Jake ‘n’ Bake: Have the Penguins Finally Turned the Corner?

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.