I tuned into the Penguin game slightly late. Our favorite flightless fowl had built up quite a large lead in shots but found themselves down on the scoreboard 1 – 0. Much maligned, former Pittsburgh Penguins‘ Defensemen Jack Johnson had staked the New York Rangers to that lead a point shot (not going to really call it a blast from the point) that seemed to have eyes on it. The shot seemed to have eyes on it, navigating its way through Zach Aston-Reece’s and Kevin Rooney’s skates before deflecting slightly off John Marino (looked like his calf or Achilles’ tendon. Our Penguins seemed to be dominating play but found themselves trailing a Rangers team without their big gun Artemi Panarin.
Fortunately for the faithful, only a couple of minutes after I settled into my favorite chair, with my favorite potable, Captain Sidney Crosby up a blue and white clearing attempt and fed a sweet cross ice, backhand pass just inside the Rangers blue line to his port side winger, Jake Guentzel. Gliding down to the face-off circle with a hesitant defender who looked like he couldn’t decide whether to challenge Guentzel or not, the Left Wing sniped a wrist shot over Keith Kincaid’s glove.
When the buzzer sounded to end the first period, Mike Sullivan’s boys held a 16 – 7 shot advantage but needed a clutch last minute shot to pull even, 1 – 1 in Goals (G)
The Rangers started to chip away at the shot disparity in the second period, topping our Penguins 13 – 10, but found themselves falling behind in the G department to the tune of 3 – 1. Mike Matheson tripped up the Rangers Brett Howden and I thought the Penguins Defensemen had opened the door a crack for the visitors to regain their lead, but Teddy Blueger came to the rescue. The recently derided Penalty Kill (PK) unit stepped up big-time. Marino stopped a Rangers’ zone entry along his right-side boards and whipped the puck across ice to his partner Brian Dumoulin, away from the bad guys. Dumoulin quickly snapped the puck up ice to Brandon Tanev who was circling at the Rangers’ blue line like a Vulture. Tanev cruised into the zone from roughly center point toward the left wing while his partner in crime Blueger followed him. Tanev dropped the puck back to his Center as the tandem crisscrossed down toward the goal. The Rangers’ PK tried to pressure the puck to force the Penguins into a giveaway (Gv) but Blueger wouldn’t be forced into a bad pass. Instead he held on to the puck while he swooped down the wing and powered his way across the crease, forcing the puck past a weak Kincaid stick. In the end all 4 defenders in the PK touched the puck and our Penguins took the lead rather than fold under the penalty.
With Blueger starting the second period off with a G, Kasperi Kapanen closed out the second frame in like fashion. The Penguins second line, sans Jason Zucker, took command of the puck inside the Rangers zone with just about 70 ticks left on the clock and dominated their guests. Kapanen, Evgeni Malkin, and Evan Rodrigues looked like they were on the Powerplay as they skated circles around the Rangers defenders. Kris Letang shot the puck wide of the Rangers net and the puck bounced up the left wing boards. Dumoulin raced over to keep the puck alive, throwing it behind the net. Rodrigues retrieved it drifting backward toward the right corner, drawing attention that way. He then fed the puck back to Malkin who had circled behind the net, following the puck. Rodrigues’ drifting opened a seam for Malkin to slip up above the goal line and find Kapanen in the right circle. Kapanen toed the puck around a defender as he drifted back across the crease to the left. Kincaid tried to follow the puck but Kapanen ripped a wrist shot back against the grain over Kincaid’s glove and the good guys were up 3 – 1.
But now it was time for Tristan Jarry to shine. After a shaky start to the season, Jarry dazzled as he defended against the Rangers deluge. If the Penguins dominated the first frame, out shooting the Rangers 16 – 7, then I have no adjective for the Rangers play in the third. They pummeled our Penguins defense with 15 shots to 1 – and that lone shot came from the stick of Crosby into an empty net. Announcers Steve Mears and Bob Errey called the saves Jarry was making 10 bell saves. They were not 10 bell saves they were more like 50 bell saves. Jarry stood on his head and then some to keep last night’s game from going into Over-Time (OT). Crosby was given 1st star honors for the game but for my money, Jarry’s stoning of those point-blank shots earned him that award.
Odds and Sods
Kapanen’s Goal was his 7th of the season. He has been a 5-on-5 beast this season. He is crushing his best Goals per 60 minutes (G/60) and Assists per 60 minutes (A/60). His previous best G/60 was 0.96. This year he is averaging 1.01. As for his A/60, last season he upped his mark to 1.20. This season he is currently riding at 2.03. He keeps up this pace then he definitely was worth the price Jim Rutherford paid for him.
Colton Sceviour had been waived by the Penguins not that many hours before last night’s game but found himself in the line-up. In the first period, he was given only 2 shifts and the team held a hefty 16 – 7 shot advantage. In the 3rd period he was given 7 shifts. The Rangers pummeled the team 15 – 1 in shots. Things that make you go hmm…..
Since the Jason Zucker injury much maligned Evgeni Malkin and newcomer and Malkin line-mate Kasperi Kapanen are leading the team in 5 – on – 5 points with 7 each. Jared McCann, the 3rd member of that line – much of the time, until his injury, checks in, tied with Letang, just behind Malkin and Kapanen with 5 points. Just saying…..
The Rangers were without super star Artemi Panarin last night, so give them credit, they could have grabbed at least 1 point off us had he played.
Next Up – The Buffalo Sabres tomorrow night at 7:00 pm, in Buffalo.
Jarry Preserves Penguins Posteriors from Punchless Panarinless Rangers
ByThe Other Rick
Mar 10, 2021
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14 thoughts on “Jarry Preserves Penguins Posteriors from Punchless Panarinless Rangers”
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The Other Rick
Not to beat up on Jarry because I’ve always liked him but he owes the team
a few big performances after the way he played early in the season. It’s time
our goaltenders steal us a game or two.
On another note, I can’t wait to see the line of Malkin, Kappy & Zucker “wow”
two players operating on Malkins wing that possess hockey IQ’s, speed and can
finish. Our 2nd line may end up being better than the 1st or at least 1A. it should
be fun to watch.
Couple notes from last nigh’s game:
1) Kappy needs to see some time on the Pens #1 PP unit.
2) Jankowski has shown some life in the Pen’s last couple of games.
3) Not a Rodrigues fan at all – he gets separated from the puck too easily
for my liking.
4) Pen’s are a couple of physical players away from being serious
contenders for the Cup. If we can stay healthy.
GO PENS
Hey Mike,
I hear you, I am not a Rodrigues fan, like the original Sheary and Sheary 2.0 (Simon) the draft of a player skating past them could knock them off of the puck.
Also would love to see at least one bigger forward and one bigger D-man. Prefer to see maybe 2 more Fwds and 2 more D with some size.
Rust has worked his tail off, but it may be past time to flip Kapanen and Rust on the PP. Put Kapanen out there with the #1 unit for more than a whistle stop. I like Rust’s hustle. Kapanen has hustle too but he also is a better shooter.
Still not a Jankowski fan. If he is the answer for the Pens 4th line, the team is in deep trouble.
I don’t dislike Zucker, but I can’t wait for McCann to get back out there with Malkin and Kapanen. At this point I build a different line around Zucker so I can roll 4 lines and base TOI on the positives of who is playing better and not base TOI on negatives by limiting TOI for those not playing well. McCann plays much better with Malkin and Kapanen.
Jarry? No he didn’t play well at the beginning of the year, but I find it hard to blame a Goalie when his D lets Opponents stand all around him so he can’t see the shots and has to play both Pass and Shot rather than just shot.
The Other Rick
I like McCann but I don’t feel like he’s a top 6 forward. I think he’s reaped
the benefits of being put out there at a time when Kappy and Malkin are
playing well. That line is still playing well with Rodrigues. We also know
when a player comes back from an injury he has a little extra step in his get-up. I also think McCann is injury prone and one of the players that
management will be looking to move.
I’ve made this point before about the Pens – you can’t put a player on the
3rd and 4th lines because he didn’t cut it on lines 1 & 2. It takes the right
mindset and mentality to play a role on the 3rd and 4th lines. If they don’t
have that internally they need to acquire it through a trade.
I think the Pens right now have good chemistry so they have to be careful
who they bring in as additions to the lineup. It should be interesting.
Hey Mike,
I agree with you that you try not to put top 6 players in bottom 6 roles if you can help it. I also am a firm believer in not breaking up lines that are working. So, if
Guentzel – Crosby – Rust
McCann – Malkin – Kapanen
Tanev – Blueger – ZAR
are clicking, don’t split them up just to push Zucker onto a top 6 line.
I also don’t think you load down the bottom 6 with never-was 30 somethings or a whole lot of reclamation projects. I have no problems with a veteran like Cullen who brought tons of leadership and on ice coaching or a glue guy like Ryan Reaves but the bottom 6 should be the younger players and players with size to wear down opponents with their size, wheels, and grit.
Did you see Eichel is out? Hope the team doesn’t try and phone it in just because Eichel is out.
Hey Guys,
I’m going to chime in. Other Rick, great game summary…nice to have you back on the article-writing side of the fence!!
It does seem like we’re rounding into form. Mike I agree…we’re a power forward and a tough defenseman shy. It sure wouldn’t hurt uncover a fourth liner or two, either.
I was still hoping we might be able to land Sam Bennett, especially with the connection to Burke, who drafted him. Alas, with the coaching change in Calgary (Darryl Sutter) Bennett may be off the trading block.
I’m with Other Rick on the second line…I stick with McCann-Malkin-Kapanen when everyone’s healthy. I sure don’t dislike Zucker but he just flat out doesn’t work with Geno. I would try to fashion another line around him, too.
I’m taking my life into my hands by suggesting this. But I think Kris Letang has been playing very well of late…as well as he played during the 2015-16 Cup run. He and Dumoulin look really solid together. (Okay…I’ll duck and run for cover now…lol).
I’m still concerned about our ‘d.’ Individually as well as collectively, Pettersson and Marino look decent one game and shaky the next. Apparently, Matheson is as difficult to read and partner with as Letang. A bright spot…Ceci has been real solid. But as a group, they seem to come apart when pinned in our end.
I don’t hate Rodrigues as a plug-in…as long as it’s temporary. I think he’s better suited to the bottom six.
Speaking of our never-ending search for competent fourth-liners, I wonder if the Pens might consider giving Friedman a look up front. He played a few games on wing for the Flyers. He’s fast, edgy and doesn’t look uncomfortable in the attacking zone.
Anyway…GO PENZ! Hopefully we’ll survive the Sabres now that Sheary doesn’t play for them any more … lol
Rick
Rick
I did post a comment and I added a link regarding Gudbranson. I’m
guessing that was a no no. it was Gudbranson coming to the aid of
one of his teammates – exactly what the Pens lack.
All good points. I do like McCann but I think by the time Zucker is
ready to come back the novelty will have worn off. I guess time
will tell. I do agree Zucker and Malkin were struggling but at the
time no one would have had chemistry with Geno – he was horrible. IMO
As for our Defenseman – I think they continue to improve but the
consistency isn’t there yet. To me Marino has been a mix bag of tricks
and Pettersson has been up and down – Ceci has been really solid.
It also pains me to admit Letang has played pretty well at least on the
Offensive end of the ice but he’s still coughing the puck up with regularity in our own end – Jarry play in goal has minimized a lot of our
mistakes.
I’m hoping they don’t lay an egg against Buffalo and take care of
business.
Go Pens
Hey Mike,
Since I’m not involved in the tech side of things, I’m not 100 percent sure. But I don’t think our blog accepts links…at least not in the Comments section.
Would love to have Gudbranson back. I’m not thrilled with Pettersson and would gladly peddle him for Erik, but then there’s the matter of where the big guy would slot in with Letang, Marino and Ceci already manning the right side. Gudbranson can’t play the left side at all, so someone else would have to move to portside. Marino tried and wasn’t very effective there, either.
Rick
Hey Rick,
Not thrilled with Pettersson’s lack of progress, but that may be due to the teams system and players. I thought he was developing fairly well when we still had Gudbranson – Very similar to how Francois Leroux was developing while Kjell Samuelsson was here, mentoring him on how to use his bigger frame to his best advantage. But when Gudbranson was dumped, that seem to me when Pettersson started to or rather effectively stopped developing.
My only hesitance with a straight up Pettersson – Gudbranson deal is that the team is already over stocked with RHD (not necessarily great RHD but at least usable RHD). If I were to make that deal, I would probably do that as a prelude to a Letang trade (plus I would have to be comfortable with Marino now being top pairing).
Hey Mike and Rick,
I looked to see if I could find a reply about Gudbranson in the pending files but didn’t see it.
About the Letang discussion, I agree that Letang has been playing his Dr Jekyll rather than Mr Hyde role lately. His stats are up as well as his stock. However, Mike makes a good point, solid goaltending is masking many warts right now. To that end I suggest that this would be a good time to trade him, while someone may be willing to part with more than a bag of used pucks and a broken stick.
Marino is still just a kid, being bounced around like a pinball and only getting paid $900k, any inconsistency on his part is reasonable and expected. He is only 23 and in just his 2nd Pro season and has been asked to babysit Matheson defensively and play the Left side of the Defense despite being a RHD. Rather than ask a more veteran player, Sullivan dropped that responsibility on the youngest of his Defenders. Furthermore, defenders don’t usually hit their prime until age 27. Marino has 4 more seasons to grow.
Pettersson is only a little older than Marino and I would be ok with him too if his contract was in line with what he is bringing to the table. But to be paying almost as much to him as Dumoulin gets, sorry – no way!
Ceci is playing well, a lot better than most expected.
Sorry, I m still no Matheson fan. He is 27 now and allegedly at the age when he should be in his prime – and if this is his best, boy is he overpaid.
The Other Rick & Rick
Good article by Kovacevic “DK Pittsburgh Sports” today on
Matheson.
IMO – Matheson has shown unbelievable potential and has
more than exceeded my expectations. I remember distinctly you emphasizing his turnover numbers after the Pens made the trade with Florida. I will apologize ahead of time if I’m mistaken!!
I know you’re a numbers guy so I’ve made a few comparisons
below: For whatever it’s worth – I of all people understand variables.
Matheson (7) giveaways in (17) games – in a full season
that calculates to around 32 or 33 turnovers while playing 19:52
min per-game. While still adjusting to a new team / system plus
missing (7) games due to an injury.
Last Season – Defenseman giveaway numbers:
Letang (80) giveaways in (61) games – in a full season
he would be right around 100 – playing 25:44 min per game
Marino (42) giveaways in (56) games – In a full season
he would be around 70 plus – playing 20:15 min per game
Petterrson (38) giveaways in (69) games – in a full season
he would be around 50 plus – playing 19:24 min per game
I understand that situations and variables play a part when the
numbers are involved.
Is Matheson the next Coffey “No” Is his contract a little outrageous “Yes” Are the Pens a better fit for his abilities
“Probably”. The jury is still out but for me, he’s been a pleasant
surprise.
Go Pens
Hey Mike,
I have been watching the Gv numbers and knew his were way down, but I really hadn’t totally scrutinized his stats. -on-5 his ratio (Gv/60) is fractional compared to even his second best season (2.27 in 2017-18 vs 1.15 in 2021). Why? Can’t be sure – Could be the schedule (only Divisional Games), Could be better teammates, Could be at the expense of Team Offense when he is on the ice (CF/60 ~7CF lower than last year and ~9 lower than most prolific year – 49.39 CF). The reasons aren’t all that important.
If he keeps up this pace, I give him credit for the turn around, but as I wrote above, if this is his prime, I am underwhelmed. He is average, that is all. His best is not all that impressive. I would still rather have Andrey Pedan or Nicolas Hague as my 2nd pairing LHD and saving $$$$. At least in them I would have size and grit and not another stick waver in the D zone.
The Other Rick
I would never quarrel about adding toughness and
grit on the backline.
My point with Matheson is he’s only scratching the
surface with his abilities and like any sport there are players that develop slower and blossom later in their careers – I’m hoping he’s one of those guys.
Also, I would like to see him get some PP time ahead of Pettersson. I think he would make a huge difference.
Hey Mike,
I thought Matheson had an incredible stretch of five or six games when he first came back from injury. I was like…wow…no wonder Florida signed him to a long-term deal.
Since then, he’s fallen back to earth a bit…minus-three with a lone goal over his past nine games. His defensive play has become more spotty. And for all his skill you’d like to see a little (lot) more production.
He seems to be a bit of a solo freelancer who doesn’t quite involve the other guys to the extent he could. Which might explain his comparatively low assists totals for a guy with his ability.
Still, he can really skate and possesses a ton of raw talent and can dazzle at times. There is potential for quite an upside. Just hope he can reach it…or get close.
Rick
Rick
I agree there have been inconsistency issues but I
still, believe for a player that’s only had 17 games
with a new team and system, he’s done extremely
well.
I also think it would help his confidence and numbers to give him time with the #1 PP unit.
Go Pens