Yes, the dreaded PenguinPoop curse is alive and well. No sooner do I write in my prior game summary that I’m really impressed with the Penguins new-found discipline and structure than both go out the window in a sloppy, slipshod, run-and-gun-fest 6-3 loss to Montreal. A team that doesn’t exactly represent the NHL elite if you get my drift.
Oh well. As the old saying goes, you can’t win ‘em all.
To be fair, Jake Allen played a superb game between the pipes for the Canadiens, stopping 47 of the 50 shots he faced. However, an old Pens bugaboo…weak defensive-zone coverage down low…reared its ugly head, along with poor puck management and faulty decision-making.
The “nothing to see here” first period gave no hint of the craziness that was to follow, as Allen and his black-and-gold counterpart Casey DeSmith were airtight in net. In fact, the contest remained scoreless until 15:34 of the second frame. That’s when Sidney Crosby’s attempted pass to Kris Letang at the left point missed by a country mile, sending Jonathan Drouin streaking in on a breakaway. Drouin beat DeSmith five-hole. Advantage Les Habitants.
However, Artturi Lehkonen dumped Brock McGinn early the final period and the power play went to work. Making amends for his earlier gaffe, Sid set up Evan Rodrigues in the slot and E-Rod did the rest, going top shelf on Allen to knot the score at 1-1.
The goal had barely been announced when the Canadiens struck on the ensuing shift. With the Pens’ top tandem of Brian Dumoulin and Letang flooding one side, Sami Niku slipped a pass to a ridiculously wide-open Christian Dvorak in the slot. Close enough to be wearing DeSmith’s underwear, Dvorak easily beat Casey stick side to restore Montreal’s lead.
Three minutes later the Habs struck again. Quicker than you could say “dirty goal,” Lehkonen invaded the slot, outworked Chad Ruhwedel and Mike Matheson, and banged the biscuit past DeSmith. And so concluded the “normal” part of the proceedings with the Habs up 3-1.
With less than three minutes to play and DeSmith parked on the bench in favor of an extra attacker, Jeff Carter rambled into the slot and scored courtesy of an unconscious no-look feed from Kasperi Kapanen, closing the gap to 3-2. But Montreal quickly countered. Big Josh Anderson did the honors, winning a battle against Crosby in the Pens’ crease and whacking the rubber into our empty net.
Again, the Pens closed to within a goal, as Sid dropped to a knee to convert on a crisp pass from Kapanen at 18:50. Anderson again restored Montreal’s two-goal edge when he was awarded a goal after being tripped by Letang on yet another breakaway. Tyler Toffoli concluded the empty-net fest at 19:23, splitting the locals’ net from long range.
Puckpourri
From a stats standpoint, the Pens dominated. We outshot the Canadiens, 50-33, and won 56 percent of the draws. We outchanced them, 44-29, and held a slight edge in high-danger chances, 16-15.
The Crosby-Jake Guentzel-Rodrigues line was strong in terms of Corsi (72.09). The Carter-Jason Zucker-Kapanen trio broke even, while the “Grind Line” of Teddy Blueger, McGinn and Zach Aston-Reese was heavily underwater (30.77).
With a goal, two assists and five shots on goal, Sid enjoyed a breakout game. Carter (1+1) and Kapanen (a pair of helpers) each tallied two points. Rodrigues unleashed a staggering 12 shots on goal and earned third-star honors. E-Rod’s goal, his eight of the season, tied him with Guentzel for the team lead. Jake extended his points streak to nine games.
Dumoulin and Letang blocked a combined seven shots but were a collective minus-five. Bryan Rust missed his second-straight game with a lower body injury.
The Pens (10-7-4, 24 points) kept pace with Columbus, who lost to St. Louis by an identical 6-3 score. The clubs remain tied for fourth in the Metro. Next up, a brutal swing through western Canada, starting with Calgary on Monday night.
DiLemma
You’d be hard-pressed to pin the loss on DeSmith. He made 28 saves, many of the high-danger variety. The three goals he allowed all resulted from glaring defensive breakdowns.
Yet, going back to last April 3, spanning his last 10 appearances, Casey simply hasn’t been very good. During that time he’s registered an unsightly 4.33 goals against average and equally porous .867 save percentage. Worse yet, we’re 2-7-1 in those games.
His fault or not, we simply can’t continue to bleed off points when DeSmith plays. It’s time to try Louis Domingue in a backup role. His size (6’3″ 208) is favorable to Casey’s, for one. And he’s posted a solid 2.54 goals against and .922 save percentage in nine games with the Baby Pens.
The Other Rick
Maybe it’s the players that Zucker is playing with that don’t fit the system. I said many times that the Penguins
acquire a player and want immediate results and they trade them. Chemistry takes time and we very seldom
have a line remain intact for an entire season.
I realize stats are a part of Sports – I’ve been working in the Sports industry for 28yrs. I’m saying you can’t evaluate
a player with numbers. I agree with your assessment that a player needs to fit a system but when you look at
Zucker and the way he plays he’s the perfect fit for this team and Sullivan’s system. He’s exactly what Sully looks for
in a player.
Hey Mike,
5 on 5 Malkin has been on the ice 662 regular season goals for and only 532 goals against in his career. I know you don’t like Malkin but he gets the job done 5 on 5 (which is the bulk of an NHL game). A couple of seasons back, when Crosby had a protracted time missed due to injury, Malkin led the league in 5-on-5 Points, ahead of McDavid, Matthews, McKinnon et al. It is funny how everyone marvels at how Malkin always seems to elevate an already elevated game when Crosby is out but never actually tries to figure out why. The answer would seem pretty simple. When Crosby is in the lineup, he always gets the cream of the crop , when it comes to Wings and Malkin often has to skate with pylons. In other words, when Crosby is out, Malkin doesn’t have to do it all himself.
What is even funnier is that a couple of seasons ago, skating with Malkin rather than Crosby, Guentzel and Rust were on pace for their best seasons as well. However, Sullivan ignored those facts last season and the team paid the price. He opted instead to try and force the Square Peg (Zucker) into the proverbial round hole (Malkin’s) line. With or without you data showed all of this but Sully was to smart, he prefered to play his hunches and he was able to get early Tee times for himself and the team once again.
Kessel, guess what, he also has really good 5 on 5 numbers; not as good as Malkin but still pretty darn good. During his tenure in Pgh the team scored 214 Goals with the Thrill on the ice 5 on 5 and only ceded 181 against under the same conditions.
The bulk of Malkin’s and Kessel’s perceived defensive lapses occurred due to poor power play strategies of having the only Defenseman fly up ice leaving 2 forwards to carry the puck up against a PK forecheck chomping at the bit to get a chance to exploit poor strategies of forwards playing “D” as well as shots into empty nets.
Also, for you, please note that Malkin’s Career TGA/60 is 2.58, Crosby’s is only a little better at 2.37 – so it is a significant myth to say Crosby is a significantly better defensive Center than Malkin. If we standardize those numbers to teammates and opposition, we may find those numbers drifting closer.
And Kessel, his GA/60 is 2.41 again not too shabby in comparison.
Sometimes the eye test is valid, sometimes prejudices blind a person. Some people get awed by style but the bottom line is stats, Goals For vs Goals Against and the three players are all relatively equal.
As for this season, Crosby is faltering 4 TGF vs 6 TGA in the 5 on 5 condition; he is not producing. I understand that he may not have really healed from his wrist surgery yet or hasn’t gotten into game shape from his protracted time off. None of that has any meaning when the puck gets dropped.
The Other Rick
It has nothing to do with liking or disliking Malkin. He gambles way too much for me and he refuses to adjust
his game as he ages. He’s not the same player yet he continues to try and do things that he got away with
in his mid-twenties.
And again as you know the numbers mean nothing to me. Kessel is having the same issues in Arizona and
their already trying to get him out of town.
Hey Mike,
I messed up and somehow put this response by itself and not as a reply to your reply, so in affect there may be a miscommunication going on here that is entirely my fault. This reply should be under your reply stating “This is comical. I never saw you quoting plus-minus when Malkin and Kessel were two of the worst minus
players in the entire league.”
I am not arguing with you your right to hold any opinion you choose. You can love, like, dislike, hate any player you choose for any reason you choose. You can take issue with your perceived gambling in Malkin’s game or his hair style, those are personal choices. My reply is simply meant to show that there is nothing funny, ironic or otherwise inconsistent with my focus on Crosby’s or Zucker’s current abysmal 5-on-5 play.
I further try to pre-empt the argument that you just made, that Malkin gambles way too much. If Malkin is playing with sub-par wingers, it could easily be justified that he simply doesn’t trust his Wingers. When Crosby was injured and Malkin had a lot of TOI with Rust (~7/8 of his 5-on-5 TOI) and Guentzel (3/8 of his 5-on-5 TOI), in 55 GP, he finished that season a +7 (+11 in 5-on-5 situations). The next season when Crosby with Rust (3/4 of his 5-on-5 TOI) and Guentzel (all but 53 min of his 5-on-5 TOI) in 55 GP Crosby was only +8 over all and +9 in 5-on-5 situations. I know it is an inconvenient truth but results in the form of stats are what wins games not eye tests biased by personal preferences.
In any case, regardless of the reasons Malkin exhibits your perceived gambling, it really hasn’t hurt the team in comparison to Crosby’s or Zucker’s play. The difference in 5-on-5 TGA/60 are fractional and easily dismissed.
As for Kessel, Az gas far more problems than Kessel. He has no one to play with right now. The would appear to be trying to emulate the Penguins of 1983-84, intentionally trying to tank to get the no.1 overall draft pick. Furthermore, Kessel’s play in Az has no bearing on what he accomplished in Pgh. Again, the truth may hurt but Crosby and Malkin had not been to the finals or won a Cup from 2009 until 2015 when Kessel came to Pgh. Kessel changed those frustrations to cheers and Cup parades.
Now with neither Malkin or Kessel the team is foundering; their Pts% is 0.543 only good enough for 22 of 32 teams.
The Other Rick
Not questioning Kessel’s play while in the Burg but players like him eventually wear out their welcome.
Players get tired of his lackadaisical approach unwillingness to do what the team needs from him
to win. It’s just a fact. A very smart man once told me with players like Kessel theirs a two-year rule
then he has to go. Just for the record, the Coyotes were trying to move him mid-season last year.
Hey Rick,
Although it is fun to think that there is a Penguin Poop Curse, let’s start being honest, this team is not that good. If not for Jarry during that 5 game win streak, this team would at best be 0.500, maybe worse. They will need Divine intervention should Jarry get injured or sick and have to rely on DeSmith. Domingue has been hit or miss in WBS. He gave up 4 Goals on 26 shots in his last outing, and Lindberg is injured.
Crosby, did figure in on all 3 goals but none of them were 5 on 5, that is not encouraging. The team failed to score in 5 on 5 situations. That doesn’t bode well.
Sid double his scoring last night, putting his points projection back over 40 but his +/- is now -4. Only 5 other Penguins are on pace to get 40 or more points; Guentzel, E-Rod, Kapanen, Carter, and Rust. Of the players on pace for 40 or more points, only E-Rod, Kapanen, and Rust are on the + side of the coin. Zucker’s G/60 5-on-5 is 0.42, the League Average is 0.68 for Forwards.
The teams shooting % 5 on 5 is barely over 7%. fighting to stay above the bottom 1/3 of the league. They need to heavily outshoot opponents if they are going to win games.
I have said this every season since 2017, I would rather be standing in Market Square in July, eating crow because you and others were right, than sitting around with no Penguin Hockey from May until September and me be right.
This team is not good and needs to be thinking about being sellers at the trade deadline and not deluding itself into being buyers and throwing good draft picks and prospects after bad.
The Other Rick
This is comical. I never saw you quoting plus-minus when Malkin and Kessel were two of the worst minus
players in the entire league. This is why numbers should never be used to evaluate a player or its team.
They’re easily manipulated to support an argument. McGinn has come on strong of late but I would bet
if you asked any of the Pen’s coaches or players they would tell you Zuckers been their most consistent
forward. To me other than McGinn it’s not close although I will say Guentzel has started to pick up his
game as well. Also, each one plays Left-wing which is interesting.
GO PENS
Hey Other Rick,
I disagree with your assertion that the Pens aren’t good. Mind you, I’m not saying they’re Stanley Cup contenders. And I fully understand and appreciate your stance that at this stage, it might benefit us more to miss the playoffs and get a decent draft pick rather than scratching and clawing to get in and losing in the first round. But there’s a lot to like about this group. Particularly the way they compete and our depth up front.
Heinen, Kapanen, Blueger, McGinn, Carter and Zucker are all on track for 15-25 goal seasons…not too shabby. And Guentzel and Rodrigues are on pace for 30.
All that’s missing is the star-level production (or a reasonable facsimile) that, hopefully, Sid and Geno will provide once they get healthy and get their games in sync.
I won’t argue that we’re a little thin on defense. Aside from Letang and Pettersson, who to my eye has been really strong and assertive, nobody’s really shining back there. Dumoulin is struggling more than I’ve ever seen and Marino looks surprisingly shaky in our end at times. Ruhwedel’s been solid for a fringe top-six guy, but obviously it would be nice to upgrade if we can. I don’t have any issues with Matheson, although I wish his skills would translate to more production.
Anyway, the point of my ramble…I think this group is better than you’re giving them credit for being.
Rick
Hey Rick,
It is not my assessment, I am just looking at the numbers. They have now dropped to 17th in Pnts% after last nights game. Furthermore, if it weren’t for Jarry this team would be in far, far worse shape. If Heinen, Kapanen, Blueger, McGinn, Carter and Zucker were all that good why was it that only Letang scored in the shoot out. Offensively this team is hurting big time. their 5 on 5 numbers are middle of the pack, that is all. Fortunately, when Jarry is in goal, the team is in the top 10 defensively, shutting down opponents with goaltending.
Please note that as of this writing, Heinen, Blueger, McGinn, and Zucker all only have 9 pnts in 22 GP, that is less than a 40 pnt season for each of them.
I am not giving the team anything (credit), I am simply acknowledging the foundering state their ship is in, rather than burying my head in the sand.
The Other Rick
You’re looking at the fact Zucker, Heinen, Blueger, and McGinn only have 9pts when it’s actually a good
thing. Every year people complain that we’re not getting in secondary scoring support. To make a
Basketball comparison – Kansas won the NCAA Tournament with no one in their top eight players
averaging more than 12 or 13pts per game. It’s always better if you get offense from more than a
couple of lines. Granted and I agree with Rick we need Malkin (when he returns) and Crosby to start
taking over. To be honest I’m not that excited about Malkin eventually coming back.
Mike,
While Heinen, Blueger, and McGinn only having 9 points in 23 GP now may not be a horrible thing, since they are suppose to be depth players. Zucker on the other hand is supposed to be a top 6 player on this team. 9 points is not the mark of a top 6. his goal production is well below the league average for 60 minutes. He is a millstone right now for the team. He is producing at the rate of a 3rd liner at best.
The Other Rick
Zucker brings so much more to the table than just points. The guy creates chaos with his tenacious
forechecking and his willingness to take the body in the opponent’s end. I’m not a Sullivan basher
but I do think his system has a lot to do with the type of scoring opportunities we get. Put Zucker on
the block and you’ll see the teams that come calling. That’s usually a true gauge of the player’s
ability/value. One other note – I know right now people want to love E-Rod but I’m not one of those people. Has he scored some points yes but although I prefer guys shoot the puck I think he takes it
to another level. I feel like you have to know when to shoot and when to pass and in my humble opinion I don’t think he has a clue and to be honest, I think he’s on the selfish side of the pendulum.
The Other Rick – please don’t use numbers to gauge a player’s value to his team. I know I’ve said this a thousand times but the numbers lie. You can always tell the players you like and dislike – you wear it on your sleeve. Very much like your dis-taste for Sullivan – even if the team is winning you dig up ways to down play Sullivan’s coaching ability. Again as I pointed out with Zucker fire Sullivan and he won’t be jobless for more than a couple of hours. That pretty much tells the story.
Mike,
I have never said I think Zucker stinks, just like I never thought David Perron stunk. Both are good players who just didn’t work on the Penguins roster. I agree with you that Sullivan’s system does not accent Zucker’s skill set. I agree that if/when the Pens put him on the block he goes UFA there will be teams interested. However, there is a difference between a players individual value and his value to a specific team. If a team’s system doesn’t hinge on a specific players skill set then his value to that team isn’t as valuable as it would be elsewhere.
You may not like it Mike but all sports are about stats and numbers. Wins, Loses, and OT loses are Stats. Goals are also stats. The difference between one team’s Goals and another team’s Goals determine the team that gets the Win. Whether you talk about individual Goals or Team Goals scored while Zucker is on the ice, he is well below the league average 5-on-5. The why’s don’t matter. If Zucker was causing the right kind of Chaos with his skill set it would eventually show up on the score sheet but it doesn’t. Since it doesn’t show up on the score sheet and Sullivan keeps deploying him in a top 6 role, the team now sits with a w-L-OTL record (Pts%) that puts them 22nd in the league, well out of the playoffs.
The best value Zucker may bring to this team is in what he could net in a trade, but only if Hextall trades for a player that fits the Penguins and the style of play that would do well in the Metro Division, playing against Metro opponents.
I liked Perron but he didn’t fit. Once he was out of Pgh he started scoring again. I am glad for Perron. I don’t hate Zucker, I wouldn’t want to keep putting Zucker in a position to fail. I would rather see him on a team in a position where his skill set and style succeeds.