Penguins Fall to Capitals

“Crap.”

That was the only word I could think to utter as I watched Alex Ovechkin cut unimpeded into the slot and whip a bullet past Marc-Andre Fleury a mere 35 seconds into last night’s rivalry matchup between the Penguins and the Capitals.

Turned out to be a pretty good metaphor for the entire game. At least from a black-and-gold standpoint. From Ovi’s early rocket—his 20th goal of the season and 1000th NHL point—to Lars Eller’s empty netter that bonked off the stick of Patric Hornqvist and floated in. Capping, if you’ll pardon the expression, a 5-2 Washington win.

It was one of those nights. The Pens managed 32 shots on goal, yet rarely seemed to solve the Capitals’ lane-clogging defense, which accounted for 19 blocks. While the locals mounted a mild third-period rally, thanks to power-play goals by Evgeni Malkin and Hornqvist, they never really threatened. Especially after feisty defenseman (and ex-Cap) Steve Oleksy was whistled off for tripping with less than four minutes to play.

Still, Mike Sullivan was quick to distinguish this loss from the 7-1 thrashing doled out by the Caps on November 16.

“We were climbing back in it,” noted the Pens’ coach. “We had momentum. We had energy. Our power play gave us a boost in the third. We were right there.”

The numbers seem to support Sully’s take. The Penguins attempted 64 shots, compared to just 41 for their hosts. Fully half of their 32 shots on goal came from below the hash marks—an enviable ratio. By contrast, only eight of the Caps’ 30 shots on goal came from close range. Despite losing a whopping 62 percent of the faceoffs, the locals started in the offensive zone 54.4 percent of the time.

Yet this setback has an all-too-familiar ring. One that, in my eyes, links it to previous defeats at the hands of Washington and Columbus. Not to mention a pair of lopsided losses to the grinding, disciplined Minnesota Wild and two overtime losses to the hulking Los Angeles Kings.

Searching for a common thread, a few observations come to mind. In each of those contests, our guys had difficulty imposing their will and style of play. The Kryptonite to the Pens’ puck-possession game? Solid positional play and attention to detail. Particularly along the wall and in front of the net.

Indeed, although the Pens registered a ton of shots from close range last night, few seemed uncontested. Credit the Capitals—and opponents like the Blue Jackets and Wild—who’ve learned the folly of chasing the quicksilver Penguins around the ice. Instead, they’re staying in the shooting lanes and using their superior size and strength to win puck battles along the wall and in the trenches.

It’s working.

A shame in a way, because I really like our team. It’s wondrously skilled. Following Sidney Crosby’s exemplary lead, our guys compete hard. They play for each other and pick each other up, both on and off the ice.

Yet I fear changes are needed if the Pens are to compete on even terms with clubs that combine a high level of skill with a solid defensive game plan and physical bent. Perhaps in the form of tactical adjustments. But possibly through trades or recalls (or both).

Gordie Roberts, a member of the Pens’ first two Stanley Cup winners, once boasted, “We can change gears. We can play any style. We do what we have to do to win hockey games.”

Until our present Pens can make the same claim, another Stanley Cup may lie just beyond their grasp.