Penguins Crunch Islanders, 4-1

Smack on the heels of one of our ugliest losses of the season, there was no guarantee which Penguins team would show up last night. The one that dispatched Washington with relative ease last Sunday, or the listless bunch that bungled their way to a dismal 3-1 loss in a return match with the Caps on Tuesday.

I’m happy to report it was Team A (or the A-Team). Indeed, our boys turned in a fairly solid 60-minute effort while besting the Islanders, 4-1, at PPG Paints Arena. Snapping the Isles eight-point streak in the process.

When the troops did falter, yielding a pair of two-on-ones and a breakaway late in the second period, Tristan Jarry slammed the door. Channeling his all-star form from last season, No. 35 stopped 31 of 32 shots…many of the high-danger variety…to earn the second star of the game. He came within minutes and a Brock Nelson redirect of posting his first shutout in over a year.

Coach Mike Sullivan had a hand in the win as well. In an effort to jump-start Evgeni Malkin and the sagging second line, he moved Bryan Rust to “Geno’s” flank and bumped Kasperi Kapanen to the first line.

I confess, I wasn’t thrilled. Rust had been positively on fire skating next to Sidney Crosby…three goals, six points and a whopping 24 shots on goal in his previous four contests. But the move paid off handsomely. Rust and Jason Zucker enjoyed bookend performances…each tallied a goal and an assist, unleashed four shots on goal and registered a plus-two.

Malkin was equally involved and productive, picking up two assists for…incredible as it seems…his first multiple-point game of the season. Geno also unleashed four shots on goal and even tussled with Islanders toughie Scott Mayfield in the closing minutes.

Meanwhile, Kapanen got the Pens off and running, setting up the game-opening goal. Displaying good speed and tenacity, he bumped Nelson off the puck at the bottom of the left circle and wired a shot that Crosby deflected home.

Teddy Blueger notched the Pens’ second goal (his third of the season) thanks to a spectacular individual effort by defenseman Mike Matheson. After calling for the puck at the left point, Matheson fired a pass to himself off the ends boards and lasered a hard shot that banked off Semyon Varlamov’s pads and onto the waiting stick of Blueger.

Brilliant.

While I won’t use that adjective to describe the Pens’ victory, it was a definite step in the right direction.

Puckpourri

The Pens outshot the Islanders, 37-32, and held a slight edge in faceoff circle, winning 52 percent of the draws. The Islanders outhit the Pens, 34-24, and ramped up the physical play in the closing minutes, as Matt Martin challenged Matheson and Mayfield tangled with Malkin.

Brandon Tanev also dropped the gloves in a first-period go with Casey Cizikas.

The Pens had 11 giveaways…five by Crosby and Malkin. The Islanders had none.

The defensive duo of Matheson and John Marino were on the ice for every black-and-gold goal. Both were a plus-four on the evening.

Although in need of goals himself, Zucker selflessly dished the biscuit to Rust for the final empty-net tally. As it turns out, the two are good friends dating back to when they played for the United States National Under-18 Team.

Opinyinz

Matheson turned in another masterful performance while earning third-star honors. In addition to his sparkling plus-minus, the Quebec native recorded an assist, three shots on goal, a hit, a blocked shot and a game-high four takeaways.

Following a couple of shaky outings to start the season, he’s been sound as a pound in the defensive zone.

Stratton, it looks like you were right. I was way premature and off-the-mark in labelling Matheson’s acquisition a disaster. Not only has he been terrific, but he and Marino are showing good chemistry. Perhaps even first-pairing chemistry.

It looks like we’ve really got something here.