Listless Penguins Skewered by Sabres

This isn’t going to be a very involved game summary. In fact, I’ll cut to the chase and spare you a lot of gory details.

The Penguins just didn’t have it yesterday. To borrow from the old Association song Cherish, “listless is the word I use to describe” our effort during an uninspired 4-2 loss to Buffalo. Skewered on a spit and roasted by the opportunistic Sabres like so many penguin-kabobs.

Perhaps the effect of playing our third game in four days.

Our best players paved the way, if you can call it that. The top line of Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust…normally redoubtable…was a combined minus-five. Our top defensive pair of Kris Letang and Brian Dumoulin, a combined minus-three.

However, the poster child for our uneven play may well have been Jason Zucker.

With the Pens down 2-0 midway through the second period but still very much in the game, the snakebitten winger broke into the Sabres’ end on a two-on-one with Jeff Carter. The defender peeled off to cover the pass, giving Zucker a clear lane to the net. Yet Jason inexplicably tried to force a feed to his linemate, resulting in a botched opportunity.

To his credit, “Zucks” made amends to midway through the final period, pouncing on a short pass from Carter and rifling the puck past Dustin Tokarski from inside the left circle for his seventh goal of the season.

His moment in the sun proved to be short-lived. Minutes later No. 16 turned from hero to goat, firing a pass to no one at the right point with an empty net yawning behind him. He could only watch from a distance as the Sabres’ Rasmus Asplund split the vacated cage.

That pretty much summed up our afternoon.

Puckpourri

Zucker had plenty of help in the flubbed chances department, as Crosby and Guentzel both missed open nets.

Teddy Blueger scored our second goal off the rush with 24 seconds remaining. Way too late to help our cause.

The Pens outshot the Sabres, 36-29, but had very few second-chance opportunities. A lot of “one-and-dones” bemoaned the Ol’ Two-Niner, radio analyst Phil Bourque.

Casey DeSmith stopped 25 of 28 shots. Following an incredible hot streak, Casey’s 1-3 in his past four games with a bloated 4.70 goals against average and .828 save percentage.

Despite Carter’s presence, we continue to take a beating in the faceoff circle. We’re presently 21st in the league at 49.3 percent.

In a pair of personnel moves, the Pens activated feisty defenseman Mark Friedman and recalled forward Anthony Angello from the taxi-squad. Both have recovered from injuries; both were healthy scratches yesterday.

The MassMutual East is packed tighter than a tin of sardines. Washington leads the way with 62 points, followed by the Islanders (60), Pens (59), Bruins (56) and Rangers (52). I’ll say it again…beware the Broadway Blueshirts. If we hit the skids, it could get dicey.

Just ask the 1964 Philadelphia Phillies.

Opinyinz

With the guys displaying the intensity of a wet dishrag, we’re clearly missing the spark and energy provided by Brandon Tanev and Frederick Gaudreau. The former for his all-out hustle and hitting and the latter for his gritty, inspirational play.

Perhaps the peppery Friedman could provide a shot of adrenalin. Angello, too. Or even Sam Lafferty, a healthy scratch of late.