It was bound to happen. Sooner or later, the Penguins were going to lose a game. As inevitable as death and taxes.
Might even do them some good, heading into the Stanley Cup playoffs. Remind them of how much it stinks to wind up on the short end of the stick. Lord knows, they haven’t had much experience with it lately.
Still, I hate losing to the Flyers. There isn’t anything remotely enjoyable about watching our arch-enemies and their faithful celebrate a victory at our expense. Especially one that clinched a playoff berth.
Hopefully, our Commonwealth Cold War adversary will reciprocate by making life miserable for Washington in the opening round of the playoffs. While I’m confident we can beat the President’s Trophy winners in a seven-game set, I’d prefer to face the Flyers down the road. A team we outclassed in three previous meetings prior to Saturday’s affair.
I’m getting ahead of myself.
The Penguins had their moments yesterday. Like when Nick Bonino converted an artful setup from Carl Hagelin midway through the first period to stake us to a 1-0 lead. Just not enough of them.
The tide abruptly turned late in the frame when Philly’s Braden Schenn took a shortcut through the crease and conked goalie Matt Murray on the noggin’ with an errant hip. The force of the blow dislodged Murray’s mask and snapped his head to the side, much like the effects of a well-placed left hook.
Although the collision appeared accidental, it had dire consequences. Murray had gobbled up 11 shots and looked unbeatable. Not wanting to risk further injury, coach Mike Sullivan wisely pulled the rookie netminder.
Enter Jeff Zatkoff, who hadn’t seen action since a porous performance against Tampa Bay on February 20. Barely a minute later Philly’s omnipotent sniper Wayne Simmonds (two goals) tapped Jakub Voracek’s net-front feed past the rusty backup.
The tally signaled the beginning of the end for the black and gold, who looked uncharacteristically sluggish skating without resting superstars Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang. While the Flyers proceeded to pour it on, our boys mustered a paltry nine shots on goal during the final 40 minutes.
Zatkoff recovered nicely, stopping 17 of the final 18 shots he faced. However, any real chance for a win evaporated early in the third period with Tom Sestito’s bristling blindside check on Flyers forward Ryan White. The Pens’ heavyweight dominated a brief follow-up scrap with Chris VandeVelde but lost the punitive war—big time—drawing a minor, major and game misconduct.
The locals shut down Philly during the extended power play, but had little left in the tank for one of those patented comebacks we’ve come to anticipate. Following half a period of ho-hum hockey, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare skated the length of the ice to slam-dunk an empty netter and seal a 3-1 Flyers win.
Disappointing as it was, the loss did nothing to dim the luster of one of the most remarkable runs in Penguins history. One that saw the team flourish despite a virtual Old Testament-plague of adversity and injury.
“We’ve done such a great job of continuing to grow as a team,” defenseman Ian Cole said. “I think that’s why, through all these injuries…we’ve continued to play a very good team game.”
And now? The Pens have a few days of R-and-R before the playoffs start. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury should be ready. Ditto sparkplug winger Bryan Rust. Superstar Evgeni Malkin and defenseman Olli Maatta are progressing. They shouldn’t be too far behind. Hopefully, Murray’s okay.
Let the second season begin!
Hey Rick,
First, I want to echo Jim’s sentiments of thanks to you for all of th ework you put into this site and to the contributers, especially like Jim who not only bring up vewry interesting discussions, but even when they disagree, they do it without being bellicose like some other places I comment.
Like you have said, I am not happy about the Pens ending the regualr season on a loss. I would much rather they go into the play-offs on a winning note, but then again, the Caps lost their last game and although not on a losing streak, they are only 4-3-3 over their last 10 games. (I have a friend from the DC area who has bemoaning the Caps down.) And Sullivan had the foresight to sit Crosby and Letang to limit the number of stars sitting out game 1. I just wish he would have sat Murray too.
On a related note, I have always been a proponent of physical hockey when I played and when I coached; take every inch the referees give you. However, I always expected to go to the penalty box every time I tried to push the limit.s Having said that, I have always been disgusted with meat-head NHL officials who confuse hard-nosed hockey with cheap obstruction hockey and put their whistles in their pockets, at least by play-offs and often times by late February, in anticipation of the play-offs. In the Pens last 2-games, both Washington and Philadelphia have run blatant pick plays in the offensive zone, right in front of the blind mice in stripes and got away with it. (making their missed calls far worse, in all their neanderthal mentality, they then turned around and called Sheary for embalishement as he hustled down the runway to the trainers room for treatment from a cheap shot.)
Therefore, I am glad to see both Philadelphia and Washington play each other in the first round. It will be interesting to see if these two physical heavy weightss series breaks down into a brawl, marring the image of hockey on national TV as nothing more than the circus portrayed in the movie “Slapshot”. Perhaps that would be apropos since Jownstown was the winner of the Kraft hockey award during the preseason.
Furthermore, I am hoping that the really bad cement-heads of the winner of that series are (preferably) suspended or injured from Misconducts by the time the second round starts.
Which brings me to the second part of my diatribe; as I mentioned to you one time before, I am not one of those who labour under the myth that scoring is down in hockey, particularly due to taller goalies with larger padding. As I alluded to in that converstation, I believe the real problem with scoring, if their is one, lies more so in the blind eye the referees have taken to obstruction calls. Yes, their is a whole lot less fighting in the NHL and perhaps (don’t know for sure) less dangerous hits. However, the average team this year was awarded roughly 260 PP opportunities compared to approximately 360 in 1998-1999 and again 360 in 1988-1989.
If hockey ever cleaned up its act with regards to obstruction/New Jersey style hockey, scoring would either go up from the increased PP opportunities or from players like Crosby and Malkin finally being allowed to show-case their full talent. Not only would scoring be up, but fighting would go down even more since their would be far less frustration over cheap hockey.
Other Rick,
Thanks for the kind words!! Hope we get lots of chances to connect over the
playoffs. It is going to be fun for sure.
What age level did you Coach? Takes a special person to be a minor league hockey Coach !! ( lots of hard work,and many 6 am practices at the Rink)…
Cheers,
Just read Jarry was recalled, Rick do you have any inside info on injuries to Murray or MAF?? Or was Jarry recalled just to practice with the Big boy’s before playoffs Wed. or Thurs.??
Hey Pen’s 4ever,
This is kind of a combo response to your two posts.
First … I’m glad you’re feeling more upbeat about the Pens’ chances. As I mentioned before, I’m an old-school guy who favored a more traditional mix of players, so it’s taken me a while to embrace this team and their puck-possession style. I sense it was the same for you, too.
As thrilled as I am with the way they’ve been playing, like you, I still have concerns about how they’ll fare against a bigger team like the Rangers come playoff time. Especially with the recent spate of injuries.
Speaking of, I have no inside info on the status of either Fleury or Murray. Based on a comment Sullivan made the other day, it seemed like Flower was making good progress and was on the verge of returning. Jarry’s call up really caught me off guard.
I can’t imagine starting the playoffs without our top two goalies. Obviously, that would put a huge damper on our chances.
Guess we’ll have to see how things play out over the next couple of days.
PS–Even though I’d love to have him as an option, I hope Sestito’s sudden recall doesn’t indicate a problem with Rust or Sheary, who took a nasty slash to the wrist on Saturday.
Hi Rick,
I am sitting in my study, on a lazy Sunday afternoon,just reflecting on the emotional roller coaster this team,it’s players,Coaches,its management, and yes it’s owners as well have put me thru these past 10 month’s.( ever since last years draft day ). It has been quite a ride with lots of ups and downs.
First and fore most, I want to thank you Rick and your colleagues for the great opportunity that your blog gives me and all the other wonderful fans who contribute to show we all are true Pen’s fans at heart.
You put tremendous amounts of effort and work into this site and I want you to know we all appreciate it greatly Rick.
Secondly, to all the other contributors …Thank you so much because it is your comments,complaints,and praises that really make this site what it is. One of a kind !!
Thirdly,as fans we are very,very lucky for our team to be in the playoffs. 14 other teams did not make it,and some of those teams are really,really good.
On December 1 st, just 4 month’s ago no one would ever bet that we would end up in second place. But we are. ( All I can say is God must be a closet Pen’s fan,because the last 4 month’s have been nothing short of a miracle.)
Final point,
For the first time in something like 40 years,not one team from Canada has made it to the playoffs.As a Canadian,I think that this is just great because it shows how much the game of Hockey has progressed and spread across the United States and Europe! As a true fan of the game, that is a great thing. ( Can u ever imagine that the number one NHL draft pick this year will be Austin Matthews, an American born kid from Arizona !That is unbelievable).
Hope Murray is okay and that the NY Islanders win tonight so we do not have to face the Ranger’s in the first Round. I praying for 12 more Pen’s
wins in 2016,because if we can get to the Stanley Cup Finals,remembering where we were as a team last December 1st, I will be really happy.
Of course 16 wins would be better, but I did not want to press my luck.
Cheers
Hey Jim,
Thanks, so much, for taking a moment to share your reflections and thoughts. And thank you for being willing to comment and contribute on such a consistent basis. It’s been fun chewing the hockey fat with you and experiencing what’s been a roller-coaster of a season together.
Aside from our three Cup seasons, I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed a turnaround like our Pens had this year. If we could run video side by side of a game in November and a game in March, I don’t think people would recognize that it was, essentially, the same team. Like you, I never thought I’d be sitting here in April, dreaming of another Stanley Cup.
Remarkable.
I do worry about our success translating to the postseason. The Rangers are no pushover, that’s for sure. And, if Fleury or Murray aren’t ready for the start of the playoffs…I don’t even want to think about it.
Interesting insight regarding the Canadian teams not making the playoffs. As an American, I feel badly for your nation. While hockey’s certainly popular in the States—especially where it’s played—it’s your national sport. It just seems a shame that there aren’t any teams to carry your country’s banner into the playoffs…at least for this year. While we’re talking about Canadian teams, Quebec (city) should have an NHL team.
Agree about a kid from Arizona possibly being the No. 1 pick overall. Unbelievable. A far cry from the days of the Original Six, when there were maybe a handful of American and European players skating in the NHL.
The sport has grown so much!
I know I’ve been negative with my Pen’s and the GM about moves and players..( I still hate Phil )but I’m excited about the playoffs again this season, we COULD be a sleeper in the East, as long as MAF plays like he has all season and the offense keeps it up, the only thing I worry about is if we start with the Rangers and Lundqvist ,he gets hot and we will lose. Pen’s can’t give up more then two goals vs. the Rangers and the other thing I worry about is playing a physical and bigger team that will punish our forwards, no matter how fast we are, that will slow us down.
LET’S GO PEN’S!!!