PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Penguins’ six-game winning streak is over. They took more than a period to pick up their pace and never led.
Not only did the Penguins’ streak end, but so, too, did the Calgary Flames’ four-game losing streak as Calgary definitively won 2-1 at PPG Paints Arena.
Calgary had not scored a second goal in their last three games, and the trend continued for most of the game Saturday. However, in the first minute of the third period, Penguins defenseman Kris Letang pinched along the right wall, but unsuccessfully. Calgary converted the resulting three-on-two odd-man rush when winger Matt Coronato (12) snapped a stick-side wrister past Penguins goalie Arturs Silovs at :42 of the third.
The goal gave Calgary a 2-1 lead, which held to the end.
The Penguins’ first period was in stark contrast to their six-game winning streak. The team managed just five shots against energetic Calgary, who attacked at all points.
The Penguins struggled with Calgary’s puck pressure and made a few mistakes in the first half of the first period, yielding a couple of two-on-ones and ultimately a breakaway goal.
Just a couple of minutes into the game, Conor Zary intercepted Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea’s pass across the blue line and had a 115-foot breakaway. Zary (8) slipped a backhand through Silovs’s five-hole for a 1-0 lead at 2:33.
As the second period progressed, the Penguins finally found some energy and their rhythm.
Shea atoned for his first-period giveaway with a takeaway in the middle of the second period. Egor Chinakhov took the puck from teammate Ben Kindel at the red line, racing ahead for a two-on-one break with Evgeni Malkin.
Malkin faked a shot, instead sliding the puck back to Chinakhov (5) who snapped a wrist shot past Calgary goalie Devin Cooley for a 1-1- tie at 9:17.
The Penguins visibly reversed their first period slog, and outshot Calgary 10-6 in the second. According to NaturalStatTrick.com, the Penguins also had five high-danger chances and allowed zero.
The only players who had more than two shots after the second period were Calgary’s Joel Farabee and Penguins winger Justin Brazeau, who each had three.
The Penguins had a tying goal waved off in the middle of the third period, moments after Penguins game operations borrowed a page from their cross-town colleagues and played Renegade from Styx.
Amidst the towel-waving 16,000 fans, Tommy Novak appeared to score, but referees immediately ruled no goal as Sidney Crosby had knocked Cooley to the ice.
Silovs was injured at 15:35 of the third, but remained in the game. He stopped 24 of 26 shots. Cooley turned aside 27 of 28.
Penguins Notes
Before the game, the Penguins announced that winger Bryan Rust was out day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Kevin Hayes slotted into the lineup, and coach Dan Muse adjusted his top three lines.
Tommy Novak-Sidney Crosby-Rickard Rakell
Evgeni Malkin-Ben Kindel-Egor Chinakhov
Anthony Mantha-Kevin Hayes-Justin Brazeau
Connor Dewar-Blake Lizotte-Noel Acciari
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