The Penguins lost for the first time in 16 games last night. They were two wins away from tying their own NHL record win streak of 17. The Buffalo Sabres took it to them last night. They played with a quicker pace than the Pens and somehow got goalie Vokoun spinning in his own net. This is how the streak ended?
It certainly is. Tomas Vokoun seemed to be a little flustered in the net. He didn't know which way the Sabres were going to be coming from. Vokoun even got spun around by his own guy, which led to a wrap-around goal. Marc Andre Fleury ended up replacing Vokoun after he let in four goals.
I'm not blaming the loss all on the goalie though. The Penguins defense couldn't seem find a way to clear the puck from their own zone. The Sabres were just moving too quickly. Kevin Porter apparently hadn't scored in over a year even found the net twice last night.
Perhaps the Penguins couldn't match the Sabres intensity because they were missing NHL's points leader Sidney Crosby. Crosby is out due to taking a puck to the face against the Islanders. The Kid underwent surgery to repair a broken jaw and fix some teeth. He is out indefinitely but good news; no signs were found of a concussion.
A few things were positive in last night's loss. Jerome Iginla nabbed his first goal as a Penguin (the only goal of the night for Pittsburgh). Not only that but Fleury seems to be healthy as be blocked 16 of 16 after stepping in at goal.
This just goes to show how tough it is to run with a streak in professional sports. There are so many factors to consider, such as injuries, chemistry, emotions and so on. The Miami Heat showed us that just a week or two ago and now the Pittsburgh Penguins. That makes these streaks that much more impressive.
Photo Acquired From: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/penguins/penguins-winning-streak-gets-no-fond-farewell-681910/
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