PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – it was a night to be happy. A night an all-time great had his number retired. All went to script until midway through the third period, as Adrian Kempe scored the first of two goals and a 2-1 Kings win.
Instead of a second straight win, another disappointing loss and the Pens remain stuck in seventh place in the Metropolitan.
Pens were holding onto a 1-0 lead on a Sidney Crosby power play goal from late in the first period. Maybe they sat back a little too much at the end.
“They are a good team,” said Pens defenseman Erik Karlsson. “I think we played well the first 40 minutes. Maybe in the third we got a little hesitant and tried to hang in there. We should have pushed a little more and if they end up scoring, they end up scoring.”
“I think we got a little too passive,” Crosby said. “I thought the first couple we had more of an attack mentality and moved our feet and got pucks through. As the game went on, we didn’t do a good job of that.”
It would take the Kings until the 31st shot of the game to beat Tristan Jarry who made a couple of solid saves in the second to hold on to the shutout. The puck appeared to glance off of Rickard Rakell with 6:11 to play as Los Angeles tied it.
Kempe’s second goal was short-handed. Pens getting a late power play and Kempe able to beat Jarry, again five-hole for the decider as he went around Reilly Smith to enter the zone.
“It’s just not fun,” Karlsson said. “There is nothing else we can say about it. It’s unfortunate. We need every win we can get. We gave ourselves a great opportunity going into the third to get two points tonight.”
“We can’t (afford to lose games),” said forward Bryan Rust. “That’s the most upsetting part about this one, judging from where we are, we can’t be letting those things happen.”
Metropolitan Standings
1. Rangers 75 points (55 games)
2. Carolina 69 points (54 games)
3. Flyers 65 points (56 games)
4. Devils 60 points (54 games)
5. Islanders 58 points (54 games)
6. Capitals 56 points (53 games)
7. Pens 55 points (52 games)
Wild Card Standings
1. Tampa Bay 65 points (56 games)
2. Detroit 62 points (54 games)
3. Devils 60 points (54 games)
4. Islanders 58 points (54 games)
5. Capitals 56 points (53 games)
6. Pens 55 points (52 games)
7. Buffalo 52 points (54 games)
8. Montreal 52 points (55 games)
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Up Next
Game two of the homestand with the Islanders in town Tuesday at 7p. It’s followed by the Canadiens on Thursday and Flyers at PPG Paints Sunday at 3:30p.
One-liner
“It’s hard to win in this league when you score one goal,” Karlsson said.
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