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Penguins Boat Raced in Tampa; Playoff Cushion Slips
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- Penguins Boat Raced in Tampa; Playoff Cushion Slips
Piittsburgh Penguins game Lose 6-3 Tampa Bay Lightning
TAMPA, Fla. —The Pittsburgh Penguins (38-22-16) just couldn't help themselves. The Tampa Bay Lightning (47-22-6) will play a wide-open game, and the Penguins obliged. Tampa Bay was the much better team and pulled away when Anthony Cirelli completed the hat trick with an empty net goal for a 6-2 Tampa Bay win at Benchmark International Arena Thursday.
The loss ended the Penguins' two game winning streak. The Penguins also gave away a little bit of their playoff cushion as both the Ottawa Senators won (over the Buffalo Sabres ), as did the Detroit Red Wings (over the Philadelphia Flyers ). The Penguins' magic number remains 11 points.
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Ottawa leapfrogged the Columbus Blue Jackets for the second wild card. Each trails the Penguins by three points.
As the teams did back in December, they engaged in an aggressive, offense-heavy battle that tilted back and forth.
Tampa Bay dominated the Penguins in the first 10 minutes but led only 1-0. Penguins rookie Ben Kindel committed a defensive zone turnover. Penguins goalie Stuart Skinner made one point-blank save, but Anthony Cirelli (21) buried the rebound at 5:06 of the first period.
Despite the lopsided Tampa Bay advantage, the Penguins again displayed quick-strike capability when they tied the game less than two minutes later. Defenseman Sam Girard rushed the puck deep into Tampa Bay's zone to set up Rickard Rakell (21) near the crease to tie the game 1-1 at 7:01.
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Girard had a pair of assists in the first period and began the second with a sterling defensive play.
Toward the end of the first period, Penguins winger Egor Chinahov earned his 15th point in the last 15 games. Girard earned his second assist when he intercepted a stretch pass at center ice and began the Penguins' quick transition game. Chinakhov (19) made a pylon of Tampa Bay defenseman Ryan McDonagh and then beat Vasilevskiy with a backhand shot at 16:10.
Just as they were after the first period, the shots were tied (19-19) after the second, but Tampa Bay scored three goals for a commanding lead.
The Penguins' 2-1 lead couldn't survive their power play that carried over from the final seconds of the find goal of the game and a 2-2 tie at just :11 of the second.
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The battle continued throughout the second period until the Penguins failed to convert a few chances later in the period, but Tampa Bay took the lead when they caught the Penguins scrambling. Brayden Point stepped between three Penguins near the crease to chip a pass from Jake Guentzel past Skinner for a 3-2 lead at 14:08.
Tampa Bay again took advantage of the Penguins trying to make highlight reel plays instead of the right play. After a turnover at center ice, Tampa Bay attacked late in the period. Zemgus Girgensons was uncovered as he raced toward the net. Yanni Gourde slipped a neat pass to a charging Girgensons (9) who deked past Skinner for an easy backhand sliding shot and a 4-2 lead at 19:05.
The Penguins had only four shots in the third period. The fourth of which came in the final two minutes after the game had been decided.
Tampa Bay added a little insurance on a late softy when Nikita Kucherov (41) whipped the puck from near the wall over Skinner's shoulder at 13:50.
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Cirelli (23) added the empty netter and the hat trick. Penguins winger Egor Chinakhov scored with 1.5 seconds remaining, his 20th goal of the season.
Skinner stopped 27 of 32. Vasilevskiy stopped 21 of 24.
The post Penguins Boat Raced in Tampa; Playoff Cushion Slips appeared first on Pittsburgh Hockey Now .
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