Tim Benz: After Alex Nedeljkovic's meltdown, Penguins were able to 'shush' negative thoughts

At least for one night, the Pittsburgh Penguins got to shush all the negativity.

Ironically, on Max Talbot “Shhhhh!” bobblehead doll night, the Penguins pretty much replicated the script of that memorable incident from the 2009 playoffs.

On Thursday, they stormed back from the same score against the same opponent, thanks to a similarly inspired emotional boost, eventually winning 5-4 in overtime.

Thursday’s collectible giveaway captured Talbot shushing the Philadelphia Flyers crowd after losing a fight to Dan Carcillo. It was a fight that he started in an attempt to switch momentum after the Flyers got out to a 3-0 lead in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.

The strategy worked as the Pens scored the next five goals in that 2009 game to win the game 5-3 and close out the series 4-2.

I’m not quite sure that’s what Alex Nedeljkovic was trying to emulate on Thursday night when he had a full-fledged meltdown after getting pulled in the midst of a 3-0 deficit against the Flyers.

Alex Nedeljkovic was NOT HAPPY about being pulled against the Flyers ???? pic.twitter.com/lR95TSNi4m

— BetRivers Sportsbook (@BetRivers) February 28, 2025

But it sure played out that way.

Penguins coach Mike Sullivan yanked Nedeljkovic when Philadelphia’s Matvei Michkov scored to make it 3-0 at 7:24 of the third period. The goalie blew a gasket on the way off the ice, breaking his stick, slamming the door on the bench and screaming in the direction of Sullivan and the coaching staff after removing his mask.

After the game, Sullivan didn’t seem to mind. In fact, he says Nedeljkovic’s outburst motivated the team.

“I have no problem with Ned’s reaction,” Sullivan said. “That’s just an indication of how invested he is. He cares. He’s competitive. He wants to win. That’s raw emotion. I have no problem with that. Quite honestly, I thought he inspired the group to want to compete for him. I thought our team responded.”

It’s tough to argue with Sullivan’s assessment. Much like after Talbot’s fight 16 years ago, the Penguins rallied by scoring just a few moments later. Philip Tomasino netted a goal at 9:05 to get the Pens back in the game. Then Erik Karlsson followed a mere 30 seconds later to pull the Pens within 3-2.

Tommer ???? pic.twitter.com/OF0O4UO4by

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 28, 2025

EK65 with a ???? pic.twitter.com/j9OT9FUNFX

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 28, 2025

Michkov and Karlsson would swap another pair of goals to make it 4-3 Philly after 40 minutes. But Evgeni Malkin tied the game in the third period and won it in overtime.

BINGO.

That's three points tonight for Evgeni Malkin! pic.twitter.com/Wwk3QbnrYK

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 28, 2025

THE GAME'S NOT OVER UNTIL GENO SAYS SO. pic.twitter.com/EzP89tpX4y

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 28, 2025

The players echoed Sullivan’s assessment that Nedeljkovic going nuclear turned the game on its ear.

“It’s a game of emotions, and sometimes you let your emotions out,” Rust said. “The team sees that and thinks that we have to fight a little harder for our guys back there. That’s what we tried to do.”

After four straight losses bridging back to before the 4 Nations Face-Off, multiple players in the locker room said the manner in which the Penguins won the game was just as important as the two points in the standings

“I think it is important that we didn’t quit,” defenseman Ryan Graves said. “That game could’ve gone sideways, down 3-0. Instead of just folding over, we found a way to dig our heels in and compete. … We didn’t cave in. We fought back, pushed back. It shows character.”

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Perhaps buried in the comeback was the role that Joel Blomqvist played in relief. The 23-year-old goalie stopped 21 of 22 shots after yielding four goals on 15 shots versus the New York Rangers in his last outing Sunday.

Given the way Nedeljkovic exited the ice, Blomqvist knew that a lot was being thrown on his shoulders to stem the tide until the Penguins could rally back.

“Tough situation for him, for sure. It was a tough start for our whole team,” Blomqvist said. “But when I got the chance there, it was just for me to reset and play my own game.”

For his part, Sullivan insisted that he didn’t pull Nedeljkovic due to poor play. Rather, he felt the team needed a jolt.

“The decision to pull Ned wasn’t so much performance-based as it was to try to change some momentum in the game,” Sullivan insisted. “I just didn’t think we managed the puck very well at all on the entries. We turned pucks over. We’re shooting pucks off the angles, starting the breakout, and going the other way. We just didn’t play the game with the right intentions.”

Nedeljkovic didn’t speak to reporters after the game. Maybe that was his own way of saying “Shhhh!” to us.

SHHHH ????

The 2nd period starts now! Tune in on @ESPNPlus and Hulu. pic.twitter.com/pmSEfV8ijk

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 28, 2025

This moment probably won’t result in a bobblehead. But it did help result in a win. Given how rare those have been for the Penguins this year, it can easily be considered a collector’s item as well.