Speed kills.
Penguins’ play-by-play announcer Paul Steigerwald bellowed that time-honored line after watching Phil Kessel and Carl Hagelin torch the Flyers on a two-on-one during the third period of last night’s scintillating 4-3 Penguins victory at the Consol.
Philly forward and noted Penguin killer Jakub Voracek seconded the notion. “They’re a fast team,” he said.
Indeed, thanks to the recent acquisitions of Hagelin and mobile rearguard Trevor Daley the Pens—suddenly—have speed to burn. Not by coincidence, they’re finally beginning to resemble the offensive powerhouse everyone expected following a high-profile offseason.
Feeds that previously clanked off of stick blades are now finding tape. After giving a pretty fair impression of drying paint through the early going, the Pens have displayed infinitely improved tempo and flow. During one especially dazzling even-strength sequence midway through the final period they passed the puck as if it were on a string. All the while keeping the befuddled Flyers pinned in their own end for what seemed an eternity.
Until now, I’ve been skeptical of the team’s chances to make the playoffs. But I like what I see. The trio of Evgeni Malkin, Hagelin, and Kessel (two goals for the evening) has a chance to be lethal. With four goals in 17 games, Daley’s been outstanding since donning the black and gold. Kids like Tom Kuhnhackl, Bryan Rust, and Conor Sheary have provided fresh legs and a burst of energy.
Not that there isn’t work to be done. After clawing their way out of an early two-goal hole to snatch a 4-2 lead, our boys nearly handed the game back to their bitter cross-state rivals. Nor did the Pens start like a ball of fire. It took a between-periods “pep talk” from coach Mike Sullivan to stir their competitive juices. An all-too-common occurrence.
Some muscle would help, too.
Still, at long last, the Penguins seem headed in the right direction.
Kunitz Leaves the Game Early
In one of those eerie, Halloween-type incidents that have come to define the nature of the Pens-Flyers rivalry, Chris Kunitz was forced to leave the game when he tumbled back-first into the boards and landed awkwardly on the ice after attempting to check Philly’s Claude Giroux. It’s unclear if he’ll be ready for Saturday afternoon’s contest with Vancouver.
After struggling to produce for much of the season, No. 14’s been on fire of late. “Kuny’s” tallied three goals and two assists over his past five games. For the season, the 36-year-old winger has eight goals and 18 points in 46 games. He paces the Penguins in hits (173) and leads all black-and-gold forwards with a plus-13.
If Kunitz is unable to play, the Pens’ may activate Beau Bennett, who’s been practicing with the team after missing the past five weeks with a shoulder injury. Sergei Plotnikov—a frequent healthy scratch—also is available.
Well I didn’t see the game, so I’ll take your word for it that the Pen’s played well..but they only beat a Flyers team also NOT in the playoffs. The Pen’s are still not in the playoffs right now and when they play good teams St. Louis and Chicago ( real contenders) they don’t show up.
Kessel has now scored his quota for Jan. so we will have to wait to Feb. for him to get another!!
I still don’t think they make the playoffs
Hey Pen’s 4ever,
I think the Pens have been playing a lot better, especially of late. Even during the 5-2 loss to St. Louis, they outplayed the Blues for a good portion of the game.
Sid’s been terrific. Feisty and intense…like his old self. Letang’s reemerged, too. Hagelin’s added a ton of speed, and he handles the puck so much better than Perron. In particular, he and Kessel seem to have some chemistry. Daley’s been a huge upgrade over Scuderi. He and Cole are slowly but surely evolving into a decent pairing.
Mind you, I’m not predicting a Stanley Cup–or even a long playoff run. I still think the Pens would greatly benefit from adding a couple of momentum guys to provide a spark. As the team stands now, they rely almost solely on scoring a goal to get them going. But when they don’t score, they have trouble finding the “on” switch.
Still, they’re skating and moving the puck with a lot more confidence and authority.
I too do not think the Pen’s will make the playoffs this year. But for a different reason.Depth of players. (injuries)
The Pen’s simply do not have enough man power to get the job done. They play Letang 26 minutes plus a game and he is always getting a hit or two a game from the opposing team and he then gets injured. The guy is a great player,but he has serious injury issues.But because we have nobody else to replace him,the Pen’s will have to over play Letang just to try to make the play offs. Ditto MAF ! That leads to injuries.
The Pen’s are playing much better,however they are still an older,smaller and less physical team than the Elite teams in the NHL and with no Cap space
it is difficult to trade for those other larger,skilled players we need to compete for the CUP.
As for Kessel, if he scores a few more goals in the next two weeks, I say trade him ! Having him for 7 more years on our team,could be a big mistake !
Hey Jim. As always, your points are well taken.
Maybe I’m looking at things through black-and-gold tinted glasses. But something’s changed over the past couple of weeks. Suddenly, the Pens are playing a lot more like the team we expected them to be. Barring a catastrophic run of injuries to the core, I do think we’ll make the playoffs. Just a feel, or a sense that I have.
Long-term cap implications aside, I think the Hagelin trade has fixed a problem in the top six. With his speed and puckhandling skills, he’s a much better fit for the team’s present style than Perron. I sense he might help Kessel be more of a factor, too.
I do wish they had at least a couple of guys who could bang and stick up for the team. Wishful thinking, I’m afraid …