PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) - For the eighth time this season, the Pens blow a third period lead. They took a 5-1 lead with 14:35 remaining and lost 6-5 in overtime to the San Jose Sharks.
Pittsburgh was in full control after Anthony Mantha netted the Pens third power play goal of the game and made it 5-1 in the third period.
Then the madness began...
Two Penguins penalties 1:15 apart gave San Jose a 5 on 3 power play in the 3rd period. They cut the Pens lead to 5-2 on a power play goal from John Klingberg.
With 5:43 in the game, San Jose added another one after Artus Silovs made a diving save, William Eklund got the rebound past him to make it 5-3 Pens.
In a wild sequence of events, the Sharks had their goalie pulled and Sidney Crosby found Bryan Rust at center ice for an empty net chance. His shot went off the post and the Sharks turned that into an opportunity for themselves on a rush. They moved the puck behind the net, into the left corner as Tyler Toffoli fed a pass to Macklin Celebrini who blasted a slap shot to cut the Pens lead to just one.
The Sharks came right back down on the attack and Toffoli tied the game with 1:38 remaining.
In overtime, Klingberg had the puck at the blue line and maneuvered himself past Crosby with a great move, then he made a pass under Kris Letang's poke check chance to Celebrini, Celebrini went back to Klingberg in-between the sticks of Bryan Rust and Letang for the game winner.
Dan Muse and Erik Karlsson sounded off about not closing out games.
"Obviously we have to be better at closing out games," said Muse after the game. "I think it's something different every time. The common thread is we play one way for the great majority of the game and then sometimes it's a one goal lead, two goal lead, it's been different situations but the common thread is we get away from what works."
"Again, we play an unbelievable game until 15 minutes or so remaining in the third and then we start going through the motions and just trying to kill time and this league is too good for that, no matter who you are playing. We paid for it today," said Karlsson after the game.
Notes
· San Jose scored 4 goals on 18 shots in the third period after they were outshot 23-6 by the Penguins in the second period
· It's the 8th game the Penguins have blown a third period lead
· Sidney Crosby is 2 points away from tying Mario Lemeiux in all-time
Penguins points
· Pens have points in 22 of 29 games
· Rutger McGroarty scored his first goal of the season