The end of the preseason is approaching quickly, here’s how the Penguins were going in their second to last game of the exhibition campaign.
The Buffalo Sabres bring a very strong roster to the proceedings, as to be expected this time of year for the home team.
Pretty dull game early on that opened up when the Pens got the game’s first power play. Tristan Broz did his thing, poking a goal home from in front of the net after Philip Tomasino took the puck hard to the crease. 1-0.
The lead didn’t last long, on the next shift Peyton Krebs played Ryan Shea like a fiddle, drawing the defender in and then passing around him to Josh Norris. Shea turned, hacked at Josh Norris and the ref’s arm went up for a penalty until Norris saved them all the trouble by tucking a goal on the backhand around the leg of Arturs Silovs. Nice play by Krebs and Norris there but that’s not film Shea will want to have on tape.
ffPittsburgh returned the favor with a goal on a delayed penalty call in the second period, Ben Kindel laid over a perfect pass for Matt Dumba to lean into and Dumba hammered it home. 2-1.
The Pens get another power play and convert it into another power play goal. Filip Hallander gets tied up in front of the net but pokes the puck out for Avery Hayes to lift into the net. 3-1.
Josh Norris scored in front early in the third period to bring the score back to 3-2.
Ville Koivunen gets the two-goal lead back by slipping in behind the defense and getting a nice pass from Shea and converting his rush chance. 4-2.
Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin makes the Pens pay with Blake Lizotte in the penalty box for high stick by skating through Joona Koppanen and Brunicke and then coolly flipping the puck by Silovs. 4-3 game.
Hallander scores into the empty net to finish it out, 5-3.
Some thoughts and stray observations:
One more preseason game to go on Friday night at home against the Sabres. The stars should be out for the Penguins, for roster purposes it’ll be worth tracking who is joining them in the lineup.