Penguins Nip Blues in OT, 3-2

Back in the late 1960s and early ‘70s, the Penguins and Blues were bitter rivals. Clashes between the clubs invariably featured rough-house play, bloodletting and occasional fisticuffs. Bob Plager slugging it out with our combative goalie Al Smith. “Bugsy” Watson tangling with Blues behemoth Noel Picard. Barclay Plager battling Bryan Hextall, father of our present GM.

While his son, Ron, puzzles over how best to improve his embattled hockey team before the trade deadline, the skidding Pens took matters into their own hands and beat the Blues, 3-2, in overtime. In the process snapping an ugly four-game skid and vaulting, at least temporarily, back into the second Eastern Conference wild-card slot.

In a matchup of slumping, demoralized teams, our Pens got the early jump, piling up a 21-7 edge in first-period shots on goal. However, Blues goalie Jordan Binnington flashed his Cup-winning form and kept us at bay during the opening frame…with a little help from his friends. Indeed, it was a “five-iron affair,” as the Pens struck metal five times, including a pair of clangers by Jason Zucker.

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