As the Pittsburgh Penguins get ready to revist the site where they were awarded the 2009 Stanley Cup last June -- Joe Louis Arena in Detroit -- when they play the Red Wings in a nationally televised matchup tonight (7:00 PM EST, Versus), they are still stinging a bit from their overtime defeat to the pesky Carolina Hurricanes at Mellon Arena on Saturday afternoon.
The Penguins were sluggish all game, continuing their recent trend of what must be a disconcerting theme for coach Dan Bylsma with 10 regular season games remaining:
Inconsistency.
Coming off a 3-0 shutout victory over the Boston Bruins on Thursday night in Beantown, Pittsburgh was hoping to get a little streak going by beating the Hurricanes, but they sure didn't show it on the ice.
They were outshot 29-25 and, frankly, were fortunate to be in the position they were in, leading 2-1 with a few minutes left in regulation.
After Carolina forward Zach Boychuk scored just his 3rd goal of the season in the first period -- and second in two games against the Penguins -- the Pens' waited until the very end of the second frame before getting the tying tally on a power play by Jordan Staal, his 20th of the season.
Then, with less than 7 minutes to go in the 3rd period, they took the lead on a goal by Evgeni Malkin, who returned after missing 2 games with a foot injury and probably was the most dangerous Penguin on the ice.
Unfortunately, they couldn't hold that lead, as Hurricanes' defenseman Joni Pitkanen tied it up with 4 minutes left, beating Pens' netminder Marc-Andre Fleury and sending the third game of the 4 between these clubs this season into overtime.
The Penguins probably had the better of chances in the extra frame, but that changed in the last 20 seconds.
Forward Chad Larose of Carolina broke into the Pittsburgh zone 2-on-1, took a shot from the far circle and rang it off the post behind Fleury. Rather than just coast to the shootout, though, Larose hustled for the puck, won it along the boards, and tossesd it back to the point to rookie defenseman Jamie McBean for one last shot before time ran out.
Sure enough, McBean's shot glanced off the hand of Pens' center and Captain Sidney Crosby before deflecting by Fleury with 9/10ths of a second remaining in the overtime for a Carolina victory.
So, while Pittsburgh raised their lead on the New Jersey Devils in the Atlantic Division to 2 points -- a lead which held up when former teammate and current goaltender of the St. Louis Blues, Ty Conklin, shut out the Devils 1-0 later that night -- the Penguins were once again left with that distinctly unsavory feeling in their mouths after not being able to beat a team that is clinging to its playoff chances and has given them trouble all season.
Going into tonight's game against Detroit -- who the Penguins beat in a shootout at home earlier this year on January 31 -- Bylsma let it be known to his team that he isn't happy with their work of late, and that they need to be much more consistent down the stretch of the season if they are going to be in the best position to make a run at another Stanley Cup.
With the contest tonight against another team fighting for their playoff lives -- and the big one which follows it on the road on Wednesday in Washington -- the Penguins should have no shortage of motivation.
We'll see whether they can raise their game enough to start the ball rolling in the right direction.
Recap tomorrow.
Let's Go Pens!
NOTES:
Malkin tweaked his injured foot in overtime on Saturday afternoon when he awkwardly slid into the boards behind the net. He said the blow made it sore again, and took yesterday's short practice off, but is optimistic he'll be able to go tonight.
LW Matt Cooke was also given practice off yesterday.
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