The Pittsburgh Penguins entered Thanksgiving with a win and bounced back from the one-day holiday with a big 2-1 win against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on Black Friday.
Despite controlling the tempo for much of the match, some missed tackles and sloppy play kept the game close while Tristan Jarry was near perfect between the pipes.
Fortunately, an unlikely hero emerged in the third. Rookie Philip Tomasino, who scored his first goal of the season and first as a Penguin, earned man of the match honors for the game-winning lamp.
Let’s discuss some insights.
Penguins Play Jekyll and Hyde Defense
The Penguins defenseman looked like a dog chasing cars in the first period. They had no idea what was going on around them. Instead they concentrated on one or two things as the rest of the game continued, especially when Charlie Coyle was left open for the first goal of the game.
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It looked like another disaster, but as the game wore on, Pittsburgh’s defensemen bailed out their goaltender and made some key blocks to keep the score tied and the lead late in the third period.
In the end, their play on Friday night wasn’t pretty, but it was brilliant at some points and a wreck at others. The win against the Bruins was truly a team effort.
Redemption game for Jarry
Jarry beat the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday night and did the same on Friday against the Bruins for their first back-to-back wins since February… last season.
Related: Best Penguins by jersey number: #67
Despite the problems from the opening throw-in, Jarry had some great moments, some a bit questionable. Although he wasn’t exactly on point at TD Garden, he made the necessary saves when called upon to earn a one-goal win.
Unfortunately, some may say the Bruins are a struggling team and the Penguins were lucky. But Jarry must use Friday’s win as a confidence boost and be ready for another start as he looks to help his team-mates continue their turnaround efforts.
Rakell is the MVP of the Hands Down team
How does anyone 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 without Rickard Rakell leading the team in lanterns?
Additionally, Rakell is the only regular on the roster with a positive plus/minus rating, a sign of his value at every spot he’s lined up.
Without a doubt, it’s safe to assume Pittsburgh would be at or near the bottom of the league standings if it weren’t for Rakell’s nine goals while averaging 18:32 a night.
After two dominant periods Friday, the Penguins had nothing to show for the scoreboard until Crosby fed Rakell the needed goal in the final second of the middle period.
Unbeknownst to him at the time, his goal was the turning point of the match.