Pittsburg, PA
Penguins/Predators Recap: Crosby, Karlsson help keep Pittsburgh’s playoff chances alive
Pregame
For the 12th game in a row, it’s Alex Nedeljkovic who gets the starting call in net. Jansen Harkins is also back in the lineup after a long stint on IR for this can’t lose game.
First period
The Penguins get a power play early on. Michael Bunting gets in tight and scores but the Predators object with a goalie interference challenge. They win it.
Sidney Crosby gets the first goal soon after, with a lunging effort to smack the puck in for his 42nd goal of the season.
Pittsburgh keep up the pressure and scores again. Crosby bumps a pass over for Erik Karlsson to wire from distance. 2-0.
History repeats with a second disallowed power play goal for Pittsburgh. This time Nashville challenges over Lars Eller in the crease to negate a Kris Letang strike.
Great first period for the Pens, who were playing like the season was on the line (which it was). 20-5 go the shots. Pittsburgh puts four pucks by Juuse Saros, though only two stood up as legal goals.
Second period
The Predators claw back into the game, Gustav Nyquist finds the puck in a scramble and knocks it in to make it a 2-1 score.
The Pens take momentum back by answering 57 seconds later. The third line is buzzing and swirling around the zone, Eller sets up Reilly Smith for his 13th goal of the year.
Nashville keeps it close with a goal late in the frame. Filip Forsberg shows his puck skills and wrist shot with a laser for his 48th tally on the year.
The tables flip on the shot counter, 16-8 for NSH in the second, and the Pens only have a one goal lead to show for it through 40 minutes.
Third period
Pittsburgh keeps the pressure on and starts the period out right. Karlsson’s fake shot freezes the defense and his cross-ice pass is right on the money for Emil Bemstom to fire home. 4-2 lead.
HOW SWEDE IT IS!
Pettersson to Karlsson to Bemstrom to the back of the net! The Swedes connect and give the Penguins the 4-2 lead over the Predators. pic.twitter.com/1IepsXndL6
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 16, 2024
The lead holds up and the Pens bring it on home to keep their season alive.
Some thoughts
- The Penguins had to win and they took care of their business. But there was no help in the out of town scores; Detroit scored late to force OT and won there and Washington won their game as well. So status quo remains for the teams ahead of the Pens, with all teams having one more game to go and Pittsburgh still needing DET and WSH to stumble.
- Fitting that somehow even when the power play scores, they still can’t do that correctly. The two disallowed goals hurt, but hey, credit and kudos for getting bodies and the puck into the blue paint and seeing what would happen. That’s usually better than the typical Penguin power play these days.
- Crosby shrugging the overturned goal off and scoring on the power play takes a lot of sting out of it. Huge goal to set the tone and capitalize.
- Erik Karlsson had himself a night: 1 goal, 1 assist, 7 SOG (9 total attempts), 25:49 played. That’s the kind of performance that they probably had penciled in for more games than they’ve received out of him, but better late than never there.
- Crosby’s night mirrored Karlsson’s: 1 goal, 1 assist, 7 SOG (10 total attempts), 2 takeaways, 78% faceoff wins, 20:53 played. No surprise when the games mean the most that the captain steps up and does what it takes.
- Nice to see Bemstrom score his third goal with the Pens. Too often he’s been invisible.
- Many (including here personally) had to be wondering what Alex Nedeljkovic had left in the tank for his 12th straight start and several iffy performances lately. 28 saves on 30 shots left no doubts that the team went in the right direction for who their ride or die goalie has turned into.
One more game to go for Pittsburgh, on Wednesday in Long Island. By then (based off the results of WSH/PHI and DET/MTL tomorrow) we will know if the Pens have been eliminated from postseason contention (with a Capitals or Red Wing win spelling the end of the line for Pittsburgh) or if the door is still open for them to win or even lose in OT/SO and be able to claim the final playoff spot of the year.
Pittsburg, PA
Scorned Penguins Goaltender Undefeated to Begin Conditioning Stint
Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry began the 2024-25 season with something to prove. After allowing 12 goals in three starts, it was evident that Jarry was becoming a liability. As a result, the Penguins reassigned him to the AHL for a two-week conditioning stint.
Since then, Jarry has started two games for the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins, winning both and posting a .922 save percentage. While some of the goals he’s allowed have been on the weaker side, Jarry has generally performed well.
Team President Kyle Dubas laid out the plan for Jarry last week. “The expectations for him while down there are to play each game for Wilkes-Barre over the next 14 days and set himself to come back to Pittsburgh confident and in good form.”
Wilkes-Barre has three games remaining during those 14 days, after which the Penguins will have another tough decision.
With Jarry returning, the Penguins will have two options. Go back to a three-goalie rotation or assign rookie standout Joel Blomqvist to the AHL. Blomqvist has been stellar in his first taste of NHL action, amassing a 2-4-0 record, a.909 save percentage, and 2.2 goals saved above expected.
Despite Blomqvist’s impressive start, his assignment may be the most likely outcome, with forwards Blake Lizotte and Matt Nieto nearing returns from their respective injuries.
With little over a week remaining on Jarry’s conditioning loan, the Penguins’ goaltending situation is primed to take another turn.
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Pittsburg, PA
'The Texans Beat Them:' Rich Eisen Picks Houston Over Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh Steelers are 6-2 and on top of the AFC North. The Baltimore Ravens look like a dominant team, but for now, the Steelers are better than them. The AFC has several other strong teams, too. If the Steelers ultimately do make the playoffs, they could face a tough team. The Houston Texans are young but also on top of their division. Analyst Rich Eisen believes they would beat the Steelers if the two teams played right now.
“Number eight, one spot up, I’m putting the Russell Wilson Steelers right here,” Eisen said recently on his show when revealing his power rankings. “They beat the Jets; they beat the Giants. [Wilson] is smelting. The running game’s going, T.J. Watt’s going, the special teams are going.
“All three phases are going. 6-2, they lead the AFC North. I still think if the Houston Texans play them, the Texans beat them, which is why I’m putting the Texans right here at seven.”
That’s not an unfair thing to say. The Texans have been a great team this year. They are 6-2, but their two losses weren’t awful. They got crushed by the Minnesota Vikings in Week 3, but the Vikings were rolling at that point. They also lost to the Green Bay Packers in Week 7, but the game came down to the wire.
The Texans also beat the tar out of the Steelers last year. In Week 4 of 2023, rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud dominated the Steelers, beating them 30-6. The Texans have only improved their team since then, so it isn’t a stretch to say they could do it again.
However, the Steelers have also upgraded their team this year. Their offense looks much better, especially with Wilson at quarterback. They aren’t the same team the Texans beat last year. The Steelers have been playing great recently, too, so it’s possible that they could avenge their loss from last year.
The Texans are also dealing with some huge injuries. They just lost star receiver Stefon Diggs for the year, and Nico Collins, their standout receiver last year, is on injured reserve at the moment. The Texans are deep at receiver, but replacing both those players is almost impossible.
Therefore, if the two teams played today, it wouldn’t be crazy to say the Steelers have the advantage. The Texans have a young, hotshot quarterback and a stout defense, but they might not have the playmakers to beat the Steelers.
This is all hypothetical, though. The only way the Steelers will play the Texans this year will be if they meet in the playoffs. That’s still a few months away, so if that does happen, it’s likely both teams will look slightly different. The Texans could have Collins back, or they could be suffering from more injuries. The same could be said for the Steelers. It would make for an interesting postseason matchup, though.
Pittsburg, PA
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