By Haley Williams
After a week off, I was really excited to see what the Penguins were going to show us. I was full of hope and optimism, and I even wore one of my Penguins t-shirts for the first time in a while.
On Tuesday, Feb. 6, the Winnipeg Jets came to Pittsburgh to face off against our Penguins. Kris Letang opened scoring for the Pens seven minutes into the first, but the game was anything but slow before that. Less than five minutes into the second, an absolutely disgusting hit by Brenden Dillon on Noel Acciari resulted in a match penalty, and neither Dillon nor Acciari were seen again in that game. On the bright side, the Acciari hit also led to a five minute power play for the Penguins. For once in their lives, Pittsburgh was able to capitalize on this opportunity– twice. Goals from Jeff Carter and Bryan Rust brought the lead to 3-0, Penguins. With 13 minutes left in the third period, Jets fans saw a glimmer of hope when they were able to sneak one past Jarry, but a Pittsburgh coach’s challenge promptly revealed that the play was offsides and the goal was no good. The Jets were never able to recover, and the game would end for a beautiful, inspiring Peng-win, 3-0. With this, Tristan Jarry got his sixth shutout, the most in the league. Congrats, pookie!
On Friday, Feb. 9, the Penguins traveled to Minnesota to go up against the Wild. After the game on Tuesday, my spirits were riding high, and I was excited. Unfortunately, those dreams began to deflate when the Wild opened scoring seven minutes into the first period. In the second, Reilly Smith scored for the Penguins, bringing the scores even at 1-1, but it wouldn’t last; Minnesota promptly responded with a goal of their own, retaking the lead. Captain Sidney Crosby once again tied the game in the third period, but one more goal from Minnesota sealed the deal. The Pittsburgh win streak was limited to one, and the Penguins fell to the Wild, 3-2.
On Saturday, Feb. 10, the Penguins continued their road trip with a stop in Winnipeg to give the Jets a shot at redemption. In the first, the Jets were out for blood, and managed to get two past Jarry at 10 and 15 minutes in. In the second period, Rust was able to put one in the net, but a scoreless third would leave the Penguins still trailing. The Jets successfully got their revenge, and Pittsburgh fell to Winnipeg, 2-1.
This week, the Penguins have Valentine’s Day plans with the Florida Panthers in Pittsburgh, and then they’ll face off against the Chicago Blackhawks the very next day in the windy city. Let’s go Pens!
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