Penguins West Top Penguins East in OT, 4-3
With 59 points, the Vancouver Canucks are flying high. The Pacific Division leaders are also loaded with ex-Penguins, including forwards Teddy Blueger and Sam Lafferty, defensemen Ian Cole and Mark Friedman and goalie Casey DeSmith. To say nothing of head coach Rick Tocchet, assistants Mike Yeo and Sergei Gonchar and execs Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin.
While none of the aforementioned former Pens came back to haunt their old team, at least not on the scoresheet, it didn’t stop the Canucks from clipping the black-and-gold in overtime by a 4-3 count. In the process grabbing the extra point.
In a matchup that pitted the NHL’s top finishing team versus one of the best “process” teams, the quick-strike Canucks pounced on a pair of deflection goals 47 seconds apart from reborn sniper Brock Boeser.
Down but certainly not out, the Pens pushed back at 16:20 of the opening frame on a goal from the unlikeliest of sources. After dishing the puck to Jeff Carter, who in turn coughed it up, Jansen Harkins poked the loose rubber away from two Canucks before feeding an onrushing Marcus Pettersson at the left point.