Better, but not good enough.
And now it doesn’t matter.
The Penguins went old school last night, ditching champagne hockey for a case of Guinness stout. They battled. They played close to the vest. They got mad, not frustrated, and that was a good thing.
But there are no moral victories in the playoffs. The score of a loss doesn’t matter when it’s your third in a row. Boston 2, Pittsburgh 1.
Somebody will doubtless start a hashtag campaign: #PensIn7
But that’s false bravado. The body will be on display for another game, maybe two. But the Penguins are dead.
Coach Dan Bylsma started Tomas Vokoun in goal. Good call. Vokoun rose above steady and dabbled in spectacular.
Beau Bennett got a jersey. He added spark. Bennett isn’t scared. Joe Vitale got a jersey. Bad retaliatory penalty, but he did OK.
Jarome Iginla finally manned his usual position, right wing. But he played third line. That’s like being moved from Attica to a minimum-security prison. If Iginla had it to do over, he might choose a Bruins jersey.
Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang played much better. Sidney Crosby struggled in the first two periods, but improved after.
The Penguins cut through the hubris that plagued their humiliation in the series’ first two games. They ditched any semblance of pouty entitlement. They showed up for a competition, not a coronation.
The Penguins mostly outplayed Boston over four-plus periods. Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask and four goalposts combined to limit the Penguins to Chris Kunitz’ second-period goal. Luck didn’t favor Pittsburgh.
But the details are moot. Absolutely inconsequential. Some are legit. Most translate to empty excuses. The Penguins have scored just twice in 10-plus periods. #Disaster.
When the Penguins get eliminated, it won’t be because they’re not good enough. Don’t let last night’s gutsy effort obscure what happened prior.
It all adds up.
Mark Madden hosts a radio show 3-6 p.m. weekdays on WXDX-FM (105.9).
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