Penguins Fall Just Short in Loss to Stars
The Pittsburgh Penguins fought valiantly in an uphill battle against one of the best teams in the NHL.
Even without a mountain of injuries, the Pittsburgh Penguins traveling to take on the Dallas Stars on the second half of a back-to-back was going to be a tall task.
The Penguins have struggled recently, while the Stars are the top team in the Central Division.
Heading towards puck drop, there was also a fair amount of uncertainty surrounding the Penguins’ lineup.
Dustin Tokarski and Filip Hallander were emergency recalls while Jake Guentzel and Jason Zucker were considered game-time decisions.
Guentzel and Zucker were good to go, but it was Tristan Jarry who was not dressed do to a lower-body injury.
With Casey DeSmith as the starter and still missing four starting defensemen, the Penguins needed a strong game to keep fighting for a playoff spot.
The first period was fairly high-event with both team posting well over 10 shots through 20 minutes.
The Stars capitalized first, though, with a goal just before the mid-way point of the frame; they held that lead into the intermission.
Looking to keep the game close and fight back, Sidney Crosby and the Penguins answered back early in the second period.
The goal from Crosby was his first ever in Dallas, finally giving him a goal in every NHL city.
The Penguins followed Crosby’s goal with a solid run of momentum, holding the Stars without a shot in the second period for just over seven minutes.
The score remained 1-1 through the remainder of the second period and it came down to whichever team won the final period.
Chad Ruhwedel took a bad high sticking penalty that opened the flood gates for the Stars.
Not only did the Stars capitalize on the ensuring power play, but they answered with a second goal to take a 3-1 lead.
Down by a pair of goals, the Penguins were given the tall task of trying to beat Stars' goalie Jake Oettinger multiple times in less than 10 minutes.
P.O. Joseph gave the Penguins some life with a perfectly placed shot to pull his team within one.
DeSmith went to the bench to give the Penguins the extra attacker and gained a man-advantage with a Stars penalty with about a minutes left.
The Penguins had the 6-on-4 advantage and sustained pressure, but Oettinger stopped everything he faced.
It was Oettinger's big saves that pushed the Stars to defeat the Penguins by a final score of 3-2.
The Penguins didn't get a much needed two points, but they still maintain their spot in the playoff race until at least Saturday.
No matter what, the battle against the Stars was going to be tough, but the Penguins played a respectable game.
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