Powered by Jake Guentzel’s first ever NHL regular-season hat trick and a goal by newcomer Tanner Pearson…his third in six games since joining the Penguins…the black and gold cruised to an impressive 4-2 triumph over Metropolitan Division rival Columbus on Saturday night.
The 18,642 patrons in attendance at PPG Paints Arena were treated to a little Jake ‘n’ Bake, if you will.
The victory was all-the-more impressive considering it came during the second of back-to-back games and third in four nights, sandwiched around the Thanksgiving holiday. Following a dismal 1-7-1 stretch, it marked the fourth straight game in which the Pens earned at least one point.
Okay, so a 2-0-2 run ain’t exactly the stuff of dynasties. But compared to the way our guys were playing prior to our mini hot streak? Like night and day.
Is the improvement real? Statistically, there doesn’t appear to be much change. We’re still giving up a ton of shots on goal…an average of 33.75 over the four-game stretch despite yielding only 19 to Dallas last Wednesday night. Not exactly a way to promote good mental health for goalies or a blueprint for winning a Stanley Cup.
However, to my eye, the upturn is genuine. Following the team’s meltdown against Buffalo last Monday night, Mike Sullivan and the coaching staff huddled together and made a key adjustment. Rather than allowing the off-side winger to bolt up ice…often before the puck cleared the defensive zone…they’re keeping him back to provide an extra layer of structure and support. A key tweak, given the pedestrian nature of the Pens’ blue-line corps sans Justin Schultz.
“We had at least one player on the right side of the puck or the right side of people, which makes it harder for them to transition,” Sullivan said following an impressive 5-1 win over the Stars. “We had numbers back a lot because of that depth.”
Although the giveaway rate (about 10 per game) remained the same, there’s been a noticeable drop in ghastly neutral-zone turnovers and odd-man breaks going the other way. Nor do the locals appear to be winding up on the wrong side of the puck as often.
Too, the players have been putting forth a full effort for 60 minutes…or at least since they stopped skating during a dreadful third period el foldo against the Sabres. Gaining a much-needed boost of confidence may have something to do with it, but our guys suddenly seem quicker and more decisive. In particular, I thought the Pens were noticeably faster than the division-leading Blue Jackets, an observation I haven’t made on too many occasions this season.
The goaltending’s been better since shell-shocked Matt Murray took a seat and Casey DeSmith and Tristan Jarry stepped between the pipes. Perhaps not Stanley Cup caliber, but good enough to earn a point or two most nights. Which is exactly what our boys have done this past week.
Every point matters, especially when you’re on the outside of the playoff picture looking in. And while the jury’s still out on whether our Pens have truly turned the corner, let’s hope they can keep the recent upswing going.
Puckpourri
Guentzel was voted the game’s first star. Sidney Crosby (two assists) and Kris Letang (three assists, plus-3) earned the second and third stars.
DeSmith made 37 saves. Casey’s .927 save percentage is seventh best among NHL goalies who’ve played in at least 10 games.
Patric Hornqvist, the club’s emotional power plant and fighting heart, is out with a concussion. He was injured on Friday night when Boston’s Kevan Miller checked him into the boards. Garrett Wilson was recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to fill his spot on the roster.
Hornqvist, who has nine goals and 15 points in 21 games, joins Matt Cullen, Derek Grant, Murray and Schultz on the Pens’ injury list.
I think the Pens just picked up Sebastion Dea off waivers.
Hey Phil,
I just saw that.
I am not sure what to make of it though?
Just one more Center?
Are they looking to bolster WBS?
maybe they don’t have high hopes for Cullen’s return.
Interesting thought.
I am not sure what the injury is (all I can find is LBI), but at 42 most injuries could be career ending.
Question; who would you rather the Pens bring up; Blueger or Dea?
Interesting question. My answer would be Blueger, but only because he doesn’t have to go through waivers. If both were waiver exempt I would bring up Dea because he has experience and I don’t believe the Penguins are in position to bring up unproven liabilities right now.
Hello, ToR & RIck,
I didn’t want to be negative Nancy on here. Or give my brutal tell like it is assessment. So I stay away. I observed this team more.
Penguins have not turn the corner. To much dead weight and passengers on this team. There’s no resilience, character and next man mentality. Bottom 6 make this team very slow and out of sync against opponents. Coach staff still lost and inability to get fowards & Defensemen at their best.
I repeat, I repeat Sidney Crosby has been carrying this team on his back . Like always. He has been the MVP this season with Jake Guentzel.They needs to stay together. You get the best out of them. He always play at high level.
I feel his frustration and his inner rage at this team. He single-handling carry this team. Malkin and other stars . But Malkin seem to be frustrating and impatient. I believe it has everything to do with the coaching and his wingers. Idk.
I understand Hornqvist is out. It might not be better options for Sid and Jake’s RW . Simon isn’t it. He has been brutal. Way too inconsistent. Turnovers. Pass puck to defenders. He doesn’t finish nor a shooter. Overextended shifts. To much of cute playmaking winger that doesn’t fit top line needs. It time to get Sid and Jake a RW. ASAP. Simon is bottom 6 talent that belongs on the third line or another team.
Guentzel, Malkin , Kessel, Pearson Are doing what they can to win games. Penguins don’t have a solid supporting cast and adjusting coach that wants to adapt to other teams in the rise. Rutherford didn’t adjust enyworh youth and grit. Fresh speed legs. Stars will do their job. Supporting cast needs to stand up and do better.
Pens look slow against teams because they do not have secondary scoring and solid consistent defenseman. No skill , bottom 6 wingers, reliable 3C and grit to win games. No gutsy players. They show no heart and play very tentative with bad tendencies.
Every game stars are doing their job and players are sitting warm bodies on the bench. Management and coaching problems.
Bottom 6 needs to be revamped and shipped out. RW for top line . New fowards and new top 4 RHD, veteran back up goalie.
Penguins lost Derick Brassard trade. It’s evident. I already knew. Last season. I never like it. I miss Cole. He’s invisible, brings nothing to the table, passenger offensively and defensively. Time to move on. He doesn’t play the Penguins way. Trade Him!! Get a younger reliable understanding 3C .
Pens don’t have time to overcompensate him nor wait til he get it right to play on this team. Damaged is done. He never mesh well with this team. He trade was blow to this team.
Charlie Coyle, Vladislav ( Ranger), Jordan Schmaltz. Someone else. Brassard was to busy chipper to be with Crosby and Guentzel. He isn’t chipper to do his role in this team. I understand that different wingers might effective him. But Brassard has not show nothing valuable to give Penguins what they need. He never mesh well with anyone and definitely not Phil Kessel . I didn’t understand Phil Kessel being back with him. I understand Malkin has been looking down lately.
ZAR and Wilson might be doing some ok forecheck . They bring nothing to the tame. They are slow and brutal. Secondary Scoring with Jets was a fluke. Penguins supposed to be build on speed among other things. So Adam Johnson and Angello. Will give you that. Speed , grit, puck battles, scoring , heaat and youth. I don’t what Management and coaching direction is going . They are reverting to Rutherford’s last tenure in Carolina.
They need be call up . Zar and Wilson sent back down.
Sheahan was ok last season. He did some good things . He isn’t great fit for this team. Sheahan’s second goal was fluke. He doesn’t play Penguins brand of hockey. Not. He do not create on the rush . He’s overestimate by coaches mad bad defensively. He doesn’t cut it. Time to move on.. Teddy Blueger deserves a chance.
Rust ? He has been tryna play hard lately. It time to move on. He’s bottom 6 talent that doesn’t give you much and leaves you to desire more. I appreciate his clutch goals years ago and some versatile to his game. I respectfully like to move on from him. To many chances to finish at the net.
I didn’t understand him being promoted with MalkIn . I don’t like Rust with Crosby. But I would have gone with it to give Crosby and Guentzel more space. They getting grab and pulling with little time and space. Nothing but Sully’s Guy.
At this point , Penguins organization and Rutherford needs to revamped overpaid defenseman that’s hampered this team to get better fowards around two elite centers . Crosby and Malkin already lost quite a few years and I don’t want to see it again.
I believe Penguins do not need a high caliber Defensemen on their D Corp. They need young, hungry , do whatever it take to win and ready to play defensive mind Defensemen. They do not need a star on defense. They can win more Stanley cups without one.
Time to Dump:
•Jack Johnson ( bad signing)
•Kris Letang ( inconsistent, one trick pony, bad defensively, low hockey iq , bad powerplay quarterback, high risk/high reward)
•Derick Brassard
•Riley Sheahan
•Bryan Rust
•Dominik Simon (Either he plays 3rd line full time or play for another team)
Brassard, Letang and Rust can get you great return in deals. Matt Murray as well. He’s on the trading block ( Supposedly) (TSN) Reliable source.
Riiikola, Määttä , Big Rig and Dumoulin has been doing well . Big Rig is plus 10 Dumoulin plus 8
Sullivan made little ok adjustments. It isn’t good enough. Game against AVs he didn’t have no answer and no adjustments. Completed lost. He could’ve load up with starts or shorten the bench . He didn’t. When it’s crucial to win games . Pens win against Jets because Jets were turnover machine and pens players block shots.
BTW Speedy recovery for Hornqvist.
Sidney Crosby deserves another Hart trophy and Rocket Richard trophy this season. He’s the G.O.A.T Best player in the world.
No one stand up after that natural great hat trick.
I’m looking foward to a shake up and better consistency with team. New coach Penguins need new fresh blood and better coaching.
Penguins needs some trades soon as possible.
Hey Dee,
Spot on!
I desperately want this team to turn it around. I desperately want these players to be the players the rose color glass set want them to be. Unfortunately, the are not.
More importantly, I really do not think that any tweaks to this team would really improve them significantly enough to warrant any trades. They simply do not have the assets to bring in the type of player that would really change the game.
Although I can’t see them making any trades that could significantly improve the probability that they win the Cup this year. I do think they could make some deals that could retool the roster for a strong Cup run next season and/or the year after; while Crosby and Malkin are still on top of their games.
You make solid points; there are way too many passengers on this team, the Brassard trade was a very bad trade, and the Defense and coaching (although improving) is certainly sub-playoff caliber.
Although Simon shows flashes of something exciting, as you say he makes bad passes, and I will add, has been under more control, but has taken some really bad penalties. Furthermore, that which bothers me is that his defense is not any better than Sprongs but Sprong is a much stronger offensive force who really doesn’t take penalties. Unfortunately Sullivan either can’t get over his hate for Sprong or perhaps it is his ego where he hates to acknowledge he has made a mistake with his treatment of Sprong.
Sheahan had a good month or so run with the team last year but that is all. He has struggled both offensively and defensively this year. The only thing he can claim at this point is a strong face-off.
Rust, I really like him and have been pulling for him since he first showed up. If I could order him a Christmas present, it would be a scoring touch. His speed consistently puts him in a position to score tons of highlight type goals, but his hands are such that they turn into sound and fury signifying nothing. He can be a solid PK man, like Hagelin was, but that may be all. Furthermore, he started the season off going through the motions. Perhaps he is a victim of too much success at an early age. Perhaps he would still be playing like the Rust of the last couple of years if he hadn’t won 2-Cups so young.
Cullen may have looked faster than some players like Grant, ZAR, and Wilson, but he has been a severe disappointment. He has been worse defensively than every forward with the exception of Sheahan, nor has he contributed much on the score sheet. I am a Cullen fan, but the truth is the truth.
Grant may be better than Sheahn or Cullen, and lead the team in Face-off W% but he has been much of an addition to the team.
Brassard? First I didn’t want the trade to begin with. The only two players that the Penguins could have gone after at the trade dead line last year, that I thought could have added to the team were Mikael Grabner or Jean-Gabriel Pageau. And for what the Pens gave up, I certainly would have demanded JGP not Brassard. Brassard may not be a bad player but he is not a very good fit for this team.
As for ZAR and Wilson, I am not as down on them as you, but they are not long term answers. And in ZAR’s case, I do think he could be an okay player on this team, on the 3rd or 4th line. I don’t think he is as slow as some make him out to be.
I don’t put Sprong in with this group of passengers because he is not riding the bus of his choice, his lack of contribution is at the feet of Sullivan. Sullivan has consistently put him a position to fail. He has saddled him with clunker line-mates and expected him to make up for the lack of NHL talent of his line mates. If Sprong had been a top 5 pick or at least a 1st round pick regardless of overall position, I may hold him more accountable, but he wasn’t a blue – chipper. Asking him to make the pylons he has been saddled with is just wrong. Only Lemieux, during his playing days, could make those pylons look like NHL players.
With Bjorkqvist and Hallander waiting in the wings Sprong may not be my pick next year but for now, I certainly would have Sprong back up on Crosby’s starboard side like he was last year, or on Malkins RW with Kessel w/Crosby. Every other option has been tried and failed.
It does look like the coaching staff has finally made some adjustments to the Defense that have cut shots down significantly. Had they been playing like this, defensively, since the start of the season, maybe the goalies wouldn’t already be showing signs of burn out. However, the defense, although improving, is way over-paid and under-achieving.
With Letang, statistically looking good, this is the perfect time to trade him, before Jekyll turns back into Hyde.
J Johnson – what a bad signing!
Like you, I would have no problem with bringing up A. Johnson and Angello. Nor would I have a problem with the Pens bringing up Blueger and Prow. None of these players could be as invisible as the players ahead of them but unlike others, they may have an upside.
In the end, I would be comfortable with the team falling to the bottom 5 of the league this year to get a top 5 pick. There are a couple of interesting players that I am keeping my eye on that I would want to see the Pens get a shot at. They aren’t Matthews, Laine, or even Dahlin type picks but may be good fits on the team.
Good TOr,
Absolutely.
I have been keep my eye on some players too. There’s too many players that belongvon this team.
ZAr is ok . Nothing less , Nothing more. He doesn’t pass the eye test and other stuff. He was brutal with Jackets and other games . Jets and Bruins he was ok. He isn’t good enough. Good Pk.
I dig deeper into more further eye test and stats. Jack Johnson should be bench. Chad Rudwedel should be in the line up. Every defenseman numbers are poor with him and they suffer a lot. Wrong defenseman are getting hold accountable. Jamie Olenskiak is suffering with him. He was a plus 10 . Now he’s a plus 6 or 7. Jack Johnson is brutally, bad. One PGH media guy ( front the text and source I get) keep arguing he’s good because he’s on the Pk, he hit people and block shots. He isn’t enough. He doesn’t bring nothing. No heart and confidence. Suffocating Penguins offensively and quite defensively. He’s always turn over the puck in his zone. Bad clear attempts. Etc..
Ian Cole is better than Jack Johnson. Point Blank Period. Sully’s fault
I still believe Penguins look slow against teams because they get cute, defenseman cannot contains heavy forecheck/ turn the puck over with bad passing and aggressively pinching no urgency to go to the dirty areas and they don’t play simplify game to the blue paint with cycle down low. They are one and done. Coaching staff to blame.
Simon? Yes. I failed to mention that he’s very bad on defense. His stats are significantly good because Jake and Sid elevates him. They can make bottom 6 talent look like top 6 talent. Simon needs to go. It’s Sheary 2.0 situation. He’s water down Sheary and poor man’s Guentzel/ Kunitz Player that fit Penguins hockey.
Sully has the wrong guys he like. Guys that bring that element Penguins need isn’t here. Serious 200 ft game and work ethics with their talents. So many players are overestimated and use beyond their limitations.
Coaching Staff deserves a lot of blame and criticism. Bad Two seasons .
Phil Kessel shouldn’t play with Brassard. It never work . Wrong 3C and ton of assests lost for him.
Letang? There’s nothing else to say about him. He’s brutal. He do to much . To much reckless and inconsistent suffocating hockey. He plays with Sid and Geno so statistically stats will look great riding their cocktails. He’s always playing Jekyll and Hyde hockey.all this season. He’s sloppy and get outmanned. Etc.. he’s healthy so it time to give him away with the burden being brutal to trade him.
He sets the bad cancer and tone for the D Corp along with Jack Johnson. Ray Shero should have trade him when he had a chance to do so. Pens are better without him and their cap space can be more flexible without him. Penguins could’ve a better chance with someone like Erik Karlsson or Drew Doughty. Probably low Risk effectively 2-3 cheap defenseman.
Analyze last night game. Crosby constantly giving up body and was just irate to put this team on his back, again.
That’s all you need to know. Also I get annoyed with Pgh Media suggesting pens need him and he’s the more valuable player on this team. He carrying the Penguins. Absolutely No.
I strongly believe you remove Kris Letang from this team. Their D would be better and more simplified to the fowards getting
Done against teams.
Malkin? I love him as player and person. It’s seems to me he happens to simplify his game more, stop cheating offensively , take what’s given to him on the ice, stay patient & consistent, play more like Sid and the points will come. If not. Sullivan will continue to break up Kessel and Malkin. They just happen to get ‘ugly’ defensively together to stay together. Stop the cuteness and turnover Globtrotter hockey .
Sidney Crosby go against top lines and top defenders every night. Takes Rough beating. Get caught defending to much with Letang and Simon turnovers.Bad defensively. Malkin gets it easily sometimes and should do better with it. He can disappear and coast a lot.
That’s my take.
I don’t see sustainable adjustments from Mike Sullivan. Still bad passing and cross Ice passes from defenseman. Bad Clear attempts, bad pinching, puck on the boards, puck pass to defenders feet’s and some defenseman heavy forecheck from opposition taking the puck from them etc..
Crosby and Malkin are taking beyond themselves to generate off the rush and get the puck deep to get goals.
Powerplay missed Just Shultz.
Whether Trades help or not. Letang ,Jack Johnson, Sheahan, Brassard, Rust and Simon needs to go. Rutherford needs to do something.
What worries me about the coaching adjustments is that it took over 20 games for them to come up with a plan B, as the league starts to adjust to plan B, how long will it take for them to come up with a plan C? Perhaps the lackadaisical attitude by the players is a reflection of the lackadaisical coaching. Since the Coaches don’t seemed worried about their jobs, poor performance after poor performance, it would seem that the coaches pets aren’t worried about their pathetic excuse for play.
Hey TOR,
Spot on.🤙🏾
That’s the problem. I’m very worried and frustrated with the coaching staff.
Penguins are getting heavy-lifting from Crosby & Malkin. 35-45% Guentzel, Kessel and Hornqvist too.
Without significant cohesive rolling lines that play well defensively and offensively to win games . With urgency, simplify,compete level and consistency.
Defense is a glaring issue that won’t get addressed. Defenseman bad passing and not clearing their zone. 65% problem that hurt momentum and giving team to many chances to do anything and score goals.
Defenseman needs to stop aggressively pinching and chasing games against opposition. Play simple and get puck deep with Better breakouts . Pens can be up 1-2 goals or down 1-2 goals then Letang is aggressively pinching .
To many bottom 6 talent getting long leash and top 6 role that hurt the top lines. One dimensional players with no results and they are warm bodies taking other players spots
(His Boys) They are too comfortable and riding cocktails. (Two seasons ) I see Mike Sullivan is riding the cocktail too.
Mike Sullivan is a huge problem. Rutherford needs to stop deferring to him to much and do what he want to bring what this team needs. Mike Sullivan needs be on the hot seat and very insubordination to Rutherford’s vision. He needs to go. Meeting between Rutherford and Sullivan to let him know he isn’t that safe.
I believe Rutherford will try to get more speed, skill and depth goaltending.
Mike Sullivan tweak his system just a little bit. Because he was getting on the hot seat from losses and people questioning him. He want defenseman to just into play to much . He doesn’t want to be defensive mind first in all zones. Nothing sustainable and really nothing. About two games. He’s in denial. Stubborn, bad ego , lost, hard-headed and one dimensional.
Sullivan continue to sacrificing speed/skill on the 4th line in favor of the heavy, grittier forwards. Sullivan’s state of mind with the 4th line right now is, if they aren’t going to score, then he’s going to get something useful out of the 4th line, so instead of scoring they will continue playing a heavy 4th line. ZAr and Wilson are not the answer. Unless you do Johnson and Wilson. You get speed and some grit on the bottom 6 . 3rd line can be in that discussion too. Very sloppy and weak.
There’s no reason that Simon and Rust are playing on top lines. Nothing warrants them there. Wears down Sid &Geno. ( Sully’s boy) You sacrifice Kessel’s talent with Sheahan & Brassard . Vanilla centers. Brassard is not a fit for this team and he isn’t noticeable on the ice. He may be good player for another team. Nor for this team.
Whether people like it or not Kessel & Malkin better together. As coach you got put emphasis to them that they need simplify their game and play better defensively. Have a sit down. Get the best out of them. Help them get back on track scoring goals even strengths . Help them shoot more and feel easy on the ice. Unless there a 3C that can help Kessel.
Sullivan do not objectively evaluate players to play to where they belong.He do not handle adversity well. He ignores the signs and flags . Non contributing players/ high risk players are getting long leash. Cliches and sane words every post game interview.
Hold wrong players accountable etc..
He has to many issue with players . He has issues with Cole, Bonnio, Reaves, Sprong among other players.
Several times He made Malkin &Crosby angrywith line shuffling. They won’t say it. You can sense things . It hurt Crosby last season . Hampered his line with Sheary etc..
I have said it. Elite Coaches/ Great coaches in this league
They adapt to changes and copycat league. Get the best out of players. Play every faucet of game. Mentally give them a cohesive game plans. Steady game plans and adjustments against opposition. Help to get players show everything on the ice. Whether they are elite or not. It’s supposed be an balanced between players coach & hard – nosed coach. To be soft spoken and very loud to get your point across to them.
That’s why I will always respect and love Mike Babacock. Because hes real and he not too cliche. He just adjust pretty well and hold right players accountable. He get the best out his players and his system. His team lost the another night ( I believe Jackets )& won against the Sharks. He gave a very firm , honest assessment on his team. ( post game interview)He understand they won the game. He complimented them. But he knows and want them to be better than they are. He said they still can tweak something and skate faster. More Better improvements and adjustments against opposition.He let them know during practice. I do not get that from Mike Sullivan. I do not trust his inability to adapt better system and play players where they belong.
One Prime Example Pens vs AVs. He did not get nothing from Brassard to get Kessel nor Rust with Malkin. He didn’t adjust Simon from Crosby’s line not Rust from Malkin’s line Both were brutal . 4 four was ok and meh .
He did not load up on lines and shortening the bench . ) that was the time to do so) give shifts to Kessel with Jake& Sid or Kessel with Pearson& Malkin. He didn’t. He wasted Sid hard fought natural hat trick and to get his team a win.
Brassard lost two to three icing with no sustained offensive pressure against tired AVs players .
He didn’t shutdown Mackinnon’s line That played the night before and was out coached . Unprepared. He didn’t prepare his team to be simple and ugly. Go to dirty areas and battle test the opposition.
No adjustments Letang was doing to much. Bad powerplay quarterback.
His cancerous work on the ice hurts the pens every start .
Mike Sullivan is insubordinate. He has a short shelf life. He’s good coach. Nothing more , nothing less. There’s no evolving and better coaching with him. Time to move on.
I won’t be happy until Letang, Rust , Brassard, Simon , Jack Johnson are gone. With better structure D , game adjustments and balance four rolling lines . New coach tactics and strategies.
Angello, Tobias Linderberg, Adam Johnson won’t be no worse than dead weight on the bottom 6 lines. I believe better and fresh blood.
Pens won’t get better until dead weight and more speeding two way supporting cast help the Stars. ( regards to winning games. They won 4 games out of 14 games this months. Missed points and opportunities.
Sorry for my rant. I’m pissed off. To much talent two top elite stars getting pulled and drained down constantly with passengers. Bad coaching and no sustaining adjustments.
Hi Rick,
There is evidence they’re trying. That’s all good.
It’s never easy to predict this team. I’d think, for now, trade efforts have been put on the back burner and they’ll stay with latest tweaks and adjustments and see where it takes them. I’m sure JR will still poke the bushes here and there with an eye toward the deadline, but he’ll stand pat for the time being. (You can expect a trade at any minute now. 😉)
One thing I believe has helped, in addition to other things mentioned here, is they are finally treating neutral ice as part of their game plan. They’re still giving up too many shots, but they’ve made an effort recently to play some hockey between the blue lines. This, too, has helped with scoring, and has helped defensively. They’re now getting to the puck as well as anticipating the puck, and not simply surrendering center ice. In other words moving their feet. There was a long stretch there where opposing rushers didn’t have to play much dump and chase. They often simply skated right into our zone as if we held open the door for them. That’s changed recently and it’s made a marked difference.
As long as they continue to get decent goal tending, yes, they may indeed be turning the corner. Onward and upward. They’re only six points out of first in their division. They don’t want to still be down those six come the end of January
— 55
Hey 55,
Boy, did you say a mouthful when you commented that it isn’t easy to predict this team. They looked like world-beaters on that early season road trip. Then…pffft.
Up…down…up…down. It’s like watching someone do a set of push-ups at the gym.
I hesitate to say we’ve totally turned the corner. There are still issues, including a lack of production from the bottom-six forwards. And the defense remains a question mark…especially without Schultz. But there are positive signs, too, including improved play in the neutral zone as you noted.
I agree…for way too long they held up nary a soul coming through the neutral zone. It was literally like watching someone pour water through a sieve. Let’s hope those days are over.
As an aside, the Pearson trade appears to be working out in our favor. I really like this kid’s all-around game, and I like the way he plays around the net. He seems to have good chemistry with Malkin and Kessel. And he’s only 26.
Rick
Hey Rick,
I really think the new defensive pairings have helped. Moving Johnson to 3rd line defense and pairing him with Oleksiak and playing them against teams weaker lines has really seemed to stop the bleeding.
About Sprong last game, he didn’t look that bad. He grabbed the puck and did some stick work with it a couple of times and played all out hustle, it almost seemed like he was getting it. If he keeps it up he could get more ice time and move up a line or two.
Rust also seem to be going back to his roots of all out hustle. It is good to see.
Maybe last place and the Pearson trade has awoken a couple of the sleepers.
Hey Phil,
Great observations. If we can get everyone into the boat and pulling the oars in unison, I think we have a shot to be decent. Not Stanley Cup material, mind you, but decent.
Rick
Hey Rick,
Great Recap and review.
I was loathed to write anything because I was afraid that if I wrote anything Positive the Pens would tank next game, and I am tired of writing negative stuff.
I won’t say much here, and I am not discounting the daunting task of climbing out of the cellar, their were some good things in this past game. There were others that weren’t. I will leave it at that. I am very superstitious!
Hey tOR,
Way to let Rick take the fall. 🙂
You noticed that, too … 🙂
Hey Phil,
Rick has big shoulders, he can handle it. Back in the day, his shoulders were so strong that his Incline Bench was almost as heavy as his Flat Bench Press. I have faith in him 🙂
Hey Other Rick,
You’re too kind, calling it a great recap … 🙂 But I am seeing some positives in the way we’re playing and I wanted to at least put it out there for folks to comment on. Like you, I’ve written my share of negative stuff.
They do seem to be playing with a bit more surety and confidence, and that really does make a great deal of difference. They’re no longer standing around, waiting for the other shoe to drop. And I think the adjustment Sullivan and the coaching staff made regarding the off-side winger has helped a ton. Suddenly, the games don’t have such a fire-drill feel to them. There seems to be a lot more structure.
Also, and I didn’t mention it, but I believe Sullivan’s tweaked the breakouts to use the middle of the ice more.
Anyway, whatever they’re doing seems to be working…for now.
Rick
Hey Rick,
I hate to say anything positive because last time we did they fell apart.
However, the breakouts did seem much better. Furthermore they also seemed to start to funnel more shots to the perimeter rather than give up tons of shots from the slot. Another defensive positive was the drop in odd man breaks. They are being a little more cautious at the offensive blue line.
The only negative that I will bring up right now is the lack of production from the bottom 6. I mentioned elsewhere about Sheahan missing several golden chances set up by Sprong.