Pens struggle to beat the Coyotes
The Penguins snapped their four game losing streak to remain seven points ahead of the advancing Ottawa Senators but it wasn't easy. The Coyotes made the game a lot harder than the Penguins would have liked it to have been. The Coyotes are tanking and it isn't a surprise that the Penguins won but it should have been easier and by a larger margin if we're being honest.
The Coyotes started the better of the two teams and scored early on a short-handed break-away by Rieder just 1:34 into the game. For the second game in a row the Penguins were dominated on the shot clock in the first with the Coyotes out-shooting the Penguins 13-3 despite the Penguins having two power-plays.
The Penguins took control in the second with their first goal coming from a fortuitous error by Mike Smith in goal for the Coyotes. Smith went behind his net for a pretty ordinary clear but Brandon Sutter skated in front of the net and bounced the puck in the net off his body. The Penguins used that as momentum to take forward and took the lead just after the half-way point with a tip-in by Daniel Winnik on a Kris Letang point shot.
The Penguins doubled the shots by the Coyotes in the second and lead them 22-11 and they continued their dominance in the third, out-shooting them 12-7. The Penguins struggled to convert their chances, which is a theme for them right now and they could only add one more goal. The Penguins scored an empty net goal through Crosby with a great bit of hustle from his own blue zone to get past the defender and slide it in. That goal gave Crosby his 74th point to give him the Art Ross lead.
The Penguins performance was worrying as they didn't take control until the second period and they should be scoring more on the chances they get. Crosby seem to pass it up a lot when it would be good to see him shoot more. The Penguins play again on Tuesday against the Blues. A team Crosby has yet to score against.
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