a good feeling about this one. If we play anything like we did on Tuesday, minus the whole “giving up a goal with 0.1 seconds left” thing, we should be able to win this and start building back some momentum.

And hey, for some more positivity, word on the street is Rakell has been cleared for contact and could return within the next week, which is a reason for all of us to celebrate.

Projected Lines:

Novak – Crosby – Rust

Mantha – Hayes – Brazeau

McGroarty – Kindel – Koivunen

Heinen – Dewar – Acciari

Defense:

Wotherspoon – Karlsson

Shea – Letang

Graves – Clifton

Goalies:

Silovs

Jarry

Injuries

Canadiens Lines