The Beat Goes On: Capitals Pound Passionless Penguins 6-1

The Penguins didn’t seem to expend a whole lot of energy during last night’s embarrassing 6-1 loss to the Capitals, so I won’t waste a whole lot of keyboard describing the fiasco. Except to say that in a big game against arguably our most bitter rival, we came out flat as the proverbial pancake and pretty much stayed unleavened throughout the night. I think I displayed more passion yelling invectives at the TV screen than our boys did on the ice, but I digress.

If you can’t get your dander up for a clash with a blood rival, there isn’t much to say…

We did manage to stay within striking distance for the first 36 minutes and change, trailing by only a goal. However, after Daniel Sprong scored a back-door tally following a defensive breakdown to make it 3-1, we pretty much collapsed like a straw hut in a hurricane. Just a guess, but the kid from Amsterdam must feel pretty good about himself after that goal. Kind of sending a “take that” message to coach Mike Sullivan, who had little use for the nascent sniper when he was here.

Speaking of sending messages, Conor Sheary struck for the fourth Caps’ goal to really put the game out of reach. For the record, his seventh career goal in a dozen games against his ex-mates. He must find our pudding soft team defense to his liking.

About the only excuses I can muster on behalf of our guys? We played the night before. And we had four players returning to the lineup, Sidney Crosby, Brian Dumoulin, Marcus Pettersson and Chad Ruhwedel…practically a quarter of the team. Predictably, the Pens played like strangers for most of the night.

A major bone to pick with Sullivan regarding personnel moves. In his first game back from Covid, he opted to break up the Evan Rodrigues–Jason Zucker–Kasperi Kapanen trio that was burning up the ice. I mean, that line had some CHEMISTRY. Instead of leaving it be, he stashed E-Rod…the team’s top scorer…on the fourth line. In the process elevating Zach Aston-Reese to the third line alongside Teddy Blueger and Brock McGinn. A unit that basically pooped the bed (31.58 Corsi).

Sully’s stubborn insistence on certain combinations is part of what’s ailing the Pens. Gritty though he may be, ZAR has done nothing offensively to merit a promotion and is showing few signs of breaking out. Instead, sit his butt and give some real ice time to Drew O’Connor.

Oh, that’s right. The kid’s 1) large and 2) a rookie. Silly me. That’ll never fly in Sullivan’s scheme.

On the defensive side of the ledger, John Marino is the hands-down winner of the “Hit ‘Em With Your Purse, Stackhouse” award. (No aspersions to Ron Stackhouse, who actually was far from wimpy.) The benign blueliner must be afraid of contracting Covid because he appears to be practicing social distancing on the ice. For goodness sake, hit someone once in a while. Or at least get close enough to breathe on them.

Okay, I’m done venting.

Puckpourri

The Capitals outshot the Pens, 32-25, and outhit us, 27-18. Our power play (0-for-2) continues to stink…er…sink like a stone. For good measure, we yielded a game-opening shorty to Caps grinder Garnet Hathaway.

Jake Guentzel scored the lone black-and-gold goal, with assists from Kris Letang and Mike Matheson.

Lest we think we’re the only team dealing with significant injuries, the Caps are playing without Nicklas Backstrom, Anthony Mantha and T.J. Oshie.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t note that Crosby was virtually invisible upon his return. While our captain certainly deserves the benefit of the doubt…and a little patience while he gets his game back together…Sid was a minus-one with one shot on goal.

Slotted between Kapanen and Zucker on a recast second line, Jeff Carter was a minus-three. Six Pens finished a minus-two, including Dumoulin. Is it just me, or does “Dumo” appear to have seriously regressed? He’s minus-six on the season, second-worst next to Marino’s minus-seven, with a woeful Corsi of 44.5.

O’Connor was farmed out to the Baby Pens prior to the contest along with defensemen Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Juuso Riikola.

Despite the back-to-back embarrassments over the weekend, the Pens (5-5-4, 14 points) remain tied for sixth place in the Metro with Columbus. Next up, Buffalo on Tuesday night.