Toronto's Historic Comeback Just Stole the Penguins' Spotlight
Photo credit: Edit from PensBurgh
The Penguins were comfortably up 3-0 in last night's game before the Maple Leafs flipped the script and won the game in a very historic fashion.
You could tell from the mood in the Pittsburgh Penguins' dressing room following Monday night's loss in Toronto that this was not your average defeat. This one hurt because, for much of the night, the Penguins were dominant.
Through 40 minutes, the Penguins were in complete control, thanks to a pair of goals from rookie Ben Kindel and another from Erik Karlsson to make it 3-0, with them outshooting the Maple Leafs 25-8.
Every shift looked like a statement from a team that has surprised many early this season. But then, in a span of minutes, everything unraveled.
Auston Matthews opened the door with a breakaway goal after slipping between Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang. A misstep involving Ryan Shea and a linesman didn't help the situation.
Moments later, William Nylander struck twice, the first a soft goal on Tristan Jarry, the second a long-range shot that tied the game. Bobby McMann capped the comeback with the winner, completing one of Toronto's most improbable rallies in decades.
The Penguins played a nearly perfect two periods before the collapse occurred
Following the game, Bryan Rust called the first two periods about as close to perfect as the Penguins could play, a sentiment with which head coach Dan Muse agreed, as he was puzzled by the team's collapse.
"We got away from it," Muse said. "We played in the first two periods the way we want to play. It has to be a full 60. We got away from it. There were a number of factors. They took the momentum. We weren't able to pause the momentum. They kept coming. We were back on our heels. You can't play the game that way. It can't happen."
According to NHL Stats, it was just the fourth time in franchise history, and the first since 1977, that Toronto erased a three-goal deficit in the third period to win in regulation.
For the Penguins, the challenge now isn't just rebounding from a loss; it's proving their strong start wasn't an illusion. Tuesday's response will say a lot about who they really are.
TRENDING NOW
