Game 6 Recap: Flyers End Penguins Magical Season in OT
To borrow from the 1970 tearjerker, Love Story, ironically involving a hockey player, “Where do I begin?”
Indeed, how do I even begin to describe one of the most intensely entertaining hockey games I’ve had the privilege of watching in my 50+ years of following the Penguins? Except to say last night’s Game 6 reinforced why no other sport comes close to matching playoff hockey in terms of riveting intensity and pure entertainment.
Unfortunately, our Pens wound up on the short end of a 1-0 score. Moments after Arturs Šilovs made an astounding, blocker-hand save on Flyers rookie Porter Martone that bordered on the miraculous, Cam York scored on a rather routine snap shot from distance at 17:32 of overtime. Sending the final curtain crashing down on a Cinderella season loaded with thrills, chills, and…ultimately…spills.
Speaking of Šilovs, he was simply superb while turning aside 31 of 32 shots. Flashing cat-like quickness and Fleury-esque athleticism, the 25-year-old Latvian made so many huge saves it’s almost impossible to list them all. Stops on Owen Tippett, Luke Glendening and Martone in the opening period, when the Pens were at their sloppiest.