Mishkin’s Extra Shift: Penguins 5, Lightning 2

The Pittsburgh Penguins, facing elimination, played a desperate game. For the first two periods, the Lightning were unable to match Pittsburgh’s desperation level. While that disparity wasn’t the whole story of Game Six, it was a big part of it. During the opening 40 minutes, the Penguins were hungrier on pucks and played a fast, crisp game. The Lightning weren’t operating with the same hunger, speed or crispness.

As a result, the Penguins, in a somewhat similar script to Game Three, had most of the puck possession, shots and scoring chances during the first two periods. During that time, they built a 3-0 lead, one that proved to be just too much for the Lightning to overcome. Overcome it the Lightning nearly did though. In the third period, the Lightning raised their desperation level and dominated play. After firing only 11 shots on goal in the first two periods combined, the Bolts posted 19 shots in the third. They cut the deficit to 3-2 before the Pens iced it with two late goals.

But the Lightning didn’t lose this game because they allowed a couple of goals in the third. This game was lost in the first two periods. Had Jonathan Drouin’s early goal not been overturned due to a successful coach’s challenge, perhaps the …

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