Crosby Comeback Can’t Stop the Carolina Curse

The Penguins have not won in Carolina since 2018. They’ve played there twice within the last week and that unfortunately hasn’t changed. Now, last night the Penguins had absolutely no business winning the game. They played like complete dogshit for the first two periods. Every defenseman outside of Erik Karlsson was handing the puck to the Canes with regularity. They were getting completely outworked, out muscled, and out played. These Penguins have more heart than an octopus though. They were down 2-1 entering the third and quickly tied the game on a Karlsson bomb during a 5-on-3 powerplay.

Karlsson’s goal wasn’t the only game tying goal, not even close. This game produced the NHL record for most game tying goals in a third period in the history of the league. The third period was insane to say the least. Rust and Karlsson (again) each had tying goals for the Pens in the third.

Karlsson’s second game tying goal was insane. He has been making that move at the blueline for the last few weeks and it has seemingly worked every single time. Eventually someone will pick his pocket, and fans will be up in arms but I cautious them against that. I give that caution because what Karlsson is doing right now is spectacular. He was easily the best Penguin last night. He has consistently been the Penguins best player. I wrote in my last article that he is the team MVP. Not only has he been consistently good for the Penguins, but he has also been top tier in points scoring since the Olympic break. In fact, only McDavid, Celebrini, and Kucherov have more points than EK65 since the Olympic break, he has been outstanding. Mike Sullivan overstayed his welcome with this team we all thought he deserved to do so because of the two cups, but his mismanagement of Erik Karlsson is the biggest indicator that he needed to be fired. The Penguins with this version of Karl can go very far in a playoff run.

The Penguins actually took a lead in this game. The kid, Ben Kindel, scored a beautiful top-shelf goal to put the Penguins ahead with just under five minutes left in the game. He has been quiet the last few games, but it’s beginning to seem he has a clutch factor inside of him and that’s a huge development.

When you lose a game 6-5 you would typically think the goalie(s) were terrible. The Penguins goaltender was definitively not terrible. As a matter of fact, Skinner was only behind Karlsson for the best performer of the game. He let in six goals, and it easily could have been 16, the Penguins were literally that dreadful defensively. The only goal he would want back was the goal that tied it at five and even that goal was a wild carrom off of his defenseman’s leg. Right before that goal, Skinner may have had the save of the season.

Oilers fans were parading around looking at the box score last night blaming Stu. Real hockey fans, not delusional McDavid suckers, who watched this game never in a million years would have blamed Skinner for the results. Unlike Jarry, Skinner is not the worst goalie in the league. Skinner is giving the Penguins a chance to win, or comeback, in almost every single game he plays. It was a similar outcome earlier in the road trip against Carolina where Skinner was incredible, yet gave up 4 goals, and the Penguins rallied to force overtime. Both of the recent matchups against the Hurricanes could have easily had been complete blowouts without the superb play by STUUUUU. Edmonton should worry about making the playoffs, in the league’s worst division, and stop acting like a bitter ex with a goaltender who has significantly outperformed the one they got in return for him.

I saved the best for last and the best player on the planet plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins. After eleven games, Sidney Crosby returned. He looked as if terrorist Radko Gudas never attempted to remove his legs from his body. Crosby calmly scoring the Penguins first game tying goal with a patient, and patented, backhand goal in the second period. He later assisted on Karlsson’s second goal of the game. Unfortunately for Sid, and the Pens, those were not the two points he cared about.

You almost got the feeling that the team took a collective exhale due to his return to the lineup. For two periods, outside of the fourth line, there wasn’t much jump. The Penguins looked too relaxed and lackadaisical something that has not been often said about them this season. They were also at the end of a very difficult, and long, trip so that could have factored in as well. I tend to believe that the team takes a game, or two, to adjust to having Crosby back. When he first returns to the lineup, they typically look this and that’s why they’ve lost the last six games after he returns. With Crosby out there is a workman like approach to the game and if they kept that energy with the addition of Crosby, they’d be unstoppable. I wholeheartedly expect them to get back to the approach that was working, with or without Sid in the lineup because this team desperately wants another shot at the cup. You look past versions of the Penguins, and they would have laid down and died last night, very similarly to what the Rangers, Leafs, and Oilers do. Loser franchises have no push-back or sticktoitiveness, these Penguins are not losers. They will have their D- game and find a way to have 20 minutes of offensive brilliance to garner themselves a point.

This team has the talent to compete with anyone, but more importantly they have more heart than anyone they will play in the playoffs and sometimes that is the most important attribute. The Penguins return home to face Winnipeg and Carolina (again) in back-to-back games this weekend, picking up four points at home could do wonders for their chances at demonstrating their heart in a playoff series.