Pregame

Kris Letang made a return to the lineup for the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Vancouver Canucks, who were hosting the game, presented their starting lineup to face off against the Pens.

First Period

The Penguins struck first, but the goal was quickly called back after a challenge by the Canucks. Egor Chinakhov managed to sneak a puck in from right in front of the net, but he was offside and had taken a step ahead of the play at the blue line, resulting in an easy reversal of the goal.

Jack St. Ivany left the bench during the middle of the period, which led to the Penguins having only five defenders on the ice for the remainder of the first period.

The Canucks also had a disallowed goal in this period. Conor Garland fired a slapshot from outside that found its way past Stuart Skinner, but the referee immediately ruled it out because Teddy Blueger had backed all the way into the crease and made contact with Skinner using his backside.

With no goals scored in the first period, the score remained 0-0. Vancouver held a slight advantage in shots, 9-8, with Skinner making a few impressive saves throughout the frame.

Second Period

Vancouver earned their first power play of the game when Anthony Mantha hit an opponent in the face. The Penguins’ penalty kill handled the situation effectively, with Skinner making several key saves.

The Penguins’ second line delivered again, this time scoring a goal that counted. Chinakhov picked up the puck, and Novak set up Evgeni Malkin for a streaking goal that put the Pens ahead 1-0.

Next, it was Ben Kindel’s moment to shine. The 18-year-old recorded his first goal in 19 games by redirecting a puck from close range, much to the delight of 180 family and friends in attendance.

Kindel continued his momentum, scoring another goal to extend the lead to 3-0. He even managed to shatter the camera within the net, earning a bonus point for his effort.

The visitors had a strong second period, scoring three goals and opening up a significant lead.

Third Period

It took nearly six minutes for Vancouver to get their first shots of the third period, but they made them count. Jake DeBrusk followed up on a shot and managed to put the puck into the net, reducing the deficit to 3-1.

Despite the loss, the Canucks showed resilience. Filip Hronek took a powerful slapshot that bounced around a few times before going off Teddy Blueger and into the net, making the score 3-2 with just 6:00 remaining.

With about two minutes left, goalie Kevin Lankinen was pulled as Vancouver tried to create a 6v5 advantage. They had a great look at the net, but Skinner made a diving save that brought back memories of Marc-Andre Fleury’s legendary performances in Detroit.

The Canucks kept throwing everything at the net, including bodies, sticks, and pucks, but they couldn’t break through Skinner’s defense before the final buzzer sounded, securing the win for the Penguins.

Some Thoughts

Novak has been performing exceptionally well in the neutral zone lately. Whether it’s skating the puck into the zone or blocking breakout attempts, he’s been everywhere on the ice. His efforts have paid off with key plays, such as the setup for the Malkin goal, and he continues to be a constant presence on the puck.

Ben Kindel scored two goals! Despite not having many goals recently, he’s been playing well all over the ice. His homecoming in Vancouver was a special moment, especially with his family in the luxury box. It’s unclear how expensive the weekend was for Kindel, but the old joke about playing for free might hold some truth, given the two goals, including the game-winning one.

One notable stat of the day was that today marked the 1,000th game (including playoffs) for the Big 3 in the lineup together.

Jack St. Ivany only played three shifts (2:54 total) before leaving due to an upper body injury. This meant the Penguins had to rely on only five defenders for the rest of the game.

Letang was eased back into the lineup, though his overall ice time was limited (16:50 through two periods). He wasn’t used on the penalty kill, which isn’t typical for him this season (averaging 1:27 per game), but he still ranked fourth among Pittsburgh defenders in terms of regular shifts.

Stuart Skinner delivered another quality start, as has become his norm. There were moments where he didn’t have much action, but he was crucial during the start of the game and the Canucks’ power play in the second period. At the halfway point of the game, Vancouver had over 2 expected goals, but Skinner ensured that none of them became actual goals.

Could this have been another overtime or shootout loss for the Penguins? It seemed like it was trending that way until Skinner’s late-game heroics.

The Penguins might be looking forward to returning home, where they could potentially gain more power plays. Over the four-game western swing, the team only had six total power plays, and they had zero in this game.

Despite the challenges, the Penguins ended their trip with four wins, which is a significant achievement.

The Penguins are likely hoping the NHL has more teams in the northwest for them to play, but unfortunately, there aren’t any more. The team will return home and aim to carry this momentum into their next game against Buffalo on Thursday.