Wow! Just plain Wow! After watching that display of raw firepower, the Penguins win 7 – 4 over the Capitals, Wow!
I was just sitting here thinking about this game; I was thinking about how Tom Wilson leaped up off his skates to hit Ian Cole with a high hit. I was thinking about T.j. Oshie crosschecking Kris Letang in the neck. I was thinking about Chandler Stephenson kicking Olli Maatta’s skates out from under him. I was thinking about all of the cheap, dirty hits the Capitals got caught for and the ones that they didn’t and I couldn’t help but remember some scenes from the movie Tombstone; first when the cowboys killed Morgan Earp, shot up Virgil and tried to kill their wives/girlfriends.
That pretty much sums up the cheap and dirty play of the Caps.
Soon after is the scene Wyatt Earp comes up behind Stillwell and Ike Clanton as Stillwell and Clanton thought they were going to finish off Virgil and Wyatt on the train out of town. Ike asks Mattie, “Where’s Wyatt” Wyatt says right behind you Clanton and then lets Stillwell have it. Ike drops his gun and cowers. Then Wyatt walks up to Ike and says “You called down the thunder, well now you’ve got it.”
That is basically what Evgeni Malkin said to the Caps, and pretty much the rest of the league in the aftermath of the Penguins win. The big Russian continued his torrid pace with 2 goals and 2 assists. Striding right beside him was his Doc Holiday, otherwise known as Phil Kessel, who potted 2 goals and 1 assist of his own.
I know I have been recapping the Penguins goals after games but I could be here all night trying to recap the onslaught to which the Penguins subjected the Capitals. It is now past midnight and I do have to get some sleep. Suffice it to say, the Penguins once again chased a shell-shocked Braden Holtby from his net. Our Penguins deposited 7 goals into the Capitals’ net on 39 shots on goal.
The difference in this game really was the power play/special teams. Three of the Penguins goals were scored on 4 power play opportunities. A fourth goal was scored on the open ice of the 4 on 4 play that T.J. Oshie drew with his attempt to injure Kris Letang. Even though the League will no doubt turn a blind eye to 10 time losers Oshie and Wilson and their blatant dangerous play, Wyatt Malkin and Doc Kessel made them pay.
I am sorry, I hate to sound like a sore winner, but I also found the officiating less than adequate on Evgeny Kuznetsov’s goal. It looked like a pretty clear cut hand pass from Alexander Ovechkin.
There is no time to rest though, the Penguins take on the Devils on the back end of another back-to-back series. The Devils are 1 point behind our locals with 3 games in hand and they will be rested.
Odds and Sods
The win pushes the Penguins back into sole possession of 2nd place. I hate to get too excited just yet, since most teams in the division have games in hand. However, a big win like the one the Penguins just had, especially against a divisional rival, making it a 4 point swing, does bode well.
Patric Hornqvist left the game after a big open ice hit by former Penguin Brooks Orpik. Early reports say that it is a lower body injury and that Hornqvist will not travel to New Jersey. Let’s hope it isn’t anything serious.
I hate to say I told you so but… I did say that hockey players really aren’t afraid of much and getting Ryan Reaves really wouldn’t deter players like Oshie and Wilson from playing dirty. Reaves played last night but Wilson and Oshie still played like thugs.
Jamie Oleksiak continues to impress in all facets of his game. Although Olli Maatta was the designated hitter last night, dishing out 7 hits, Oleksiak checked in right behind him with 4 hits. He also showed great mobility taking command of the puck and leading several rushes. And Oleksiak led the team in blocked shots last night with 4 of them. I said it before and I will say it again, great scouting Sergei Gonchar!
With Sheary already out, if Hornqvist is out for a protracted period, does Mike Sullivan summon Daniel Sprong back up and maybe Zach Aston-Reese from Wilkes-Barre Scranton (WBS)?
Speaking of WBS the Baby Penguins dropped the Hershey Bears last night as well. Andrey Pedan led the way with 2 goals (including the game winner). Sprong picked up 2 assists. Aston-Reese also notched and assist. Sprong still leads the club with 19 goals and 34 points despite playing 8 games up with the big club. Aston-Reese is 3rd in scoring after a slow start with 9 goals and 20 assists. Aston-Reese is also tied for second on the club in +/- at +21. Pedan has 7 goals and 16 points in 38 games. Pedan also has a very good +/- at +16 and leads the team in penalty minutes with 61.
Someone elighten me on on The blindness on this Sheary and hate for Reaves.
I just wanna know. Nothing against anybody in the comment section. It’s what I see elsewhere.
Some fans find many stupid ways to hate Reaves when he has done his job like he supposed to and some Fans are feel need to defend Sheary because he has 61 points last year off of Crosby’s elevation.
It’s like no matter Reaves do it’s not a enough. They want him to be fighting every shift. It doesn’t work that well.
Sheary is some golden boy Like he can’t be replaced.
Also. Refs were right to call that penalty. Probably interference.That hit was dirty . Wilson left his feet . He elbowed Cole as well. Oshie Cross checked fine Is bs I
don’t get it because a player got suspended 2 games for cross checking Vincent Trockek . Head Scratcher. This league can be bad and inconsistent. Pure garbage on handling out punishment to players.
Hey Dee,
I can’t explain the Sheary issue either, unless it is a desire to see a David v Goliath story come true, but as I wrote a little while ago, the real attraction to that story is that it only comes tru once every several thousand years. If little guys always had the magical feel good story come true then it would no longer be a feel good story.
As for Reaves, I can’t speak for anyone else but I am not a Reaves hater. I acknowledge both his pluses and minuses.
I feel that the team would have been better off long term keeping their 1st round pick and taking Niclas Hague.
I also feel that he is a bit of a liability when the Pens play skating teams.
Where he can be an asset is against heavy, thug teams like Washington.
Agree.
Could they afford it?
The players safety people fined ten time loser TJ OShie a whopping $5,000 for his deliberate and dastardly crosscheck to Letang’s neck. That’ll teach him. (Sarcasm intended)
To be honest with you , that should have been a suspension because they just suspended a player for doing the same thing to Vincent Trockek. It’s no consistency with players punishments. I feel like no more matter what s their history it should result in a suspension whether it’s a cross check or boarding . 2-{
2-3 game suspension for first time offenders and 5-20 game suspension for repeated offenders with history like Oshie , Wilson and Dustin Brown. Fines should be with suspension as well. I don’t think Oshie will learn his lesson neither will Wilson until someone knocked the out. Look at Brad Marchand. Rat face keeps doing it.
Agreed Dee,
The Player Protection is a joke, Oshie should have been hit with the maximum fine and and suspension that he could get hit with. Not only was it a deliberate attempt to injure but he was targeting the neck of a player who just had his neck surgically repaired.
I am not sorry, something like that actually needs criminal investigation and jail time not just game suspensions.
Guessing Hornqvist is out tonight. Pens called up Aston-Reese. This should be good. Was it you tOR that said he was a go to the net, maybe replace Hornqvist someday sort of guy? I guess that’s what the management is thinking.
This is a great chance to see if Aston-Reese works in that front net spot especially with Hornqvist being in a contract year. hornqvist could fetch $6-8 mil a year, and probably won’t be able to be re-signed. Knowing you have a back up plan helps.
I haven’t had a chance to check on call ups, but I am not surprised. I am really interested in seeing what Aston-Reese can do.
I would like to see the Pens find a way to resign Hornqvist, but I am not holding out hope.
I wonder if he will be inserted into the line-up or is he just being called up to sit the bench?
Hi Phil,
I hope he doesn’t sit on the bench because he has been hot in Wilkes-Barre and I would put on the third line with maybe Rust and put Guentzel with Crosby while Kessel goes with Malkin.
Maybe put Rust and Kessel with Malkin then Hags amd Resse with Sheahan to help Resse defensively to have him concentrating on shooting . I would hate to break Hagelin from Malkin.
Guentzel-Crosby -Simon
Rust/Hagelin-Malkin-Kessel
Rust/Hagelin-Sheahan-Resse( lines might be limited withRust rotating)
Kuhnhackl-Rowney-Reaves ( this lines might be limited with Kuhnhackl rotating on top lines)
I think he can play left or right wing like Rust does because Guentzel can only play left wing
Your Ryan Reaves banter for the last couple months is 100% falling on deaf ears with me. Great trade, if not one of the best trades. We got a guy that can skate, score and fight. Something the Pens haven’t had since the 1970’s.
I’m guessing maybe didn’t see the whole game? Those checks that Reaves dished out last night turned the tide. They really got the team and crowd going. The Caps went from roaming free in the Pens end to looking over their heads. Very similar to the way Kaspairitis was. Just flat out love what this guy brings to the team.
The fact that we got him for a lifelong AHLer and a few draft positions is amazing.
Hey Phil,
I know Reaves fans will beat the drum for Reaves all day and if you read some of my more recent posts I have softened on my Reaves position. My comment was directed towards those who tried to defend the trade by saying that Reaves would keep WIlson and Oshie in check. Well, it didn’t. Those 2-Thugs were at it again.
I have softened my position on Reaves, I do appreciate his team spirit and willingness to stand up for his team mates, but in all honestly, I think I still would have preferred keeping our draft position and getting Hague. I am not all that sure that the intangibles he brings really added anything to the W column while his slower foot speed Sullivan’s lack of confidence in him in terms of low ice-time probably have added to the L column. (I keep hearing people talk about his skating ability, but I am not seeing it. He really does look a step slower than everyone else)
Hague was lighting it up both in scoring and penalty minutes last I looked while the guy we got Lauzon seems to be struggling this year.
Also, Phil, I would think that Oleksiak or even more Pedan would fill the bill of Kasparitis more, both are D like Kaspar and Pedan is also a Lithuanian I believe.
I realize I am not going to change some peoples minds on Reaves, but then again they aren’t going to change my mind either.
Well. The Caps has always been dirty to me I’m not surprised because that’s how play just the Jackets (other teams to)and the refs like to call what they like to call then what’s needs to be call on the ice. It’s always cheap shots and unnecessary stuff with them. I’m glad the Pens hold their e composure through this game. Resilience. It’s nice to see Crosby take a breather without Sheary because he always happens to work way harder to clean up his messes. Rust is great(I love him( but I would prefer Jake and Simon with Crosby while I would prefer Hagelin and Kessel with Malkin. Sheahan is getting better offensively but he still can be used for 4 C spot when 3C comes. He was on it.
Pens are on fire and I hope it continues for them. Stay healthy.
Glad to see Rowney back to take the load off of Malkin, Crosby and Guentzel.
This is somewhat the Penguins we know. Penguins just needs 3C , new defenseman and maybe another goal scorer if they don’t bring Sprong or Resse permanently . I would settle for legit 3C and go from there. Penguins Defense looked great to me minus brutally bad Letang. They way the played skating heavy without the puck makes them hard to play against and just the defense by Shultzy and Maatta. Oleksiak Defense and how he joins the rush to create scoring chances.
I knew Oleksiak was great but he getting beyond better for the Pens. The way he use his size and fast skating abilities.
Iwish it was a magic wand to just trade him far away from this team. I know the Penguins will make the playoffs probably 2-3 place with home advantage but I don’t wanna Letang to be apart of it, I really hope he isn’t and I hope something can have Letang missed rest of the season or trade with him. He will continue to hurt this team even in the playoffs.
I think a great win for the Penguins, it’s shows they have developed consistency in games that they needed and yes they still needs to tighten up on some things. . Overall they are headed in the right direction. They looked better without Sheary and Hunwick. They would look even better with Letang. He gets beats all the time, out position, standing around, bad passing, can’t create off the rush, can’t ein pucks battles, bad defensively, bad in the D zone and on the PP. It’s some many things and I see he will continue to decline. I hope Hornqvist is ok and Oprik hit was deliberately intent to injure and that’s what he wanted to do there. Same goes for Oshie and Wilson. Eller as well when Shultzy were try to defend the puck from Murray .
I hope to see Resse probably Sprong butI think Sully don’t want him up it here especially how he scratched him while Sheary should have been scratched and demoted instead he promoted him to first line winger position when he isn’t that winger material for Crosby. I hoping W today against Devils before Super Bowl shenanigans on Sunday .
I hear you Dee,
I like Rust too but think he meshes better with Malkin, if you promote him up to a top 6. He brings tons of energy and speed. Like Sprong, he is a CORSI monster.
I personally like Sprong on Crosby’s RW with Guentzel my second choice but I am not all that committed either way, both are light years better than Sheary.
I hope Sullivan is taking notes on how his team beat the top team in the division pretty handily without Sheary and Hunwick. Yes, Washington did get 4 goals, but Dumoulin accidentally kicked one of those goals into his own net and Kuzentsov’s goal should never have counted, it was a hand pass. Even when Ovie tied the game, I never had the fear that the Pens could lose the game. I knew they were going to win.
I like Rowney but I like him on the RW. Against a team of thugs, like Was, I don’t mind a 4th line of Rowney at C with Kuhnhackl and Reaves, but against a faster team, I would rather move him out to RW since he faster than Reaves with a fast Center.
Hey other Rick ,
I agree 100% you . You read my mind well.
Absolutely.
Rust has always been great for Malkin. He’s a unbelievable player! He brings it every night. I think he a top 6 player as well . They were great together in the playoffs.
Sometimes I think with Guentzel, Simon and Rust they could build more muscle to endure them hits night in and night out. I hate when Rust get hi
hurt well any player for that matter like Hornqvist.
I’m not committed either, But I have seen glimpses of Jake and Sprong then Jake and Simon with Crosby I like it. Crosby would benefit and be more happy plus he might can get 2 -3 more seasons of 100 points while surpassing Lemieux in points one day. Wishful thinking.
Did you hear about Resse ?