During that triple-overtime Game 1 of the Penguins-Rangers Eastern Conference playoff series, the teams played what was almost the equivalent of two full games.
Then, in Saturday’s Game 3, they basically played three separate games in one night.
The Penguins dominated the first period, taking a 4-1 lead into the locker room after the first 20 minutes. The Rangers then stormed back to tie it 4-4 before the second period ended.
The third frame resulted in a tension-packed, punch-counterpunch affair with the Penguins emerging with a 7-4 victory and a 2-1 lead in the series.
“When you give up a three-goal lead and you allow a team back into the game in the fashion that we did, in a lot of those instances, a lot of teams don’t recover from that,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “And I think it speaks volumes for the character of the group and the leadership that we have that we were able to move by it.”
The only constant throughout the game was production from Penguins players down the depth chart. In the first period, the Penguins’ glue guys came up big, as the Rangers came unglued.
The Penguins went from a one-line team during the first two games of the series to a team that gave the entire first line a break. The Penguins did all their damage in the first period with third-liners Jeff Carter and Brock McGinn scoring once and fourth-liner Evan Rodrigues scoring twice. All while Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Jake Guentzel combined for just one shot on goal over the first 20 minutes.
“We were being really physical,” Rodrigues said of the first period. “And I think we were playing simple. All on the same page. We were getting in on the forecheck and controlling the puck. We were hanging on to it down low and, when we had lanes to the net, we had bodies there and were getting pucks there.”
Aiding the Penguins’ cause was an instant collapse by the Rangers. McGinn’s goal initially didn’t count because the net came loose. But once it was determined to be a legal goal after video replay, the Rangers appeared to melt.
Certainly, their previously stellar goaltender Igor Shesterkin did. He turned into a puddle. Shaky. Jumpy. Failing to control the puck or his crease. Shesterkin, who stopped 118 of 124 shots over the first two games, was benched after allowing the four first period goals.
“We’ve done a good job this series trying to create traffic in front of him,” Rodrigues said. “We just capitalized on our shots today. He’s obviously a great goalie. You are going to need traffic and bodies at the net and rebounds to beat a goalie like that. We did a good job today.”
Maybe it was the fact that the Penguins got a goal decision in their favor via replay for the second time this series. Maybe it was the raucous PPG Paints Arena crowd, which appeared to be back in 2016-17 form.
Whatever the case, the Rangers were overrun and overwhelmed in the first period, only to put the pieces back together during the first intermission.
But in the third, Penguins goalie Louis Domingue made a handful of highlight saves to keep it even, and Danton Heinen was able to break the tie with an unassisted goal at the 11:02 mark.
“We were super happy with the start,” Heinen said. “But it’s a tough lead to have there. The other team … there’s a lot of game left. They are going to get their chances. Later on in the third, we just simplified. Got back to our game and stuck with it. That was a positive.”
Guentzel and Carter added empty-net goals, with Crosby assisting on both of them. But prior to those points, Guentzel, Crosby, Malkin, Bryan Rust and Letang were all held off the score sheet. Yet the Pens managed to put five goals on the board anyway.
“One line is not going to score every night. It’s just not the way it happens,” Sullivan said. “To be able to get contributions throughout our lineup the way we did tonight — our second power play gets a couple of goals for us, for example — those are huge moments for our team. And that’s what makes a team a team. A lot of guys had strong games.”
Heinen used the phrase “roller coaster” during his postgame comments. That’s a suitable description of the game. Of the series. Of the results for the players themselves.
Rodrigues had three points. He also almost scored on his own net on a delayed penalty call. Heinen had the third-period game-winner. He also took two penalties.
Roller coaster rides indeed. Put down the spicy pork and broccoli, and pick up the Potato Patch fries. Because if the first three games of this series are any indication, the rest of this series is going to be like Kennywood on ice.
Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at [email protected] or via Twitter. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.