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Penguins/Rangers Recap: Guentzel's 2 goals spoiled, Pens lose

Penguins rookie Jake Guentzel scores two goals in the first period to give Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead, but 4 straight goals against sink them for a 5-2 loss to the Rangers.

By Hooks Orpik
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

1st period

Jake Guentzel takes no time to make a mark, scoring a goal on his first shot on his first shift (hmm...reminds me of someone else..). Anyways, nice goal by Guentzel but yikes Antti Raanta you weak, bad angle and somehow under the pad, but hey they don't ask how.

Also an all-star celebration by Guentzel's family. Usually not a fan of "I can't even" but seeing a family watch dreams come true in real time is pretty special.

Sullivan and Tocchet share a knowing, silent "well what have we here" look.

Guentzel makes it 2-0 by showing off his high hockey IQ that everyone raves about. After Phil Kessel flips a shot on net that Evgeni Malkin tips, Guentzel goes right to the high traffic area and what pops out but the puck. Guentzel makes no mistake with the loose change.

Dang, how long did it take for Mario to get a shift?

2nd period

Rick Nash makes it 2-1 after bullying Ian Cole and then Justin Schultz gets some tough luck when he successfully breaks up Nash's centering pass (that's good!) but bumps the puck right back to Nash (not so good!). Odd break, but forced by Nash, which goal scorers do.

The Rangers tie the game, Marc-Andre Fleury looks like he has a chance to freeze the puck, doesn't and it comes back to haunt him.

Late in the 2nd, the Rangers take the lead on a short-handed rush when a puck clicks off Kris Letang's stick then Evgeni Malkin then J.T. Miller and into the net.

3rd period

Brian Dumoulin attempts to start a breakout by passing the puck up the middle of the ice and ends up giving it right to Ryan McDonaugh. Whoops. Puck gets in the net to make it 4-2.

Rangers tack on an empty netter to seal the deal and take a 5-2 win.

Some Thoughts

  • Penguins outshot 5-0 in the start of the 3rd period (and 6-2 through 13 minutes and giving up a goal) on a night when NYR played last night says a lot about the effort level of both teams.
  • Pens played a backup goalie too, who gave up a shaky goal early. Disappointing not to make the most of that.
  • Terrific debut for Guentzel. It's as crazy as it is sad that his 2 goals tonight are as many as 13 regular players (in as many as 18 games for them)...With it being easier to list the players with more than 2 goals (Crosby, Malkin, Hornqvist, Kessel, Sheary and Cullen the lone Pens to score more than a modest 2 goals so far this season)
  • Crosby rung a puck off the post in the 2nd. Not a bad game, but even he can't score every game.
  • Bryan Rust showed a little life drawing a penalty. Quiet nights for Scott Wilson, Conor Sheary and Tom Kuhnhackl . With the emergence now of Guentzel, these other 4 guys are going to want to be noticeable in a good way now that the supply of NHL forwards has seemingly increased by one. None really were tonight.
  • Speaking of not very visible....Anyone seen the guy who used to wear #13 this spring and make a lot of sweet plays? I think his name was Bonino?
  • Kessel's 2 assists on the night give him 14 on the year, leading assist-ers in the league had 14 coming into the night.
  • Fleury was really good on Saturday but pretty meh tonight. Didn't have a shot on the 1st and 4th goal due to defensive errors, but probably coulda/woulda/shoulda been a little better on freezing the 2nd goal, and being a little bigger and prepared for a crossing pass/deflection on the 3rd. Not his fault they lost, but again, meh.
  • Rangers looked fast and like they wanted to be in 1st place. Other than Guentzel, the Pens barely looked like they woke up for the game.

Bad loss, but the Pens will get another crack at the same opponent (and probably a better goalie) when they go to New York on Wednesday night for a pre-Giving night.

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