RALEIGH, N.C. _ Matt Cullen was quick to mention the increased sense of urgency Tuesday morning, predicting the game would have playoff feel and playoff intensity.
Cullen once played for the Carolina Hurricanes, winning a Stanley Cup, before winning two Cups with the Penguins. He knows about such things and the veteran center, now 42, had the Canes-Pens game perfectly pegged as it took a shootout to decide it at PNC Arena.
Dougie Hamilton's shootout goal won it 3-2 as Petr Mrazek stopped Phil Kessel, Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel in the shootout.
In the overtime period, the Pens' Kris Letang was called for slashing Sebastian Aho on a breakway, Pens goalie Matt Murray stopping Aho's shot. On the power play, Aho was looking at an open net but defenseman Jack Johnson blocked the shot with his skate.
With the two points so precious to both teams in the fight for playoff position, it was a game of speed and pace, of fighting for every inch of open ice, of goaltending heroics and toughness.
Letang's goal with 4:37 left in regulation gave the Pens a 2-1 lead. Letang, back in the lineup after missing 11 games with an upper-body injury, scored off an odd-man rush.
But Justin Williams tied it for the Canes after Mrazek was pulled for an extra attacker. His 22nd came with 1:57 left in the third, and the Canes had a late power play _ and then 16 seconds of power-play time to start overtime.
Brock McGinn scored in the second period to give the Canes a 1-0 lead, but Guentzel quickly answered for the Penguins. That made for a tense third period, leaving it to the two goalies.
The Canes (40-25-7) entered the game three points behind the Penguins (39-24-11) who held third place in the Metropolitan Division. With 85 points, the Canes held the first-wild card playoff spot, a point ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Pens were without center Evgeni Malkin, out with an upper-body injury, but had Letang back, the veteran taking the morning skate and then deciding to play.
The Pens had dropped their last two games, allowing a goal late in regulation against the Philadelphia Flyers and then losing in overtime in their last game.
The first period was scoreless although Canes center Lucas Wallmark nearly scored late, his shot finding the crossbar.
In the second, Mrazek aggressively denied a Sidney Crosby attempt and Murray turned away a backhander by Micheal Ferland before the quick exchange of goals.
On a rush into the zone, McGinn scored off a Justin Faulk pass, beating Murray to the stick side. With Jordan Martinook and Greg McKegg on the center drive, McGinn was able to get a clean look and converted for his ninth of the season.
The lead lasted 38 seconds. Taking a pass from Crosby, Guentzel scored his 37th for a 1-1 tie.
While the game had been mostly one of skill and speed, Ferland had Canes fans on their feet with a crunching hit on Patric Hornqvist along the boards with 3:19 left in the second.
