Egor Chinakhov hit the penalty box for tripping, but man, Pittsburgh didn’t just kill it off, they flipped the script! Nick Robertson, making his preseason debut for the Penguins, unleashed his first shot in a Pittsburgh jersey and it was pure fire. He burst around Theo Rochette, drove straight to the net, and absolutely roofed it past John Gibson for the early 1-0 lead. What an introduction!
Robertson Ignites the Crowd, But Detroit Answers Fast
The energy was palpable after Robertson’s opener. He even drew a power play a little later! With Crosby, Malkin, Chinakhov, and Rakell out there, and Sam Girard filling in for Erik Karlsson, you’d think they’d capitalize. But nope, they couldn’t convert, and on the very next shift, Detroit hit back. Arturs Silovs made a great save, but the defensive structure for the Pens was just gone, totally broken down. Detroit regrouped, passed it around beautifully, and just like that, the game was tied. Shots were 12-8 for Pittsburgh after the first, showing they were pushing, but that tying goal was a gut punch.
Four-on-Four Horror Show Turns Into Rakell Magic
The second period got wild. Crosby and Marco Kasper got tangled up and started slashing each other, sending both to the penalty box. That set up some 4v4 action, and Detroit absolutely feasted, scoring not once, but twice! First, Silovs coughed up a brutal rebound, and Mason Appleton bulled right through Tomas Galvas to bang it home, making it 2-1 Red Wings. Then, on a broken play, Malkin only got a piece of a centering pass, completely messing up the timing and letting Detroit hammer another one in. Just brutal! That put the Pens down 3-1, but the first line turned up the heat with a long shift of pressure. Ilya Solovyov and Sam Girard were everywhere. Eventually, Girard sent the puck down to Rickard Rakell, and the Swede, with some pure magic, spun and shot it in to narrow Detroit’s lead to 3-2. What a shift! Shots through two were 24-14 for Pittsburgh, they were outshooting them, but Detroit was making them pay for mistakes.
Third period action is underway. Trey Augustine is in net for Detroit, and Silovs remains in there for the Pens. Rickard Rakell just got taken down, and Pittsburgh is on their third power play of the game. Can they capitalize and swing this back?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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