Heart ‘n’ Soul: Penguins Nip Senators, 4-3, in Shootout
Gritty. Gutsy. Courageous. Resilient. Game as the proverbial butcher’s block.
These are just a few of the adjectives I’d use to describe our Penguins in the wake of last night’s exhilarating, 4-3 shootout victory over the Senators last night at the Canadian Tire Centre.
Pure heart ‘n’ soul.
Especially when you consider the fact that we played the final 45 minutes without our captain, Sidney Crosby. More on that in a bit.
The game started like so many others in Ottawa, with the fast, forechecking Sens getting the jump on a power-play goal by Drake Batherson at 4:28.
The Pens knotted the score at 13:46 on a marker by Rickard Rakell from the slot, courtesy of a slick pass from Erik Karlsson, who sold shot in the right circle before setting up his Olympic teammate. A fortunate harbinger of things to come.
Then the worst thing imaginable occurred. With the period winding down, Crosby’s left leg got tangled up with a Sen as he was exiting the corner. His skating suddenly and visibly impaired, Sid motioned to the bench before leaving the ice and proceeding to the dressing room.