Penguins lose Game 3 to Montreal, on brink of elimination - TribLIVE

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Through the first two games of their qualifying-round series, the Pittsburgh Penguins had a pretty basic philosophy on how to hinder what is already a pretty meager offensive threat posed by the Montreal Canadiens.

“The best way to try to limit their speed game or their counter-attack game is by making sure we take care of the puck,” coach Mike Sullivan said via video conference from Toronto on Wednesday. “It starts with our own puck possession and making the right decisions in the critical areas of the rink.”

Little of that was on display for either team during a sloppy 4-3 loss for the Penguins in Game 3 on Wednesday at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena.

The victory gave the Canadiens a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series. Game 4 is scheduled for 4 p.m. Friday.

The opening goal 4 minutes, 57 seconds into regulation set the muddled tone this contest would exhibit.

After a turnover by Penguins defenseman Jack Johnson in the offensive zone, Canadiens forward Paul Byron drove the puck into the Penguins’ zone. With Penguins defenseman Justin Schultz defending, Byron pulled up above the right circle and flicked a forehand pass to defenseman Shea Weber trailing behind. Weber chucked a quick shot on net from above the circle. Goaltender Matt Murray made the initial save but allowed a rebound. Weber followed up on the puck and was denied again on a forehand shot. Canadiens forward Artturi Lehknonen crashed the crease and kept the puck free, dealing it to Weber positioned to the right of the crease. As Murray was tangled up with Lehkonen, Weber swept in an easy forehand shot for his first goal of the playoffs.

A power-play goal by the Penguins at 8:40 of the first period tied the score, 1-1. Off a seam pass by Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin, forward Patric Hornqvist fired a somewhat uncharacteristic one-timer past the blocker of lunging goaltender Carey Price on the near side for his first goal.

Following the goal, Weber was assessed a cross checking minor for a hit on Hornqvist a few moments before the score. The Penguins remained on the power play, cashing in again only 59 seconds later.

After Price stopped a wrister from the center point by Penguins defenseman John Marino, the rebound bounded to the slot where Penguins forward Bryan Rust corralled it and and dealt a soft pass to the right circle for forward Jason Zucker, who whipped a wrister past Price’s glove hand on the near side for his second goal.

The Penguins’ third goal came at the 5:34 mark of the second period. Chasing down a loose puck in the Canadiens’ right circle, Penguins forward Brandon Tanev fed a pass to linemate Zach Aston-Reese, who was denied from the left of the crease on an acrobatic skate save by Price. Penguins forward Teddy Blueger crashed the crease on the ensuing rebound and pushed in his first career postseason goal.

Montreal made it 3-2 at 10:13 of the second when Canadiens forward Jonathan Drouin gained position on Schultz to the right of the crease and deflected a puck with the shaft of his stick behind Murray’s glove hand for his first goal.

The score was tied, 3-3, at 15:50 of the second when Canadiens forward Paul Byron collected a rebound behind the Penguins’ net and tucked a wraparound shot by Murray’s left skate.

The winning goal came 5:33 into the third period. From deep in the left circle, Canadiens defenseman Jeff Petry lifted a bad-angle wrister that struck the right side of Murray’s helmet then clinked off the cross bar, deflecting into the net. Petry scored the winning goal in overtime of Game 1, as well.

Murray finished with 27 saves.

Follow the Penguins all season long.

Seth Rorabaugh is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Seth by email at srorabaugh@triblive.com or via Twitter .

Categories: Penguins/NHL | Sports