Penguins Goalie Alex Nedeljkovic’s Frustration Boils Over in Win Against Flyers

It will be a night to forget for Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Alex Nedeljkovich on Thursday at PPG Paints Arena, as his meltdown became the headliner of the game against the Philadelphia Flyers. The Penguins needed the win to end a six-game losing streak, and the added pressure on the team was Nedeljkovic's trauma, which turned into a complete turnaround that saw the Penguins dramatically pull off a thrilling overtime victory, keeping both fans and critics chattering.

Things got off to a bad start with Nedeljkovic as he gave up three goals on just 15 shots within 27 minutes of action. As the Penguins went down by three midway through the second period, head coach Mike Sullivan decided to yank the struggling goalie and insert Joel Blomqvist. Nedeljkovic didn't take it too kindly, though, and took his venting out on his goalie stick by smashing it on the net before chucking it onto the ice. The tempestuous moment carried on with an angry slam of the bench door that opened again as if to symbolize a poor outing by the goalie.

The 28-year-old netminder was entering the contest boasting a 12-11-5 record with a save percentage of .893 this year. He made his last three starts with shaky performances, giving away as many goals as 14. Emotional outbursts aside, the backup goalie for the Penguins, Blomqvist, stepped up and turned the game around.
While Nedeljkovic's meltdown had all the headline news, the Penguins seemed to have drawn some inspiration from the absence of their netminder. They turned around a 4-0 third-period deficit, with Evgeni Malkin putting away his 11th of the season in the extra period to seal game number 5-4 for the Penguins.

This victory broke a losing streak in Pittsburgh and improved their record to 24-28-9. The Penguins hope to build on this momentum heading into a Saturday matchup with the Boston Bruins and continue fighting for a playoff slot.
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Although Nedeljkovic's emotional blow up made a strong statement regarding the inherent mental strain attached to the game, especially when times get tough, his annoyance only proved the case for coming back, like the Penguins, who turned their long night of disillusion into a memorable win. Looking at the future, both Nedeljkovic and the Penguins will have to put that energy into consistent performances to keep alive any hopes they may have for playoffs. This night may have served the goalie poorly, but it may be a gift for the team to reignite their season.