Friday’s game ended in a fittingly frustrating game for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Luck hadn’t been on their side for much of tonight’s contest against the Los Angeles Kings, and that was the case during Tyler Toffoli’s 1-0 game-winning goal. Phil Kessel came speeding in, saw his stick break, opening the door for that opportunistic overtime-winner.
With that, the Penguins’ seven-game winning streak came to an end while the Kings rattled off wins on back-to-back nights to start their formidable nine-game road trip on a high note.
The Penguins gained a standings point, so don’t be surprised if they’re most concerned about the injuries they suffered during this game. An already-addled defense (Kris Letang could miss significant time) saw two concerning moments, as Trevor Daley and Brian Dumoulin both were hurt on Friday.
Dumoulin was actually on the ice for the game-winner, however, so maybe it won’t be all-bad for Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh carried much of the play in this one, forcing Peter Budaj to make 39 saves for a shutout, the veteran’s third goose egg of 2016-17. They just couldn’t get that extra boost to score against the Kings, however, and fell to Los Angeles in a tight contest.
Even if the Penguins dodge additional injuries to their defense, it was still an irritating loss for the team. The Kings, meanwhile, show that they’re capable of grinding out wins in pretty difficult circumstances.