In the late 19th Century, Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson wrote a popular novelette titled The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Dr. Jekyll, on the surface an upstanding citizen in every way, secretly concocts a potion meant to enhance his goodness. However, upon consuming the elixir, his inner demons are unleashed and he transforms instead into his barbaric alter-ego.
Last night’s 3-1 Penguins triumph over Carolina at PNC Arena was kinda’ like that, only in reverse. The Pens started the game in full Mr. Hyde persona before morphing into the good doctor in time to salvage two points.
The Pens were led—or more accurately—misled through the early going by Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby. Normally twin paragons of leadership and on-ice virtue, each seemed determined to outdo the other in the dubious category of trips to the penalty box.
By the 23-minute mark Geno had already visited the sin bin three times for assorted infractions. Not be outdone, Sid was whistled for slashing Brock McGinn—his second minor penalty—only minutes later.
Their teammates followed in lock-step. For the better part of two periods the Pens acted as if the boards were barricaded by an invisible out-of-bounds marker they weren’t allowed to cross. If they did happen to find the puck on their stick, for the most part they displayed a complete lack of understanding of what to do with it. As if puzzling over a complex bit of differential calculus.
Only the sterling play of goalie Matt Murray (29 saves), coupled with the home team’s disinclination to score, kept our guys in the game. Unable to hit the proverbial side of a barn, let alone the 4-foot by 6-foot net, the offensively challenged Hurricanes muffed chance after glorious scoring chance.
A good thing, too. Or we might have been trailing, big time, instead of clinging by our fingernails to an improbable 1-1 tie.
If Crosby was at least partly culpable for the Pens’ malaise, he was fully responsible for pulling them out of it. Determined to right his team’s sagging fortunes, Sid beat ‘Canes goalie Cam Ward late in the second period with a picture-perfect deflection of a Phil Kessel rocket on a 5-on-3 power play. One that gave the Pens a 2-1 lead they clearly didn’t deserve.
Malkin was next to atone for his misdeeds. Midway through the final period the big center rambled to the slot and buried a pretty backhand feed from Carl Hagelin to provide some insurance.
In stark contrast to their woeful play over the first 40 minutes, the black and gold finished strong, limiting the ‘Canes to just six third-period shots on goal.
“I thought our third period tonight was by far our best,” noted Pens coach Mike Sullivan, an observation that would qualify as the understatement of the century.
Bottom line? We earned two points. Pulling us to within three points of the Metro-leading Capitals. But man, was it ugly.
Ice Chips
Carolina outshot the Penguins, 30-22. The Hurricanes out-hit the locals, 38-21, and won 58 percent of the faceoffs. The Pens blocked 25 shots, compared to 10 for the ‘Canes.
Scott Wilson scored the game-opening goal at 2:15 of the first period on a deflection, his sixth goal of the season.
Trevor Daley suffered a lower-body injury late in the first period and did not return. Nick Bonino missed last night’s game with an undisclosed illness. He was replaced by Carter Rowney. Cameron Gaunce was a healthy scratch.
Crosby continues to pace the NHL with 33 goals. He trails Edmonton’s Connor McDavid (67-66) in the point-scoring race. Malkin’s tied for sixth with Chicago’s Patrick Kane (60 points apiece). Kessel leads the league with 26 power-play points.
The Pens don’t play again until Saturday night, when they square off with Philadelphia in a Stadium Series matchup at Heinz Field.
As I see it, there is some good news and some bad news, which do you want first?
I think I’ll save the good news for last; I think I would prefer to end on an up note. That was another lack luster performance of a team looking like they were desperately jus treading water, not like Stanley Cup Champs looking to bury their opponents in the wake of their overwhelming skill and passion to demonstrate it. The Hurricanes buffeted the redoubtable Mr. Murray with gale force shot attempts (over 70) and shots on goal (30), often of high quality. Skating around like the proverbial three blind mice the boys in black and gold acted like drowning rats unable to find a haven. Earlier in the year, I wrote after a particular ugly win, that a win is a win is a win and even ugly wins count as 2-points, there are no extra points for style. However, with only about a month and a half left in the regular season, I am more than a little concerned over last night’s effort. I will still take the 2 points over the alternative but I am given over to a pause.
I am worried that the current trend isn’t so much a matter of injuries but of a negative change in the environment of the team. It doesn’t appear to me the team is having fun anymore, showing off their skills. They seem to me to playing afraid, afraid of losing, rather than of fearlessly going for broke.
Now for the good news; although Sheary and Rust cannot be confused for Crosby or Malkin clones, their return, with their overall passion for playing and reckless for it style should invigorate what appears to be waning, tiring veterans, who have played way too many games already this year. Maybe their youthful joy to be on the ice will spark a second wind in some tired minds and bodies (Where the mind is, so will the body be). Also, getting Schultz back should bolster the sagging D.
In the end, I do believe that the Pens season is stranded on the edge of knife right now and could go either way. The decisions JR and Sullie make or not make over the next week or so will make or break the rest of the season.
It didn’t have to be this way, they could have made better decision in the off-season or early in the season, but that ship has passed. Now the team has to try and get right themselves.
Hey Other Rick,
Excellent thoughts!
I’d like to think the recent droop can be attributed to short-term fatigue brought on by playing four games in six days, not to mention the rash of injuries. Kris Letang, Brian Dumoulin and Ian Cole must feel like they’re on a forced basic training march (with full back packs) due to all the minutes they’ve logged.
I think you hit the nail on the head regarding Sheary and Rust. They’re our top speed/energy guys. And in Sheary’s case, a legit top-six forward. There’s no question we miss their hop, spirit and production.
In particular, I think Sid and Sheary had developed a special chemistry. While I certainly like what I see from Jake Guentzel, it’s obviously not the same.
We really (really) miss Schultz. Watching Letang try to run the power play … well …
Tanger’s a terrific player. But suffice to say he’s no quarterback. The power play suddenly resembles a Chinese fire drill. With him running the show, we almost botched that gift 5-on-3 last night.
Anyway, hopefully some rest will do our boys good.
Rick
Hey Rick,
I obviously agree, Sheary and Rust will give the Pens a boost when they get back and so will Schultz. However, I think more changes are required. Bonino needs to be a healthy scratch, just like Cole and Lovejoy were last year. He is a –4 and averaging only in the .38 range for points per game. I don’t know if his game is off because of his lack of a contract for next year or what, although I would suspect he should be playing harder for a raise. For me; I don’t care why, he needs to sit. Cullen and Rowney combination with Cullen on third line would definitely upgrade the FO dept as well as scoring. Cullen, the old warhorse of a 4th liner is outscoring Bonino. However, Cullen may not have enough gas to pull a regular 3rd line shift. A better choice would be to bring up Sundqvist, he has been playing real well down in WBS, would be fresh, young legs, and couldn’t be significantly worse. All of this is assuming that the Pens do not pull off and MAF for Duchene trade.
Fehr is another Veteran who hasn’t really been playing up to form and could benefit from some press box time. Once Rust comes back, the Pens will be pretty deep at RW. Rust, Hornqvist, Kessell, and Kuhnhackl should give them tons of energy. Kuhnhackl has been under-used this season and his legs should be strong. When all is healthy maybe a line of;
Crosby – Sheary – Rust
Malkin – Guentzel – Hornqvist
Cullen/Sundqvist – Hagelin – Kessel
Rowney – Kunitz – Wilson
Where Cullen and Sundqvist shre duties to give Cullen much need rest could breath fresh energy into the O.
Doing this may have the same effect on them as it did on Cole and Lovejoy and the Pens can get them back at playoff time the way they were last year.
On D it is another story. The Pens are paper thin on D even when healthy. I am sorry, in my opinion only Schultz and Cole have been consistently good all season. Letang and Maatta have had their ups and downs. As for the rest, they have been interchangeable at best. There really is nothing left internally in the way of help. Only a trade could upgrade this area. Although I loved, I think it was Jim’s idea, of Shattenkirk, Boruzzo, and Allen for MAF, Maatta, and Pouliot, that will never fly. St Louis is asking way too much right now for Shattenkirk. I don’t know what can boost this area now, so it really is time for JR to earn his salary this year instead of resting on last years laurels.
As for Sullivan, he has to get back to what brung him. He needs to stop coaching conservatively to not lose games and go for broke. He needs to get the team focused again on their passion for the game and not winning or losing games.
I feel like I am beating a dead horse I am saying this so often right now.
This is my last diatribe, at least on this subject, I promise.
One last thing about my lineup, I think Sestito may just be able to give Kunitz some rest so he too can be full throttle come April, so I would give him regular playing time not just in games against big clubs but regular 4th line shifts maybe once a week just to let save Kunitz a little.
Hey Other Rick,
While I basically agree with your thoughts, I do see a couple of things differently.
Agree that if we’re looking to move someone, it might be Bonino. (Not at all sure they’d be able to move Fleury, even if they wanted to.) Although lately I’ve been seeing little flashes that remind me of last season’s stretch run and playoffs. At least offensively.
I would actually move Cullen to wing and Fehr to center. You hit the nail on the head earlier–Fehr is far more effective at center than he is on wing. You still can have Cullen take the draws if you like.
We differ on Carter Rowney. The more I see of him, the less impressed I am. Not that he isn’t responsible and good on faceoffs (57 percent), which we definitely need. But I’m seeing absolutely zippo offense from him.
I would’ve much rather kept Josh Archibald. With Sheary and Rust out, we could have really used his speed and energy. Especially these past few games.
Agree that we need a d-man (or two). We’ll see how this all shakes out. It’ll be interesting, especially with so many teams still in the playoff hunt.
Rick
PS–I keep coming back to Ben Lovejoy as a possible acquisition on D.
Hey Rick,
When it comes to Lovejoy, I didn’t like trading him to Ana the first time. I hated the Despres for Lovejoy trade. Although I didn’t want to lose him initially, I would have rather kept Despres. However, Now in the end I agree with you, getting Lovejoy back would be an upgrade and put the Pens in a better position for their Cup defense.
Please don’t mistake my mentioning Rowney as 4th line Center as my 1st choice. I would prefer to see Sundqvist get first shot. My opinion of using Rowney would be more of sending a message to Bonino. Bonino was a force last year in the play-offs and since he isn’t that old he still could recover that mojo. Using Rowney could still be used to spark Bonino if you don’t trade him.
I liked what I saw of Archibald and think he too could bring some of that much need jump in their step. I would have no problems with bringing him up to send a message. I like Kuhnhackl more because of his size but if Sullivan is prejudiced against size, maybe they could use Kuhnhackl as trade bait. The big problem with Archibald is that I have only see in him play 1 game last year and 2 this year. Hardly enough tome for me to form an opinion.
I’ll take your Fehr to Center and Cullen to wing move but when Sheary comes back that could over-load LW with Sheary, Guentzel, Hagelin, Cullen, Kunitz, and Wilson.
Watching teams rountinely get 60 and 70 shot attempts doesn’t give me the same feel about the Pens O as I had last year. Opponents rarely had zone time last year because the O was so swarming and the D only needed 1 to 2 passes to clear the zone most times. By the third period opponents were exhausted and that is when the Pens poured it on. This year, I have seen that at times but not very consistently. The O seems more driven by individual talent than any team effort. Each member of the Hydra (Crosby, Malkin, Kessel) has had some monstrous games.
I just am not getting the same feel as last year.
We will see how it goes. Hopefully JR can find some D.
Sorry, I forgot to say I also agree that I doubt MAF gets traded now. That ship has sailed, I am afraid. There is just no market right now.
Hey Guys
Great discussion. Got me thinking.
70 shots. 40%-45% face off wins.
Our star d man who we pay 7.3 million a year can not run the power play . (Your words not mine , but I agree). I would add because we over play so much, he is often hurt.We have a goalie situation that seems to be not working out.Two guys can not play at the same time.We have a situation at center whereby we did not sign Bonino when we had a chance in the off season,and you wonder why he is not producing like last year? If he breaks a leg between now and free agency, that will costs Bones millions.He is 28 years old and this is his last chance for a 5/6 year deal with a large raise.
3.5 million plus?. We have questionable player dissions again. Tommy K. Oskar S. Derrick P.
Then a GM and owner who make a rookie mistake,again and announce we are going all in to win in 2017 and the heck with next season.???
We are entering into the heart of the season.
25 +games to go. This is it.We need to be firing on all cylinders, to use an automotive anology.
Guys reading your excellent exchanges of facts , ideas and opinions, I just realized the ship we are sailing does not look to strong right now. I am worried. We lose Daley or Letang and Justin and Ollie remain injured, we can be in real trouble.
Also if we have to overwork Crosby,Malkin and Phil that is going to catch up to us.
I am praying for that big multi-player trade that will right the ship.
Watching you two guys exchange ideas is certainly entertaining and enlightening.
Cheers
Hey Jim,
I hear ya’, my friend. Even though I personally don’t think the Pens are that far off with their present mix, I do think they could use a couple of defensemen (one with a physical bent). And, at least in my perfect world, a physical forward who can play.
It’s hard for me to imagine Rutherford pulling off a blockbuster, unless he’s somehow able to deal Fleury and get a proven backup in return. I think there are simply too many variables, with too many teams still in the playoff hunt. Plus, with a limited number of sellers, those teams will have lots of leverage.
Still, if anybody’s able to swing a major trade, it’s JR.
Personally, I think he’ll try to get a depth d-man (like Lovejoy) for a draft pick. And maybe aim a little higher (and pay a little more) for a second d-man.
Rick
Hey Rick,
You are certainly a Lovejoy fan. I worry he is getting a little long in the tooth.Ben Lovejoy of 2 to 3 years ago would indeed be a bonus, but now I am not sure.
Plus on a selfish note, I do not want to see Shero fleece us as he has done with others most of his career.That would hurt.
I want them to move MAF and Maatta in a package to get a 24 to 26 year old in his prime. Plus a forward with size and skill as you suggest.
The second d man will show up on trade deadline day, probably the last hour as there always a veteran who wants to play for a contender and he plans to retire.
My thoughts anyway.
Jim
Hey Jim,
Interesting comment about a rookie mistake on managements comment about going all in to win this year. You are quite right. I would like to think that JR and Mario have been around too long to make these type of mistakes. However, I can’t help wonder if that comment was aimed at justifying their off-season mistake of keeping MAF. I am now wondering if they have realized that they made a mistake but their pride is keeping them from owning up to that mistake so they now exacerbate the first mistake by saying that they are in it to win another Cup this year and now raise the pressure on the team inching its way back up to where it was before Sullivan came.
Also, I find your Letang comments interesting. At $7+ mil, the amount of time he misses and his inability to drive the PP do raise some questions. Letang is a phenominal skater and great in shoot outs but your implication that he may be over-priced is starting to make me think.
Like you Rick, I am hard pressed to think of a scenario where the Pens even contemplate a blockbuster trade, let alone pull one off, particularly where MAF is concerned, but then again I never thought the Pens would be able to move Scuderi. I wouldn’t complain if they did move MAF and Maatta as you suggest Jim, I think both are quality players but really don’t fit the current team make-up, so for all concern, player and team, a trade would be a boon.
These last couple of weeks before the deadline are killing me. I look several times a day, hoping against hope that the team makes a good strong deal that positions them not only for a strong Cup run, but doesn’t gut the future and expose us to another 5 or 6 years like we suffered thru in the early 2000s.