The Pittsburgh Penguins went into Thanksgiving with a win and returned from the one-day feast holiday with a big 2-1 win against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on Black Friday.
Despite controlling the pace for much of the contest, some missed assignments, and sloppy play kept the game close, while Tristan Jarry was near perfect between the pipes.
Thankfully, an unlikely hero emerged in the third. Newcomer Philip Tomasino, who potted his first goal of the season and first as a Penguin, earned player of the game honors for his lamplighter, which stood as the winner.
Let’s discuss some takeaways.
Penguins Play Jekyll and Hyde Defense
The Penguins defenseman looked like a dog chasing cars in the first period. They had no clue what was happening around them. Instead, they were focused on one or two things while the rest of the game went on, especially when Charlie Coyle was left wide open for the game’s first goal.
It looked like another disaster in the making, but as the game progressed, Pittsburgh defenders bailed out their goalie and made some key blocks, preserving a tie and a lead late in the third period.
Ultimately, their play on Friday evening was not pretty, but at some points, it was brilliant, and at others, it was a trainwreck. Indeed, the victory against the Bruins was a total team effort.
A Redemption Game for Jarry
Jarry held off the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday night and did the same against the Bruins on Friday, earning his first back-to-back victories since February…of last season.
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Despite his struggles since the opening faceoff, Jarry has had great moments, some somewhat questionable ones. Although he was not precisely on point at TD Garden, he made the necessary saves when called upon and earned a one-goal victory.
Unfortunately, some may say the Bruins are a struggling team, and the Penguins got lucky. However, Jarry must use this Friday night win as a confidence boost and be ready for his next start as he looks to help his teammates continue their quest to turn the ship around.
Rakell is Hands Down Team MVP
How does someone stand out on a team with future Hall of Famers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin? Score timely goals.
Can anyone imagine how bad the season would be if Rickard Rakell weren’t leading the team in lamplighters?
Moreover, Rakell is the only regular player on the roster with a positive plus/minus rating, a sign of his value in every spot he’s placed in the lineup.
Without a doubt, it’s a safe bet to assume that Pittsburgh would be at or near the bottom of the league standings if it weren’t for Rakell’s nine goals during his average 18:32 a night.
After two dominant periods on Friday, the Penguins had nothing to show for it on the scoreboard until Crosby fed Rakell for a much-needed goal in the final second of the middle period.
Without knowing it at the time, his goal was the game’s turning point.
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