Mike Sullivan Addresses Alex Nedelkjovic's Meltdown After Getting Pulled Against Flyers
Photo credit: Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan defended his goalie Alex Nedelkjovic after pulling him last night against the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Penguins pulled off a heroic comeback last night, defeating the Flyers 5-4 in overtime after going down 3-0 during the second period.
After the 3rd Flyers goal, Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan pulled his goalie in a desperate attempt to change the momentum of the game.
Nedelkjovic was not happy after being removed from the game.
After Sullivan called him over to the bench, signaling that his night was done, he slammed his stick against the crossbar before breaking it over his knee.
He then slammed the door to the bench after stepping off the ice, and yelled at his teammates before storming off down the tunnel.
While Ned was obviously not happy with how his night went, Sullivan's move proved to be effective as the Penguins would rally back to make it a one-goal deficit going into the 3rd period.
Evgeni Malkin would tie the game early in the 3rd frame, and would go on to score the game-winner in overtime, completing the comeback.
After the game, Mike Sullivan praised Nedelkjovic for the way he exited the contest.
He noted that he had no problem with his reaction, and even gave him credit for helping fire up his teammates, giving them the motivation they needed to get the win.
"I have no problem with Ned's reaction (to being pulled). For me, that's just an indication of how invested he is... he cares. He's competitive. He wants to win. That's raw emotion... quite honestly, I thought he inspired the group to want to compete for him."
Unfortunately for the Penguins, this win is too little too late as the team remains well outside the playoff picture.
If anything, the organization is probably hoping to lose more often than not for the rest of the season, as they look to secure the best possible chance of winning the 2025 draft lottery.
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