Penguins shut out by Senators in Sidney Crosby homecoming game in Nova Scotia
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The Pittsburgh Penguins’ power play failed to score on six opportunities Monday as they were shut out by the Ottawa Senators, 3-0, in a preseason contest at Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Tristan Jarry made 21 saves on 23 shots in the defeat. Senators goaltender Joonas Korpisalo recorded the shutout by making 40 saves.
The contest was played near the hometown of Penguins forward Sidney Crosby, a native of Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, who received a long standing ovation during pregame introductions.
“Just trying to enjoy it,” Crosby told reporters in Halifax. “I’ve been on the other side of it, playing for Rimouski here against the (Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Halifax) Mooseheads. It wasn’t always as welcoming.
“I tried to soak it all in tonight. It was nice. I can’t thank them enough for the reception and just the atmosphere of the game. The environment of it all was pretty special, hopefully for everybody that was part of it.”
The Penguins served as the home team in this contest. Their next game this preseason is an actual home game against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday.
The Senators opened the scoring 8:02 into regulation via forward Ridly Greig’s first goal of the preseason. Off a cross-ice pass, Greig entered the offensive zone on the left wing and approached the left circle. With Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson shifting away to yield a clean look at a shooting lane, Greig toasted Jarry’s glove with a far-side wrister. Linemates Vladimir Tarasenko and Drake Batherson had assists.
Late in the first period, Senators forward Brady Tkachuk found his second goal at the 17:48 mark. With Penguins defensemen Kris Letang and Ryan Graves each pinned in deep in the Senators’ zone, Senators forward Claude Giroux fed a stretch pass springing linemate Tim Stutzle on a breakaway. Hustling in on net, Stutzle had a forehand shot denied by Jarry. Tkachuk followed up on the sequence by beating Graves to the rebound and jabbing a forehand shot into the cage. Stutzle and Giroux claimed assists.
Stutzle capped the scoring with his third goal on an empty net late in regulation at 17:40 of the final frame. There were no assists.