The Penguins had called up forwards Avery Hayes and Joona Koppanen during the day, but Anthony Mantha is able to play so the lineup of skaters remains the same with Stuart Skinner in net.<\/p>\n
Not the best of starts, Erik Karlsson is quick to the penalty box for tripping. With Karlsson unavailable to kill penalties, Parker Wotherspoon and Sam Girard are on the ice and they do a lot of watching as the Senators work the puck low and Brady Tkachuk fires a cross-ice pass to the undefended Drake Batherson. Batherson quickly wires it to the back of the net. 1-0 Ottawa.<\/p>\n
Skinner has to make a great save on Nick Cousins from point blank range immediately after the goal.<\/p>\n
Pittsburgh stabilizes after that and stacks a few good shifts. They tie the game when Erik Karlsson steps up and knocks down a stretch pass attempt and sends a pass to the middle for Rickard Rakell. Rakell whips a shot from distance that hits its mark. 1-1 with 6:14 to play in the period.<\/p>\n
Shots end up 10-10 after 20 minutes, one goal aside.<\/p>\n
Sidney Crosby starts the period but then leaves to the lockerroom. It didn\u2019t take long into the second period before the team\u2019s PR wing announced Crosby would be out for the remainder of the night.<\/p>\n
Cousins gets redemption for his lost chance in the first with some good luck in the second period for a goal. Cousins tried to pass the puck on a 2-on-1 that gets created after Kris Letang is out of position to stop a long stretch pass. Cousins\u2019 pass hit Girard\u2019s skate and bounced right back to Cousins to guide into the open net. 2-1 Ottawa.<\/p>\n
Ben Kindel skates with Crosby\u2019s wingers and screens Linus Ullmark for Karlsson to snap a shot in. 2-2 game.<\/p>\n
Egor Chinakhov hits a post right after the goal. The Pens are playing well.<\/p>\n
Pittsburgh gets their first power play late in the period when Dylan Cozens bowls over Wotherpoon. Noel Acciari is out there to take the power play faceoff in Crosby\u2019s absence and almost scores from in tight. Then Anthony Mantha follows that shot up with Ullmark sprawled out and the shot hits the goalie\u2019s helmet and stays out seconds before the buzzer.<\/p>\n
Shots are 15-6 PIT in the second period, they play a strong period but aren\u2019t able to cash in on the scoreboard. 2-2 game heading into the final frame.<\/p>\n
The Pens get a golden opportunity when Artem Zub clears the puck into the stands, granting 1:27 of a 5v3 power play. Karlsson gets a few shots, Mantha gets one, then Karlsson sets up Rakell to hammer a shot that glances off of Ullmark and into the net. 3-2 Pittsburgh gets their first lead of the night with 18:17 to go.<\/p>\n
Ottawa answers soon after. Drake Batherson sneaks behind the defense, finds a rebound and slams it home. The Pens\u2019 staff takes a look and makes a dreaded goalie interference call. Claude Giroux did back into Skinner and made some contact with Skinner\u2019s stick. They take a look and deem it a good goal, because of course they do. Pens to the PK.<\/p>\n
Luckily Pittsburgh kills off the penalty but the tenor of the game has tilted back to Ottawa being the dominant team.<\/p>\n
Bryan Rust is the latest Penguin to leave for the lockerroom with about two minutes left, but only briefly.<\/p>\n
Tim Stutzle gets extremely lucky his lifted puck hits the very top of the glass to narrowly avoid a delay of game penalty with a minute to go, this game heads for extra time.<\/p>\n
Kindel-Novak-Karlsson start OT for the Pens, Ottawa gains puck possession immediately. Later Karlsson and Brady Tkachuk race up the ice, Tkachuk wins and the Sens get it back the other way for a Stutzle breakaway. Skinner stops the backhand deke attempt.<\/p>\n
Rust gets a chance spoiled by Ullmark aggressively diving to poke it away. Back at the other end Skinner makes another stop on Cozens and then Tkachuk.<\/p>\n
The goaltending exhibition continues, Skinner makes more stops, Karlsson springs Novak on a breakaway that Ullmark stretches a leg out to stop.<\/p>\n
Tkachuk gets one more chance as the clock nears 0:00, Skinner fights off the shot with his arm.<\/p>\n
Batherson opens up the shootout, Skinner gets a big piece of the backhand shot but the puck rolls over the goalie\u2019s pad and into the net.<\/p>\n
Rakell starts for the Pens, runs out of room and Ullmark stops him from in tight.<\/p>\n
Stutzle takes the next turn, Skinner stays with him and shuts it down.<\/p>\n
Chinakhov is the second shooter of the second round, his five-hole shot beats Ullmark. 1-1 in the SO.<\/p>\n
Shane Pinto leads off Round 3, Skinner stones him.<\/p>\n
Kindel is up with the chance to win the game. His low shot takes care of business, shootout win!<\/p>\n