Penguins' Patric Hornqvist scores another high-stakes goal
There was no doubt in Patric Hornqvist’s mind. Sunday night’s matchup with the Carolina Hurricanes, a game with third place in the Metropolitan Division on the line, was a high-stakes encounter.
“It was the biggest game of the season by far,” Hornqvist said.
In the third period, Hornqvist took a pass from Dominik Simon on the right wing and ripped a shot past goalie Curtis McElhinney to give the Penguins a three-goal lead in a game they would go on to win, 3-1.
Some feel those two facts are intimately related.
“He always seems to bring his best game when it means the most,” teammate Matt Cullen said. “It was a big goal for us. They were pushing hard. It was a big goal, a really big goal. I was happy for him. He’s earned it. He’s a heart-and-soul guy. We all love him in here. He earns everything he gets. It was nice to see him get one.”
Hornqvist’s goal was his first at even strength since Jan. 6, snapping a streak of 32 games without one.
While he picked up some points on the power play in the interim, the second-half scoring slump has left Hornqvist frustrated at times. He’d like nothing more than to pick up the pace as the season winds down.
“I’ve been struggling lately to find the back of the net,” Hornqvist said. “I’ve had a lot of chances. It finally went in. Hopefully it can come in bunches.”
In retrospect, the goal only served to give the Penguins some insurance as the Hurricanes tried to mount a late-game comeback. Coach Mike Sullivan saw it as more than that, though.
“Since he’s been a Penguin, he’s been a high-stakes guy,” Sullivan said. “When the games mean the most, he plays his best. The goal he gets in the third period is a huge goal. It just gives us that much more of a cushion. When you’re in a two-goal game, one goal can happen and now, all of a sudden, it’s a hockey game. That goal he got in the third period was a huge goal.
“It was a great play by Dominik. It was a great play by all the players involved. But Patric’s a guy that’s always shown an ability to play his very best when the games mean the most.”
Jonathan Bombulie is the TribLive assistant sports editor. A Greensburg native, he was a hockey reporter for two decades, covering the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for 17 seasons before joining the Trib in 2015 and covering the Penguins for four seasons, including Stanley Cup championships in 2016-17. He can be reached at jbombulie@triblive.com.
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