No-Name Penguins Blank Blue Jackets in OT

Quick. When you think of our Pittsburgh Penguins, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?

Scoring goals, right? Star power. Mario Lemieux. Jaromir Jagr. Sidney Crosby. Evgeni Malkin.

Goaltending and defense?

Not so much.

Indeed, during the Pens’ 52 seasons (53 if you count the strike year) the aforementioned quartet combined to capture a staggering 15 Art Ross Trophies (scoring titles) and seven Hart Memorial Trophies (MVPs).

By contrast, we boast only one Norris Trophy winner (Randy Carlyle). And not a single Vezina or Jennings Trophy.

Yet last night before a sellout throng of 18,415 at PPG Paints Arena, our boys clipped those pesky Columbus Blue Jackets by a score of 1-0 on Bryan Rust’s power-play tally at 3:02 of overtime. Our third shutout in the past four games, which surely must be some sort of black-and-gold record. All of them authored by 1A goalie extraordinaire Tristan Jarry, who presently leads all qualifying NHL netminders in save percentage (an astronomical .941) and goals against average (1.76). Shutouts, too.

When was the last time a Penguins goalie led the league in anything? Maybe never? Well, not quite true. Tom Barrasso led the league in wins in 1992-93 and Marc-Andre Fleury in shutouts a few seasons back. But still.

And when was the last time we held an opponent to 17 shots on goal?

To quote Hedy (that’s Hedley) Lamarr’s henchman Taggart from the Mel Brooks comedy classic Blazing Saddles, “What in the wide, wide world of sports is a goin’ on?”

Team defense, that’s what. The Pens are currently ranked fifth in the NHL for the fewest goals allowed. Fifth. Let that sink in for a moment.

“The guys are doing a great job,” Jarry said. “They’re letting me see a lot of pucks so it makes my job easy.”

The astounding thing is, our boys have accomplished this feat with their two best defensive players, Crosby and shut-down rearguard Brian Dumoulin, on the shelf.

Too, they’re doing it with a largely faceless, no-name crew. Anybody outside of the ‘Burgh ever heard of Teddy Blueger, Sam Lafferty or even Dominik Kahun?

Probably not.

Which leads me to the real point of my ramble. I’m hard pressed to recall a black-and-gold team playing this well with so little star power. Back in 2010-11, they skated a huge chunk of the season without Crosby and Malkin, yet still managed 49 wins and an Atlantic Division crown. But aside from that, I don’t remember a Pens team so shorn of stars playing so well.

I mean, we’ve been absolutely slammed by injuries. According to the website NHL Injury Viz, the Pens had 96 man-games lost through December 5, tied for sixth most in the league. Yet there we sit, tied for third place in the ultra-competitive Metropolitan Division with a record of 18-10-4 and 40 points.

Remarkable.

I give everyone in the organization high marks, from general manager Jim Rutherford to coach Mike Sullivan and down through the players, who’ve apparently bought into Sully’s north-south game plan hook, line and sinker.

Last season, I thought we were one of the sloppiest, most disjointed and ill-prepared teams I’ve ever seen. I don’t know if it was a fragmented group in the locker room, but it sure looked that way on the ice. Our guys were constantly on the wrong side of the puck. When opposing teams set up in our zone? It literally looked as if they had a power play.

Then came the disheartening playoff sweep at the hands of the Islanders.

Truly, I thought our window to another Stanley Cup had closed.

I’m stunned by our transformation. Talk about a night-and-day difference. This bunch works. It digs. It hustles. They’re never out of game. They adapt and overcome. Just like last night.

“Pittsburgh just worked,” Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno said. “I think they knew they were banged up. They just worked extremely hard.”

We grow through adversity and this team has. In spades.

Again, I want to emphasize the word team. Because that’s what this bunch has become in the truest sense.

A team.