Just when the Pittsburgh Penguins had a chance to catch a break, fate had other plans. Monday night saw them almost take the top spot in the Metropolitan Division until the Toronto Maple Leafs crushed their hopes, wiping out a three-goal deficit to secure a 4-3 win over the visitors. The defeat keeps the Penguins in second place with a tally of 18, keeping them behind the Devils. But for those who think the night was all in vain for the Penguins, you couldn’t be more wrong.

Scotiabank Arena had a very special Pens fan in the house, none other than the Penguin head athletic trainer Kevin Elliott’s mom, Nancy. While you would think that’s very common for teams’ respective family members to pay a visit, this is more than quite special, so much so that it literally got a shoutout from that game’s commentator. For context, Nancy has been a diehard hockey fan all her life. However, she barely ever had a chance to actually visit a stadium and watch an NHL game.

It was finally on Monday that the 82-year-old was finally able to. She flew all the way by herself from New Brunswick. In fact, this was also her first time being on a plane since 1992, to watch her son do his thing and cheer on the Pittsburgh Penguins. In the video shared by @BR_OpenIce on X, Kevin’s mother could be seen enjoying and smiling when she saw herself on the jumbotron alongside one of her accomplices.

The commentator could be heard saying that she was delighted to meet Nancy at the team’s gate. Notably, it’s not just about watching this game for the first time; of all the years Kevin Elliott worked either in the NHL or with Team Canada’s World Junior team, she’s never been to a game, and there’s a very heartfelt reason for that.

It was revealed that Nancy was often busy with her job of working with special needs children. Likewise, Kevin mentioned during his chat with the commentator that her mother has an incredible heart for helping people and is known to yell at the TV screen whenever she disagrees with a call that goes against the Penguins.

To see Nancy finally catch up with her first-ever NHL game live, watching her son, cheering for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and even getting a unique shoutout of her own, the moment would have become wholesome had the Penguins won. Perhaps the only sad part of her visit is the fact that it ended in an unfortunate defeat for the away side.

Initially, the Penguins were ahead 3-0, courtesy of goals from Erik Karlsson (assisted by Sidney Crosby) and rookie Ben Kindel, who struck twice, with the second coming off a deflection late in the first period. However, it was the Toronto Maple Leafs who staged a remarkable comeback in the third period.

William Nylander led the charge with two goals and an assist, while Auston Matthews added a goal and an assist. Bobby McMann then completed the turnaround, netting the go-ahead goal at 13:43 to seal a thrilling 4-3 victory for the Leafs. Morgan Rielly also contributed two assists during the comeback. And if you think the misery ends here for the Penguins, then again, we have some unsettling news to share!

Pittsburgh Penguins announce unfortunate team news!

Following their 4-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Pittsburgh Penguins have placed Tristan Jarry, Justin Brazeau, and Noel Acciari on injured reserve. While Acciari was forced off the ice with an upper-body injury that he sustained on Monday night, Jarry was ruled out with an undisclosed issue after having played the full game and made 16 saves.

Having enjoyed a breakout run this season with 12 points in 12 games alongside Evgeni Malkin, Brazeau is expected to make a return as early as Thursday’s home clash against the Washington Capitals. As far as Jarry and Acciari are concerned, they are at least expected to miss a week. This also keeps them out until the team’s Sweden trip to face the Nashville Predators on November 14 and 16.

In corresponding moves, the Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Danton Heinen, Ryan Graves, and Sergei Murashov from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL), while Owen Pickering has been reassigned after appearing in four NHL games. Then again, tides always turn. Why end on a sad note, especially after hearing one of the most touching stories, right?