The Carolina Hurricanes lost 2-1 in overtime to the Pittsburgh Penguins Friday night at PNC Arena in a game that had huge implications on the playoff race.
On a night where both squads received quality goaltending, it was Pittsburgh who found a way to beat a goalie in the shootout, to gain an all-important extra point in the standings while in the cluttered race for wild card spots in the Eastern Conference.
The Hurricanes (24-21-10) and Penguins (28-19-7) fought back and forth, each having periods of sustained offensive pressure, but neither were able to find the back of the net in the opening frame.
The Canes came closest to scoring while on the only power play of the period as they created several high-quality scoring chances, but all were thwarted by Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.
“I thought we started on time. We were ready to go,” captain Eric Staal said. “We played a pretty good first period. We had some real, real good chances to get us up one.”
On the night the Hurricanes organization celebrated the 10th anniversary of the 2006 Stanley Cup Championship, it was a member of that team, forward Matt Cullen, who hurt Carolina as a current member of the Penguins.
With about four minutes left in the second period, Cullen setup teammate Phil Kessel with pass that gave Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead. Kessel beat Carolina netminder Cam Ward short side, finding the smallest bit of space to fit the puck between the goalpost and Ward.
Late in the third, with the minutes — and perhaps the Hurricanes’ realistic chances to make the playoffs — dwindling, forward Andrej Nestrasil tied the game with a laser of a shot that beat the glove of Fleury.
“It was getting late. It felt like it was getting late,” Hurricanes head coach Bill Peters said. “Anytime you’re getting down into those dying moments, it’s a little bit nerve-racking. I thought the guys did a good job staying with it.”
After neither side was able to break the tie in the final minutes of the third, the game headed to 3-on-3 overtime with a crucial extra point in the standings on the line for the two teams competing for a playoff spot.
Ward was in his 2006 Conn Smythe Trophy (Stanley Cup playoffs MVP) form, as he made several huge saves in overtime, keeping the Canes alive and giving them a chance to grab the extra point.
“3-on-3 was a bit of a track meet,” Carolina forward Jordan Staal said. “Somehow we didn’t solve the game.”
Despite an overtime where both sides had many quality scoring chances, the teams remained deadlocked and headed to a shootout where Penguins defenseman Kris Letang scored the lone goal, giving Pittsburgh a 2-1 win.
“It was a big game,” Jordan Staal said. “We’re gonna keep plugging away and show up tomorrow ready to go. It’s far from over but we wanted those two points. It didn’t happen but we’re gonna keep moving forward.”
Cam Ward blocks the Pittsburgh Penguins attempt at a goal during the game at PNC Arena on Friday, Feb 12, 2016. The Carolina Hurricanes lost to the Penguins 2-1.
