Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

NBC Game of the Week: Matt Cooke’s shorthanded goal ties it up 1-1 after two periods

Matt Cooke

FILE - This Dec. 8, 2010, file photo shows Pittsburgh Penguins’ Matt Cooke (24) playing in an NHL hockey game between the Penguins and Toronto Maple Leafs, in Pittsburgh. Cooke has been hit with a four-game suspension by the NHL. The league made the announcement on Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2011, a day after Cooke hit Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Fedor Tyutin from behind in a 4-1 loss. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File)

AP

The Penguins headed into the second period down on the scoreboard and down in shots to the Blackhawks. As the Blackhawks headed to a power play after a Craig Adams hooking penalty, Matt Cooke turned the game around immediately for the Penguins.

Cooke scored a shorthanded goal off a great saucer pass from Maxime Talbot to tie things up at 13:52 of the second period. Cooke’s goal lit a fire under the Penguins and the final minutes of the period were owned by the Pens as their forechecking pressure and overall pressure offensively kept the Blackhawks on their heels the rest of the period.

Pittsburgh outshot Chicago that period 11-8 and having a pair of power plays helped that out, but for the Penguins the momentum seized by tying the game up has changed things up dramatically as the Blackhawks can’t seem to battle through. Marc-Andre Fleury is playing outstanding in goal for the Pens making 20 saves through two periods. If Chicago can’t find motivation in the third, the hard-working Penguins will find a way to beat them.