Photo credit: ESPN
The Penguins drop another game in the third period.
What a pathetic third period performance. Being up two goals in the third period for most teams is a solid lead, where you bury down the hatches and protect the shutout. The Penguins continue to fail to do so.
Right when the team was gaining wins and momentum it all came crashing down. Just seeing Letang misplaying the puck within the first 15 seconds of the third period spelled disaster. ANOTHER WEAK PINCH, WHEN HE IS ALONE. When will our defenseman learn. This weak pinch results in the puck hopping over his skate leading to a breakaway with a forward trailing for the rebound. For the Islanders it did not matter as Kyle Palmeri got a lucky bounce off the post, then Jarry’s back into the net. While Jarry is keeping the Penguins in the game they continue to let him down. The defense on this team is abysmal.
Later on in the period, a broken play off the boards leads to a 3-2 for the Islanders. Where the Penguins display a perfect example of what not to do on defense. A weak backcheck, followed by the defenseman backing up. Leading to two cross ice passes to the blocker side of Jarry. Continuing to stand on his head Jarry stops the two on one in front of the net, while Dobson chases in the rebound.
To put the cherry on top, Graves gets caught in the middle of the neutral zone. Less than 5 minutes later, a flip pass over his head leads to a Pierre Engvall goal to the short side of Jarry. 2 breakaway goals in the third period. Puts an end to the Penguins. While the Islanders get an insurance goal to make it a final of 4-2.
What us Penguins fans have learned from today, nothing new truly. Weak pinches truly killed us, as I alluded to in the pregame analysis. These constant mistakes are done by hockey teams lacking discipline and endurance. Bad bounces do occur, but the breaking point of a team within one period, having a two goal lead, is killer. Fair play to the Islanders, but truly we lost this game for ourselves.
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