As is my custom on weekends, I went to the Pennsbury Pub and Grille yesterday afternoon to watch the Penguins take on the visiting Sabres.
In stark contrast to my previous game-time visit to the Pub, when the Pens’ fortunes took a downturn the instant I showed up, I think I may actually have helped our cause in some cosmic sort of way.
You see, I didn’t arrive until the second period. Thus, I was spared the apparent horror and agony of watching the Pens sleepwalk through another somnambulant first period in which they were outscored 3-0 and outshot, 21-13.
Instead, I got to witness yet another miraculous black-and-gold comeback, culminating in rookie Jake Guenztel’s immaculate game-tying deflection at 16:14 of the third period and Conor Sheary’s electrifying winner 50 ticks later.
My three stars?
“Murph,” “Wavy Davey” and “Last-Minute Mike.” I’ll explain.
By the time I settled onto my bar stool and ordered a beer, Marc-Andre Fleury (the game’s actual first star) made the first of his 28 saves in relief of Matt Murray, unfortunate victim of the Sabres’ first-period fusillade.
Still, our karma didn’t swing until Dennis Murphy arrived following his bartending turn at the Ukrainian Club in DC (dahn Carnegie in Pittsburghese). “Murph” (aka “Laddie”)—former owner of the popular Pour House—bellied up to the bar for a spell. Then he headed outside for a couple of smokes, as he is wont to do.
With St. Paddy’s Day just around the corner, lighting up somehow must’ve released a little luck ‘o’ the Irish. By the time Murph returned the Pens had closed to gap to 3-2 on goals by Justin Schultz and Evgeni Malkin. The latter on an absolute laser of a shot from the right faceoff circle, “Geno’s” favored spot.
Next in line for honors was our beloved bartender, Dave Yelich. Or “Wavy Davey,” after the old hippie activist “Wavy Gravy.” (It should be noted that Davey in no way, shape or form resembles Gravy. It’s just one of those goofy nicknames I like to bestow on friends.)
Anyway. With about four minutes left in the game and tension so thick among the viewers you could cut it with a steak knife, Dave swung around to my side of the bar and paused, directly in front of me. To digress, Dave and I have shared a strange symbiosis in the past, whereby key goals have been scored whenever we’ve been in close proximity.
Well, we must’ve been properly aligned in this instance, too. Guentzel raised his stick in Hail Mary fashion. Next thing I knew, the puck had fluttered past stunned Sabres goalie Anders Nilsson.
Had the kid’s stick been even an inch or two higher, the goal surely would have been disallowed. But the video crew back in Toronto, which had denied an apparent Pens tally early in the contest, couldn’t overturn this one.
While I’d like to give full credit for Guentzel’s magic marker to Dave and me, I can’t. That’s because “Last-Minute Mike”—so named after his penchant for ordering food just before the kitchen closes—had entered the Pub virtually the instant Jake’s deflection popped into the net.
The crackerjack car salesman had barely said his hellos when Sheary converted a brilliant diagonal set up from Schultz. The patrons of the Pub roared in unison.
“Number-one star of the game,” I bellowed, pointing across the bar at Mike. Mike smiled and gave me a bemused look as if to say, “What the heck are you talking about?”
Guess you had to be there.
Ice Chips
Schultz tallied a goal and two assists to earn the No. 2 star. Sheary collected two points (a goal and assist).
With a goal and an assist, Malkin continued his hot streak. Since returning to the lineup on February 14, Geno’s scored seven goals and 13 points in 10 games. He’s currently tied for fourth in the NHL scoring race with 67 points, two behind teammate Sidney Crosby and seven behind leader Connor McDavid of the Oilers.
Defensemen Ron Hainsey (23:22 TOI) and Mark Streit (four shots) each finished a plus-1.
Buffalo outshot the Pens, 49-45. The locals won 59 percent of the faceoffs.
Hi guys,
I heard Sully say in the post-game interview that Hainsey ‘takes up space out there … he’s hard to play against.’ I know, we hear that description with some frequency, but watching him play, I think it’s right on. Although he may not play with the edge some were hoping for in a new D-man, he looks to me like a mini-mountain out there … imposing, and hard to get around. And so far, at least, he always seems to be in the right position. Anyway, I know it’s early, but both he and Streit have made big contributions already.
Although I was REALLY disappointed when the trade deadline came and went without the Pens adding an obvious major piece, I have to say that I’m finding myself more optimistic than I thought I’d be.
Pollyanna (aka Jayelene)
Hey Aunt Polly
A great metaphor. You too are a “the glass is half full”
person.Good to know. Hainsey is just what we needed given the situation. A Lovejoy clone who is a little more solid in his game.
To me his greatest influence will be to calm down some of the kids in panic situations.
Good post.
Cheers
Hey Jayelene,
I hear what you are saying as well as what other other people are saying about Hainsey and Streit. I really want to believe, I do. But for now, to quote the bard, “I stand aloof” (Laertes to Hamlet) The Shot Totals against leave me unconvinced.
Maybe if/when Letang gets back, Hainsey will have a Martinesque type of affect on him and he can finish the season and Post-season on fire. Maybe Streit can mesh with Daley and make an increadible 3rd pairing of skaters. Leaving Cole and Schultz to get back to their great chemistry. That is a lot of maybes.
On the other hand teams don’t win many games giving up 21 shots in the 1st period, 49 shots on goal all together, particualarly after giving near 40 shots in the previous game. Teams don’t win too many championships when they give up 2 on 0 breaks in front of their goal, even worse when they give up those types of defensive gaffaws in back to back games.
I am sorry, I still worry. If players really are playing well, eventually it shows up statistically, but there is no objective evidence yet.
Hey J ‘n’ J,
Excellent take on Hainsey. By virtue of his size (not to mention his underrated skill set and mobility), he gives opponents something entirely different to deal with in our end.
As you noted, Jaylene, Hainsey takes up space and gets in the way. Sometimes that’s all you need to do if you’re a defenseman. And he made a really nice play yesterday to sweep the puck off the doorstep and out of harms’ way.
I’m quite pleased with him.
Rick
Hi Rick,
Sounds like you too have some interesting hockey friends. FYI, the daily Bleacher Report just came today and they rate the top 7 cup contenders after the trade deadline. I encourage other PP bloggers to read the top article.
They too have the Pen’s rated as the number 1 choice to win it all and Washington as number 2. Montreal is rated at distant number 7. You can read the detailed article to get all the other information. That echos everything my friends and local media have been saying as well.
With regards to the game,I too missed the first period but watched the come back. 11 Goals, and I think 39 assists with 20 games to go, Justin Schultz is indeed playing his way to a very big contract this summer with somebody. That is very good to see and to have Sheary and Guenztel scoring as they did. These kids are real. Let us hope it continues.
Cheers
Hey Jim,
My question is what do you do if you are JR this off-season. Should Schultz play his way to a $6 or $7 mil contract, what do you do? You have Letang already at $7mil and playing only about 2.3 – 3/4 games per season. Yes you get tons of good draft picks if you lose him but you have to play without Letang for about 20games next year anyway. Who QBs the PP? A 40yr old Streit?
Not to mention Schultz maybe the Pens best over-all D and the D is giving up tons of shots as it is.
Hi Coach
You know what I am going to say before you asked the question. This always gets me in trouble.
To me if he scores another 7 to 10 goals which I believe is possible and another 15 to 25 assists in regular season, then this guy should be your First priority when discussing new contracts. But and this is a big but…Trade Letang for a top 5 pick in 2017 draft.
If u can not do that, then unfortunately you have to trade him and take the 3 or possibly 4 picks.
We can not keep both.
Plus regardless what happens we need to get at least 2 d men with size and talent to start 2017 season.
My thoughts. .
Yours?
Hey Jim,
We are on very similar pages. I think Letang is a phenominal offensive talent, I love his hard nose grit and the way he plays with wreckless abandon. He epitomizes hockey for me in that approach. All of that makes me want to extend great amounts of loyalty.
However, although I could tolerate his occasional D lapses, $7mil for 2/3 to 3/4 of a season drops his value in my eyes, at least for this team. As it stands, I think Schultz brings far more value to the team and I try to deal Letang. Like you, I know there will be those that think I just spoke a blasphemy but given the number of games one could expect times talent level, Schultz is by far the better player.
As for bigger D men, I still am thinking about those 2 Russian kids from Van and Col respectively, I mentioned in earlier comments. I wonder what they could do on a team like the Pens. A 6’7 250 or 260lb kid just may slow down Dubinsky cheap shots.
Hey Coach
I really do not care if they are from Timbuctoo.
We will need a different mix moving forward and like you, the idea of a 6’6″ 260 pound snarly kid with skill and speed makes my heart skip a beat or two.
Zadarov ? from Colorado may fit the bill nicely.
Plus a couple of larger forwards in the Rick Tocchet mold.The guys that have an edge to their game
Jim
Zadarov is one of the guys I want. He is injured right now but, I definitely would love to see him in B&G, Tryumkin is the other. Tryumkin may not be quite as ready as Zadorov yet though.
A Rick Tocchet may be a little harder to come by. Maybe we could still make a deal for Landeskog this summer.
Hey Rick,
I start with the positives; The Pens did fight their way back into the game. Malkin is still red hot. Guentzel is still proving he belongs here (Although I am not sure that wasn’t a high stick on that goal but they owed us that one after the 1st period blown call. Do you think he has been watching Crosby reruns from early in the season or maybe he is channeling his inner Paul Gardner waving that magic wand. And is I recall correctly, last year when Sullie first took over, the Pens had problems with slow starts and then blew teams out of the water in the third, these last two games have reminded me of that. Hopefully they are starting to get their mojo back and will get back to a full 3 dominant periods soon.
However, now to the negative; 49 more SOG. The D is horrible. Domoulin’s give away on the first goal against with the subsequent 2 on 0 to the is a recipe for early tee times. The worst part of that play was old man Kunitz was the only Penguin trying to race back into the play to help Murray out from his LW back across to the Right side. And even though the Pens dominated the scorbaord in periods 2 and 3 they still managed to let the Sabres squeeze off tons of shots (28) fortunately for the Pens, MAF was on his game last night.
I don’t really think the Caps are all that, their psyche is really weak, nor do I see any other team that dominant, however, the Pens do not look like they have the type of D that can really win in the play-offs.
Hey Other Rick,
Fortunately, I missed the first-period atrocities.
But I agree. You’re not going to get too far in the postseason giving up 49 shots on goal. Not to beat my favorite dead issue, but that’s where I thought getting a little bigger and grittier at the deadline might help.
Oh well. Water under the bridge (and well downstream) at this point.
Regarding Guentzel. Nice comparison to former Pens’ sniper Paul Gardner…in more ways than one. “Gardsy” had a rep for breathing life into his team at one end of the ice and taking it away at the other.
Same with Jake. I’ve seen him make some incredibly careless passes in his own zone. I’m sure he’ll learn. And I love his compete level and skill. Just wish he were about 3 inches taller and 20 pounds heavier. (Never satisfied, I know).
Rick
I am right there with you Rick. Imagine if Guentzel, Wilson, and Sheary all had about 2 more inches with 10 or 20lbs more weight.
…they probably all would’ve been drafted by somebody else in the first or second round … 🙁
Rick
…and the Pens would probably have passed on them even if they were still on the boards thinking they were to big…. 🙂
… amen … 🙂
Haha….Sad but true 😀