• Who: Penguins (14-8-8) vs. Mammoth (15-18-3)
• What: NHL regular season, Game 31
• When: 3:08 p.m.
• Where: PPG Paints Arena
• Goaltenders: Sergei Murashov (1-1-1, .913 SV%) vs. Karel Vejmelka (13-9-2, .896 SV%)
• TV: SportsNet Pittsburgh
• Stream: SNP360 (local), ESPN+ (out-of-market)
• Radio: Penguins Radio Network
• Boxscore: NHL.com
• Media notes: Penguins | Mammoth
► FOLLOW ALONG
• GOAL: Guenther scores game-winner in OT.
• End third period: Another overtime coming up. Mammoth 38-16 shots.
• GOAL: Karlsson point shot deflected by Brazeau, a bit of emotion by the players after that goal. Kindel picks up the assist, his third point of the game. Tied, 4-4.
• Penguins survive that penalty kill… barely.
• Rust called for hooking with 9:08 to play. This feels kinda important to kill off.
• First TV timeout of the period, Mammoth lead 29-12 on the shot clock. Utah has had too much of the puck this entire game and whatever mental block this team has with the lead and third periods was quickly exposed.
• GOAL: And the Mammoth have taken the lead as Carcone cleans up the mess on the right wing as the loose puck extends beyond the reach of Kindel and Shea. Mammoth, 4-3.
• GOAL: Durzi scores from the right wing circle, all kinds of traffic in front as Graves can’t handle Stenlund and Murashov had no chance to see the puck. Muse challenge for goalie interference and the call was confirmed a good goal. Now a power play for Utah. Tied, 3-3.
• The pressure has been turned up by the Mammoth, some really poor decisions with the puck to clear the zone is compounding the pressure.
• The two goals for the Mammoth were 15 seconds apart at 1:07 and 1:22.
• GOAL: Carcone puts the puck into the goal with the puck off Murashov’s knob of his stick and here’s a timeout by Muse. Penguins, 3-2.
• GOAL: Schmidt fires a rebound behind Murashov, who attempted to steer the puck to the corner but it went right to the defensemen. Penguins, 3-1.
• Third period underway.
• Mammoth have 39-15 edge in shot attempts, 13-7 scoring chances, and 4-1 high danger chances through two periods. If there was ever a second intermission speech for Muse, this would be it. Short shifts and dump the puck.
• End second period: The home team had four shots to Utah’s 10 but take the 3-0 lead into the dressing room.
• A nice shift there by the fourth line to double the team’s shot output for the period with two.
• Another penalty killed by the Penguins.
• Something I don’t want to see… Rakell dropping down to block a shot on the PK.
• Murashov with two quick saves around the net at 5:30 left in the period and does it again around 5:00 left to play. The kid is doing his part.
• Clifton called for interference at 14:11.
• The game is beyond the halfway point, Mammoth hold 11-8 lead in shots.
• Murashov slides across the crease to stone Carcone’s one-timer at 9:03 left in the period.
• Koivunen sits for hooking at 9:04.
• GOAL: Kindel scores on a breakaway, nice pass up the ice by Shea to spring him at 5:40, the other assist to Letang. Penguins, 3-0.
• Rust springs Crosby and Rakell on a 2-on-1, Sid’s pass to Rakell is broken up.
• We’re back underway for the second period. For those tracking, game officials removed two shots for Utah.
• Penguins finished that period with 0 high danger shots to the Mammoth’s 3, so no surprise they had the 1.09 to 0.14 expected goals advantage. Utah had 10-2 lead in scoring chances.
• End first period: Mammoth lead 10-6 in shots on goal. A quiet period in goal for the Penguins, a welcome sight.
• About 1:20 for the top unit, a few good looks but nothing doing.
• Cole goes off for two minutes for roughing Crosby to put the Penguins back on the PP wth 3:27 to go in the period.
• GOAL: Rust scores his 11th goal of the season with 4:37 to play off a terrible turnover that got behind the defense. Rakell picks up an assist. Penguins, 2-0.
• The pace of the action is not as intense as yesterday, not surprising with this being a back-to-back game. Mammoth lead in shots, 9-4, with 5:03 to play and final TV timeout of the first period.
• O’Brien and Shea mixing it up with some pushing and shoving in front of the Penguins’ net ends with Letang coming in with a shot on O’Brien. No penalties.
• Mantha remains on the top unit, though not much happening this time as the penalty expires on Schmidt. Kindel took an elbow to the mouth going to the bench.
• Penguins will go on their first PP, Schmidt for tripping.
• Mammoth lead 5-2 in shots on goal at the first TV timeout (12:59 to play) and we’re back with action.
• Not much for Utah on the PP as Kindel exits the penalty box.
• Hooking penalty on Kindel at 4:30.
• GOAL: Brazeau wth a turnaround pass that banks off the defensemen into the goal. 7th goal of the season, assists to Kindel and McGroarty. Penguins, 1-0.
• Faceoff: Penguins vs. Mammoth, 3:08 p.m., Crosby vs. Hayton
• Dan Muse’s lines and pairings:
Rickard Rakell – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust
Rutger McGroarty – Ben Kindel – Justin Brazeau
Ville Koivunen – Tommy Novak – Anthony Mantha
Connor Dewar – Kevin Hayes – Noel Acciari
Parker Wotherspoon – Erik Karlsson
Ryan Shea – Kris Letang
Ryan Graves – Connor Clifton
• Andre Tourigny’s lines and pairings for the Mammoth:
Clayton Keller – Nick Schmaltz – JJ Peterka
Lawson Croute – Barrett Hayton – Dylan Guenther
Michael Carcone – Jack McBain – Daniil But
Liam O’Brien – Kevin Stenlund – Kailer Yamamoto
Mikhail Sergachev – Sean Durzi
Nate Schmidt – John Marino
Ian Cole – Olli Maatta