Penguins Head Off Rangers 4-3

Okay, now I’m worried.

I’ve purposely refrained from being too hard on our Penguins, given their banged-up state. And there was a lot to like about last night’s 4-3 shootout victory over the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. A win that enabled us to continue our mastery of the Blueshirts and one-time nemesis Henrik Lundqvist.

But my, was there ever cause for alarm. Such all three Penguins conspiring to get on the wrong side of the puck in overtime, allowing the Rangers a clear-cut 3-on-(oh my goodness) the opposite way. How goalie Matt Murray kept his considerable cool and stopped Michael Grabner with a sliding glove save, I’ll never know.

We’ve got to be better in our own end. Better at competing for loose pucks. Better at winning puck battles. And better at clearing the zone. Especially with the game on the line.

Call it lethargy. Call it inertia. But there’s a strange hesitation taking place. Like guys are either unsure of their assignments in the d-zone, or are unwilling to fully commit to them. Not unlike what used to happen during the Dan Bylsma era whenever we’d get bottled up in our end.

Can you say meltdown?

I realize there’s a certain fluidity inherent in the Pens’ style that sometimes leads to loosey-goosey play. New Jersey on the Mon we ain’t, and that’s a good thing. But we can’t keep leaking goals late in periods. And we can’t go blowing two-goal leads. Especially come playoff time.

Do that against a top team like Columbus? We’ll be scheduling early tee times, instead of competing for another Stanley Cup.

Had to get that out of my system.

There were positives, too. Lots of ‘em. The Pens snapped a four-game winless streak. For the first time in a while, they bore a passing resemblance to the team that recently had climbed to within a point of the overall NHL lead, rather than the woebegone ’83-84 Boys of Winter.

Jake Guentzel returned to the lineup in peak form, betraying no ill effects from the concussion that kept him sidelined during the team’s skid. Jake popped in the locals’ first goal 39 seconds into the second period, finishing off a brilliant tic-tac-toe passing sequence by redirecting Sidney Crosby’s hard, cross-crease feed.

Once again, he displayed terrific chemistry with Sid and fellow kid Conor Sheary. A dagger of a line that promises to be lethal come the postseason.

D-man Ron Hainsey likewise returned from the hospital ward, teaming with Brian Dumoulin on the second pairing. In addition to providing some much-needed bulk and steadiness to the mix, Hainsey logged 22:05 of ice time, including a team-high 2:14 shorthanded.

Back to Sid. How incredible was the goal he scored last night? Viewing the game on a big screen TV, I watched as he released the puck from an impossibly sharp angle. Instinctively, my attention shifted to Sheary, awaiting a pass at the right faceoff dot. Then Conor raised his arms in celebration.

What the…?

Had to watch the replay twice before it dawned on me what Sid had done. His sensational bank shot off the back of Lundqvist’s mask was roughly akin to a basketball player scoring from behind the glass.

He never ceases to amaze.

Crosby’s shootout goal was a beaut, too, as was Phil Kessel’s. Speaking of, the roly-poly winger—snake-bitten of late—showed definite signs of life, finishing with an assist and a plus-2. Hopefully, a harbinger of better things ahead.

I’ve “saved” the best for last, pun intended. Murray may have yielded three goals. But I saw something in his play and demeanor that heartened me. Especially with the game on the line in overtime, and in the shootout, too. Call it a simmering blend of pride, anger and obstinance—cloaked in ice-water cool.

You guys aren’t going to beat me.

That, ladies and gents, bodes well for the playoffs.

Puckpourri

Crosby made a subtle, but gem of a defensive play in the second period. Trailing Mats Zuccarello through the neutral zone, Sid caught the speedy New York forward with a quick burst and chopped down on the Rangers’ stick to foil a prime scoring chance.

Sid holds a five-goal lead over the nearest competition in his quest for the Maurice Richard Trophy. He trails Edmonton’s Connor McDavid in the overall scoring race, 91-84.

With the victory, the Pens maintain their grip on third place in the Metro Division, seven points ahead of the Rangers and one behind Columbus. The Blue Jackets lost to Chicago, 3-1, last night.

The Pens trail first-place Washington by five points, with five games to play.

Next up…a 5 PM clash with Carolina on Sunday at PPG Paints Arena.