Penguins Update: Komeback Kids Konquer Rangers in Shootout

It’s getting to be a habit for our Penguins. Score early, then relinquish the lead. Or dispense with the formalities altogether and just fall behind to set up another exhilarating rally.

Krazy. (Okay…enough with the klunky ‘k’ theme. You’d think Kaapo Kakko was writing this summary.)

Such was the case last night during the Pens’ 4-3 shootout victory over the Rangers at the Paint Can (PPG Paints Arena). Bryan Rust staked us to a 1-0 lead on a nifty deflection of a Cody Ceci blast. For the record, Ceci, granted a reprieve from the Siberian gulag otherwise known as Mike Sullivan’s doghouse, made a nice play to skate the puck to center point and find a shooting lane.

The fact that the black and gold actually made the lead stand up all the way to the first intermission was noteworthy. Ah, but you knew it wouldn’t last, didn’t you?

The let-down that let the Rangers back into the game occurred early in the second period. Playing bowling ball to Brian Dumoulin’s ten-pin, Chad Ruhwedel took out his defense partner with a perfect strike, leaving goalie Tristan Jarry…well…defenseless. Displaying more moves than Mae West (thanks Mike Lange), Rangers prodigy Filip Chytil danced in alone and beat Jarry with a filthy forehand-to-backhand maneuver.

It proved to be the tip of the iceberg or onslaught, whichever you prefer. As the Pens unraveled, Adam Fox and the aforementioned Kaako torched Jarry within a 24-second span to hand the Blueshirts a 3-1 lead.

Sensing an impending collapse, Sullivan judiciously called a time out and read his troops the riot act. I swear if you looked closely you could see flames shooting from his mask.

Needless to say, no one looked too happy on the bench. But our boys got the message. They played the rest of the game as if they really cared about the outcome.

The Pens got a gift power-play goal on a sharp angle shot by Jared McCann at 16:56 of the second period to climb back into the contest. I say gift not only because it was McCann’s first tally in over a year, but because Rangers d-man Ryan Lindgren did us a favor by shoving the rubber through goalie Igor Shesterkin’s pads. But, hey, we’ll take it and so will McCann. Sometimes you’ve got to be lucky to be good.

The never-say-die Pens knotted the score midway through the third period on a nice bit of teamwork by the fourth line. After using his warp-drive speed to back off the defense, Kasperi Kapanen stopped on a dime and fed Pierre-Olivier Joseph at the left point. Playing in his first NHL game, Joseph uncorked a blast that thudded off the end boards and onto the waiting stick of Teddy Blueger at the far side of the cage. Number 53 wasted no time in shoveling the puck home to knot the score at 3-all.

Neither team found the net through the remainder of regulation and overtime, setting up the Pens’ second shootout of the young season. Jake Guentzel and Kris Letang beat Shesterkin with backhanders to offset a ridiculous tally by Artemi Panarin (scary skills) and secure the two points for our Pens.

Puckpourri

The home team dominated the Rangers in the faceoff circle, winning 66 percent of the draws. Since being schooled by Philly in the season-opener, the Pens have won 135 of 229 faceoffs…a scorching 59 percent success rate. Sidney Crosby leads the way with an astounding 66.4 percent. No surprise there.

Jarry looked a lot like his old (good) self, stopping 31 of 34 shots for a .912 save percentage. Although he served up a pizza, piping hot, on the third Rangers tally, it’s hard to fault him on the others (abandoned on the first goal, screened on the second). Let’s hope he gets on a roll.

The patched-up ‘d’ held up surprisingly well. Joseph impressed in his first NHL game (an assist, plus-one, three shots and three hits in 13:02 of ice time). Ceci looked fairly solid, too. However, John Marino continues to struggle on the off side, a difficult switch for anyone let alone a second-year pro. At this stage the Pens have precious few options, other than to recall left-handed shot Kevin Czuczman (13 NHL games) and press the journeyman into service at the expense of either Ceci or Ruhwedel. An iffy proposition.

Through five games, the Pens have rallied to tie the score seven times. They’ve held only three regulation leads.

The Rangers were the first team to outshoot us (34-28). Despite being eclipsed, the Pens still hold a sizeable edge over their foes in shots on goal (152-129).

In case you were wondering, ex-Pen Jack Johnson is struggling with the Rangers (a team-worst minus-four and a 45.7 percent Corsi…a team-high 16 hits, too). Hope JJ turns it around. By all accounts a great guy who’s had a rough go the past few years.

Rust scored his first goal of the campaign and unleashed 11 shots on goal. But his linemates?

Sending Out an SOS…

…Evgeni Malkin and Jason Zucker combined for just one shot on goal. Sully, for God, country and our team’s chances of making the playoffs, would you PLEASE split up this toxic pair. I understand that points are precious but I implore you…at least try Guentzel with “Geno” and Zucker with Sid for a couple of games. If it doesn’t work, you can always switch them back.

Opinyinz

I hate to even suggest this. But the Blueger-Kapanen-Colton Sceviour combo is looking awfully good. Do you leave these guys together, at least on a part-time basis as Sullivan is doing? Or do you move Kapanen to the Crosby line? I’d almost be tempted to leave things as is for now…provided Sam Lafferty was given a shot on Sid’s wing in place of Evan Rodrigues.

I don’t dislike Rodrigues…he made a nice pass to set up McCann’s goal and makes things happen with his speed. And I do think he can be useful plugging gaps up and down the lineup, thanks to his versatility and adaptability. But I think Lafferty possesses more of an offensive upside while providing youth and some needed aggression.