Defenseman Mark Friedman's 'save' allows Penguins to come back against Blue Jackets

When you’ve largely been a healthy scratch for a stretch ranging from before Thanksgiving to after Valentine’s Day, you’re probably not going to be overly finicky over where you might find some ice time when you finally do get into the lineup.

Mark Friedman sure isn’t.

“I don’t care,” the Penguins defenseman said. “I don’t care if it’s center, left wing or left (defenseman).”

The right-handed defenseman, who is currently manning the left side of the Penguins’ third pairing, was in the perfect position on Sunday night during the Penguins’ 3-2 comeback win against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena.

A desperate goal line “save” by Friedman midway through the third period prevented the hosts from scoring a third goal and allowed the visitors — buoyed by late goals from superstar forwards Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby — to overcome a one-goal deficit and escape with an improbable victory.

“It was a big save,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said to media in Columbus. “It was an important one at that particular point in the game.”

With the Blue Jackets up 2-1, Columbus forward Emil Bemstrom came close to putting his team up by two goals at 9:12 of the third period. After he put a backhander off the right post of the Penguins’ net, the puck ricocheted off goaltender Casey DeSmith’s right skate and slid toward the cage. But before it could cross the goal line, Friedman scooped the puck out with his forehand and cleared it out of danger.

Friedman, a healthy scratch for 39 of 40 games between Nov. 13 and Feb. 24 before replacing injured defenseman Mike Matheson in a 1-0 home win against the New York Rangers on Saturday, has grown to appreciate any chance he has to be in the lineup.

His goaltender certainly appreciated Friedman’s presence on Sunday.

“We’ll see what he wants,” DeSmith said when asked if he felt an obligation to reward Friedman. “But whatever he wants, he’s going to get it.”

The Blue Jackets got the first lead 4:43 into regulation. After a defensive zone turnover by Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin, Blue Jackets forward Jakub Voracek accepted the charity and ripped a wild wrister from the left circle that missed the mark and caromed off the end boards. Blue Jackets forward Jack Roslovic claimed the rebound on the right half wall and snapped a cross-ice pass to the left circle for linemate Oliver Bjorkstrand who stroked a one-timer under DeSmith’s blocker on the near side for his 17th goal of the season and the 100th of his career. Roslovic and Voracek had assists.

Things were tied late in the first period at the 19:11 mark thanks to an unlikely source in Penguins defenseman Chad Ruhwedel who scored his second goal on an anarchic sequence. Under pressure from Malkin, Blue Jackets defenseman Andrew Peeke fumbled the puck in his own right circle. Penguins forward Kasperi Kapanen claimed the puck in the slot and whipped a quick forehand shot on net that was rejected by goaltender Elvis Merzlikins.

Chasing down the rebound in the left circle, Kapanen fed a pass to the left half wall for Malkin who directed an imprecise pass attempt wide to the far side. The puck ricocheted off the right corner boards to the near half wall where Ruhwedel chased it down and immediately chucked a wrister that glanced off the left arm of Blue Jackets defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov and sailed past Merzlikins’ glove on the near side. Assists went to Malkin and Kapanen.

Roslovic reclaimed a lead for the Blue Jackets, 2-1, 8:39 into the second. Just after a Columbus power-play opportunity expired, Dumoulin attempted to clear the puck from his own end boards off the right wing boards but Rozlovic intercepted the puck on the half wall. Moving into the right circle, Roslovic sizzled a rising wrister over DeSmith’s left shoulder on the near side for his ninth goal. There were no assists.

After Friedman’s defensive measure, the Penguins tied the game, 2-2, at 11:54 of the third with a power-play score off some precise passing.

Controlling the puck in the right circle, Crosby slid the puck to the right of the cage. From there, Penguins forward Jake Guentzel swept it to the right circle for linemate Bryan Rust who then one-touched it to the left of the cage where Malkin jabbed in a forehand shot past Merzlikin’s right skate for his ninth goal. Rust and Guentzel tallied assists.

“That was just our chemistry coming together out there,” Rust said. “We talk about a lot of things out there and a lot of possibilities. Everybody kind of just knew where everyone was going to be and it just worked out nicely.”

The Penguins took their first lead late in regulation at the 17:46 mark of the final frame. From the right point of the offensive zone, Penguins defenseman Kris Letang fired a slapper toward the cage. Merzlikins reached out from his crease to glove the puck but made contact with Crosby, who was battling for position with Roslovic. As Merzlikins fell to the ice, Crosby swept the puck from the front of the crease into a mostly vacant cage for his 16th goal. Letang and Rust had assists.

The Blue Jackets issued a coach’s challenge, citing goaltender interference. A quick review by officials determined Merzlikins initiated contact outside the crease and the score stood while the Blue Jackets were issued a delay of game penalty.

There was little to mask the Blue Jackets’ feelings on the review’s outcome.

“Which way I thought it was going to go and which way it should go are two different things,” Blue Jackets forward Sean Kuraly said. “But it doesn’t matter what I think.”

Sullivan had some ebullient thoughts on the goal and what it represented.

“It’s a huge goal,” Sullivan said. “I just loved our resilience tonight. It was a hard-fought game. (Crosby) personified it. That goal was an example of it. He’s so good around the net. He’s, in my mind, the best player in the game in and around the net. He plays with a ton of courage. He goes to that area all the time. He’s got one of the best sticks in the league.

“Sid’s goal at the end, I just think personifies the resilience that this team showed tonight.”

DeSmith was resolute as his record improved to 6-3-2 thanks to the 32 saves he made on 34 shots.

But the most important “save” came from someone who values any shot he gets at simply being the lineup.

“It’s not always easy knowing that you’re not playing,” Friedman said. “But you’ve just got to stay ready for your next opportunity.”

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