theathleticuk
PITTSBURGH — In a game that felt like two competing Hollywood scripts unfolding at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday, Logan Cooley and Ben Kindel each delivered unforgettable moments. Ultimately, Cooley and the Utah Mammoth skated away with a 4-3 overtime victory.
"Crazy game," Penguins center Tommy Novak said. Indeed, it was.
Cooley, a West Mifflin native, completed a hat trick with just one second remaining in regulation to send the game to overtime, where Utah's Mikhail Sergachev netted the winner. The dramatic finish capped a night that was already memorable for other reasons.
Nine days earlier, the Penguins' team plane had made an emergency landing in Salt Lake City after Kindel, the team's 19-year-old phenom, suffered a vasovagal episode and fainted minutes after takeoff. Kindel was cleared to resume physical activity a couple of days later and was cleared to return Thursday against Utah — of all teams.
Promoted to the second line upon his return, Kindel was arguably the Penguins' best forward. With less than 25 seconds left, Evgeni Malkin crashed the net and Kindel followed. The puck squirted free, and Kindel sent the crowd of 15,383 into a frenzy by slipping a backhand past goaltender Sebastian Cossa.
"Unfortunate," Novak said of what followed. "We all kind of thought we had it there."
It was a storybook ending in the making for Pittsburgh. Rickard Rakell had earlier tied the game with a spectacular shorthanded goal in the third period, and Kindel's tally seemed to seal a perfect return. "It sucks we didn't get the win tonight," Kindel said.
In the end, the night belonged to Cooley, whose performance was nothing short of extraordinary. His goals impressed for different reasons, but beyond the scoring, his explosive skating had the building buzzing all evening. "He's a good player," Hendrix Lapierre said. "He's been a good player. He's going to be a good player for a long time."
Novak, who attended the University of Minnesota like Cooley, added: "I watch him a lot because we went to the same college. Unreal player."
On the final sequence, Declan Carlile failed to box out Cooley. Vincent Trocheck's shot squirted into the goal mouth, and Cooley was left alone to tap it in before Carlile could react. "It's tough," Carlile said. "It's unlucky. Artie (Arturs Silovs) kept us in it all game. A seeing-eye shot gets through, and it pops up in the air. He knocks it out of the air. It's unfortunate because we battled back pretty well."
The Penguins were outplayed for much of the game but stayed within striking distance thanks to Silovs' brilliance.
Key Analysis
Regardless of frustration over the outcome, this was an extraordinary game — arguably the most entertaining of the season. Silovs was exceptional, Kindel's moment was pure magic, and Cooley put on a show. Fans who paid to attend may be unhappy with which team got the two points, but they shouldn't feel cheated. Everything about this game was spectacularly entertaining.
Comparing Cooley to Connor McDavid is unfair — there's only one McDavid, and he's the best in hockey, doing historic things. But watching Cooley skate, especially the way he glides laterally and shifts gears seamlessly, it's hard not to think of McDavid. Stylistically, there are similarities. Cooley is a special player and clearly felt he was putting on a show in his hometown. He did not disappoint.
One questionable decision: having Carlile on the ice in that situation. Utah called a timeout after Kindel's goal, so everyone was fresh for the final 24 seconds. Carlile struggled all game and was clearly the Penguins' worst defenseman. While the Penguins lack shutdown defensemen, Carlile hasn't been good in front of his own net — at all — and the situation demanded that. The fourth line being out there is understandable; Carlile being out there is not. He's still capable of being a reasonably good NHL defenseman, but why have him on the ice against Cooley in that moment?
The Penguins have repeatedly blown leads at home over the past two seasons — it's an epidemic. They tighten up when protecting a lead, especially at PPG Paints Arena. Trocheck had a very good look a few seconds earlier and looked to the heavens when he couldn't score. The Penguins too often turn passive and freeze. They didn't deserve to win this game, badly outplayed most of the night, but it was right there for them. You can't give up a goal in that situation, but instead of taking matters into their own hands, they sat back and let it happen. They're abysmal at protecting leads.
What a performance from Silovs. He stopped numerous breakaways and too many Grade-A chances to count, continuing his hot streak. He's the Penguins' No. 1 goaltender right now. "He was phenomenal," Carlile said. "And he deserved a much better fate." The good news is he's much better than last season, and he's only 25 — still improving.
Final score notwithstanding, it was a special night for Kindel. He has a touch of magic about him and played a strikingly good game. He looked fast, made beautiful plays, and looked the part on the second line. His anticipation skills stood out — he was ahead of the play all evening. The trio of Kindel, Malkin, and Egor Chinakhov found their groove late in the first period and were very good thereafter. The Penguins should keep them together; there's something there.
Sidney Crosby had a rough night and didn't look himself. He seemed to find his game on the recent road trip but hasn't been sharp during this homestand. The Penguins earned 5 of 6 points in their last three games, which lessens the sting, but he still doesn't look right. Novak doesn't look right on Crosby's wing, either — he doesn't offer the speed or energy Crosby needs on his left side right now.
The officiating was frustrating — it felt like 1990s rules with too many infractions ignored on both sides, impacting an otherwise wonderful game. The Penguins played with energy and did good things offensively, but Utah made their blue line look bad most of the night. Erik Karlsson, who scored in the second period, committed a terrible turnover to Cooley leading to the game's first goal. Penguins defensemen looked overwhelmed at times against the Mammoth forecheck. The Penguins don't match up well against fast teams, and that was on full display.
Originally reported by theathleticuk.