Fleury Yanked; Murray Sparks Pittsburgh in High Scoring Affair
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
This was a night that seemed to be spooky for goalies in the Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins game. It felt like a mid-1980s game with a 8 to 5 delivered by the Penguins.
In the first period, Bryan Rust scored for the Pens early to give them a 1-0 lead. Kyle Turris tied the game at 1 later in the period. Under 30 seconds later, Sidney Crosby scored to give Pit a 2-1 lead. Erik Karlsson tied the game at 2 for the Senators.
Early in the second period, the refs called Mark Stone for slapping the puck with a high stick into the net and no goal. They would go to video review and overturn it. Stone waited for the puck to come below the cross bar and the refs made the correct call. It was a power-play goal. Mike Hoffman scored a power-play goal to make it 4 to 2 Ottawa later in the period.
Marc-Andre Fleury's night would be over by stopping 12 shots in a rough outing. Matt Murray came into the game, and he immediately sparked them. Matt Cullen scored a short handed goal to cut the deficit to 1. With under 6 minutes to go in the period, Phil Kessel and Justin Schultz scored in a span of 24 seconds to give them the lead.
In the third period, Evgeni Malkin scored to make it 6 to 4. Ottawa cut the lead to one on another power-play goal by Dion Phaneuf. Bryan Rust scored the Penguins next two goals on a penalty shot and a empty netter, to get his first career hat trick.
Craig Anderson was pulled after stopping 36 shots. Mike Condon came in relief and stopped 2 shots. The Penguins out scored the Senators 6-1 when Murray came in the game in the middle of the second-period. He took away the lower part of the net, where the Senators were having success earlier in the game. Murray stopped 17 shots.
Ottawa played well on special teams. They were 3 for 5 on the power play and 4 for 4 on the penalty kill. Pittsburgh needs to address those issues moving forward. These teams will play each other 2 more times this season.
