The Pens staged a furious comeback from a 4-1 deficit to tie the Leafs with 4 seconds to go in regulation, earning at least a point, but lost with 1:05 to go in the OT. The point gives them 101 points on the season, but formally eliminates them from catching Buffalo for the top spot in the conference. The 101 points also puts them back into 1st in the Atlantic, one point in front of idle New Jersey. The Devils have a game in hand (4 games left to 3 for the Pens) and control their own destiny, needing to go only 3-0-1 to win the division over the Pens should the Pens win out.
The point also means the Pens retain control of their own destiny over Ottawa - but with Ottawa's win over the Islanders tonight, giving them 102 points with 3 games left, means the head-to-head game in Ottawa has to be won by the Pens in regulation. Ottawa also plays New Jersey on Tuesday, April 3rd in a game that may well decide who is seeded where. The Pens host Buffalo on Tuesday - the Pens are 2-1-0 vs the Sabres this year, with one win coming in a shootout after Buffalo tied the Pens late in regulation.
The game at hand, at Toronto, was mostly Toronto for the better part of two periods, but the Pens started coming hard at the Leafs late in the 2nd, with a Maxime Talbot goal with three and a half minutes left in the period. The Pens had a minute of 5 on 3 time early in the third but did not convert - but got a goal from Crosby with just under 5 minutes remaining to make in 4-3, and Ryan Whitney's goal with 4 seconds left to tie it.
There was an extensive delay between regulation and overtime due to a medical emergency in the stands - a fan had a heart attack - and one can only surmise what effect the extra rest had to the teams. The overtime period was wide open, with chances at either end, before Toronto won a face-off cleanly with 1:08 remaining and scored three seconds later on a shot by Kaberle.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment