The trend, unfortunately, continues. Once again our Penguins fell prey to a key Metropolitan Division rival. A larger, more physical one to boot.
The Pens certainly had their moments during last night’s disappointing 3-2 loss to Washington at the Verizon Center. They were the quicker, more vibrant team to open the game. When Patric Hornqvist beat Braden Holtby to make it 2-0 early in the second period, it looked like they just might topple the NHL’s best.
Then the Caps flexed their considerable muscle. With four hits apiece, bruiser Tom Wilson and “the Great Eight,” Alex Ovechkin, led the charge. Slowly but surely, the hosts began to grind us down with a hammer-and-tongs approach. You could sense the black and gold start to wilt.
True, our boys were playing the second of back-to-back contests, while the Capitals were comparatively fresh. But Washington’s heavy game clearly took a toll. While the Pens sagged, the Caps piled up a lopsided 27-17 edge in shots on goal over the final 40 minutes.
The Capitals continued their assault in the third period. Ovechkin drilled Pens defenseman Olli Maatta into the sideboards. Dmitri Orlov blasted Bryan Rust—arguably our most effective player—with a bristling shoulder check at center ice.
Moments later they had the lead, too, thanks to a power-play goal by former Pen Matt Niskanen.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The Penguins aren’t timid. They battle and scrap and compete. Even in the face of a physical onslaught like the one dished out by the Caps, who enjoyed a 32-19 advantage in hits.
Still, I’m weary of watching opposing thugs like Wilson take potshots at Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, and Kris Letang without a hint of retaliation or push back. It’s especially galling to watch bully-boy Ovechkin goad countryman Malkin at every turn, secure in the knowledge he won’t need to drop the mitts.
Personally, I’d love to see someone wipe the gap-toothed smirk from Ovi’s puss.
Alas, in his quest to remake the Pens in Carolina’s image, GM Jim Rutherford overlooked the need for some bigger, tougher players. Ones to provide backbone and protection for the stars.
The road ahead won’t get any easier. Not with the Rangers rolling into town Thursday night. And 15 games remaining against our Metro Division rivals.
Some muscle would’ve helped.
Hi Rick,
As the saying from the movies goes” I told you so”…Since I joined your blog site last year,you have been pleading the need for size,skill,speed,and grit in the Pen’s lineup.I have and continue to agree with you 100%. To be frank,last night was not the best game I have seen the Cap’s play.I think they were taking the Pen’s lightly,and after the second goal was scored they decided to wake up and go to work.Pen’s played great. They were beaten up by a bigger team that was just as fast and possibly more talented ! Definitely more physical than they were.
Rick, watch the last game between the Hawks and Cap’s where Chicago beat Washington by 1 goal.That was one tough game and it was a much different Cap’s Team playing Chicago than the one we played last night.
We simply can not match the physical size and play of many of the good NHL teams. Not even in our own conference.
Case in point. Team size. The Cap’s have 4 dmen all over 6’2, 215# or more. Plus OVI 6’3 239#,Wilson 6’4 215#,Chimera 6’3,215# and Backstrom and others.
The Rangers have 2 dmen 6’4 and 6’5.Plus 5 forwards 6’3 to 6’5.All big men.
The Islanders have 4 dmen 6’2 and up with 8 forwards 6’1 to 6’3 ,210 to 228 #.
Ottawa has 4 dmen 6’2,6’5,6’6 and6’7 and all are 220 # plus and 5 forwards 6’2 to 6’4.They are also a big team now.
Tampa’s 4 d men are 6’2,223# 6’5,226# 6’6,223# and 6’7,220#.Boston has 4 d men 6’2,210# 6’3,217# 6’4,215# and 6’9 Chara. Detroit has 5 dmen 6’2 to 6’4 plus 6’4 Frazen,6’3 Sheahan and 6’2 Abdelkader plus Pavel and Henrik and they are pretty hard team to beat.Florida has 5 d men all 6’3 to 6’5 plus 7 forwards 6’2 to 6’6. They are for real as well.
There are several other teams in our conference who also play us hard. Columbus?Carolina?Phili?
We have to play all these bigger teams 15 or 16 times in the next 21 games.
If my prediction is right, MR. Letang,5’11 and 200 pounds who plays 27 minutes a game as needed, is going to be in no shape come play off time because all these large,physical teams do not want to see the Pen’s in the play offs, and they are going to fore check Mr. Letang into the ice and we have no personnel to counter it. Crosby as well.
It is a shame really. You can not have your stars players being abused and expect them to perform at an elite level in the play offs.
The month of March could be a long one for us!
Good article Rick.
Hey Jim,
Very interesting compilation. And it certainly underscores the fact that other teams—even ones that play a speed game like Tampa Bay and Detroit—have at least some size in the lineup.
I have absolutely no problem with the Pens’ overall effort and compete level. But sometimes it’s a simple matter of physics. Over the course of a game—or a series—a bigger team is going to wear down a smaller one. Much like what happened against the Caps the other night. Our shot total decreased each period—along with our effectiveness.
Some of it, no doubt, was due to playing games on back-to-back nights. But some of it was due to the Caps’ physical play.
I was hoping the Pens’ speed would compensate for their lack of brawn. Based on Bill West’s article in the Tribune-Review—“Penguins insist fast play can solve opponents’ physical, deliberate styles”—that’s what they were hoping for, too. The article cites Chicago as a team that’s won the Cup primarily with skill and speed. But the Hawks—probably in an effort to play a more all-around game—muscled up at the deadline, adding Andrew Ladd (6’3” 200) and Dale Weise (6’2” 206). I wish we had, too.
There are teams out there that can skate and play rough, like the Capitals. We just don’t have an answer for them. And, unfortunately, we’re locked into our “eggs in one basket” approach. We couldn’t change up even if we wanted to. The only forwards with size at Wilkes-Barre—enforcer Tom Sestito, Tyler Biggs, and the recently acquired Matthias Plachta—aren’t NHL players. Same with our larger defensemen Reid McNeill, Harrison Ruopp, and Clark Seymour. Rugged Steve Oleksy could probably serve as a No. 6 defenseman in a pinch. But he’s hardly a behemoth at 6’0” 190.
You’ve been saying all along that this month—when we play primarily against Metro Division opponents—is going to be our proving ground. And you’re right. We’ve got to beat the teams in our division if we want to make the playoffs. I think we can handle most of the teams below us. But we don’t match up well against the Rangers and Caps—partly due to our lack of size and muscle. I’m not sure about the Islanders and Philly.
Ready or not, I guess we’ll find out.