During the 2015-16 season, the Penguins and Rangers squared off three times in the month of March. The Rangers, who’d gone to the Conference Finals the previous season and the Stanley Cup Final the year before that, had dominated the Pens for quite some time. However, the black and gold, playing coach Mike Sullivan’s newly minted speed game, turned the tables, beating the Blueshirts in all three of those meetings before knocking them out in the first round of the playoffs en route to a Stanley Cup.
If that season represented a shift in the fortunes of the two rivals, this one does, too. Indeed, last night’s 3-2 loss to the Rangers before 18,001 patrons at PPG Paints Arena seems to represent a changing of the guard. The Rangers ascending, while the Pens struggle to stay afloat.
Unlike their previous clash on Friday night, the Pens showed up fully invested and ready to make a statement. However, the visitors once more got the jump, outshooting us, 5-1, through the early going.
The Pens finally broke loose at 14:24 of the frame thanks to some great work by the fourth line. Teddy Blueger lugged the puck over the Rangers’ line and dropped it to Kris Letang, who turned and fed Brian Dumoulin at the left point. With Radim Zohorna and Brian Boyle providing heavy traffic in front (emphasis on heavy), Dumo’s blast deflected off Boyle’s stick and through Igor Shesterkin’s five-hole.
As the Pens nursed a one-goal lead past the midpoint of the game, it appeared we might be in for a repeat of our taut 1-0 victory over the Blueshirts back on February 26. However, at 13:32 the New Yorkers knotted the score on a cycling play around our net. Chris Kreider deflected Dumoulin’s risky backhand clearing attempt onto the stick of Mika Zibanejad, who tipped the puck into Frank Vatrano’s wheelhouse. The speedy winger pulled the trigger and ripped the rubber past Tristan Jarry to knot the score.
With the locals momentarily stunned, the Rangers took full advantage. Employing the center drive to perfection, Andrew Copp drove to the net, taking Dumoulin with him. Rookie Braden Schneider steamed into the vacated slot and hammered a slick feed from Artemi Panarin past Jarry with less than three minutes to play in the period.
Fireworks erupted at the end of the period as Jake Guentzel and Mike Matheson tangled with Ryan Lindgren. Unfortunately, the normally disciplined Pens drew the extra penalty and the Rangers made them pay. Sixty-six seconds into the final frame Adam Fox unleashed a bomb from center point that ricocheted off the end boards to Kreider, who chipped it by Jarry from the side of the net. In the blink of an eye, the Rangers now held an imposing 3-1 lead.
His club having managed just 13 shots on goal through two periods, Sullivan juggled his lines. He shifted Bryan Rust back to the Sidney Crosby line and dropped Evan Rodrigues to the third line, while bumping Kasperi Kapanen to Evgeni Malkin’s flank.
The Pens responded with some sustained pressure. With Copp in the box for tripping Chad Ruhwedel and Guentzel providing a screen in front, Crosby ripped a slap shot past Shesterkin from center point with 9:23 to play.
Pressing for the equalizer, we proceeded to pour it on. With six minutes remaining Malkin forced a turnover behind the Rangers’ cage sent a backhander into the slot. The puck sat uncovered for a long tantalizing moment, but no one arrived to direct it home.
At the opposite end of the ice, Jarry stoned Copp on a breakaway to keep us within a goal. Following an icing call with 2:32 left, Sullivan pulled Jarry for an extra attacker. The Rangers had several tries at our empty net, resulting a veritable rugby scrum in front of our goal with a minute to play, but somehow the puck stayed out.
The Pens made a final push, but Shesterkin stopped Guentzel at the side of the net and Sid on a back-door play in the waning seconds.
A thrilling game. Other than a tendency to overpass the puck in search of the perfect shot…no doubt in deference to Shesterkin…no real issues from this observer with our effort. On this night, the Rangers were just a little better.
Puckpourri
The Rangers held a slight edge in most statistical categories, including shot attempts (58-48), shots on goal (26-24) and scoring chances (28-26). The Pens had an advantage in high-danger chances (13-10) and faceoffs (54 percent). Unfortunately, we had 13 giveaways to the Rangers’ two.
Nine Pens finished above the break-even mark in 5v5 Corsi, including all three members of the fourth line and Malkin and Rickard Rakell. Rakell paced the team with four shots on goal.
With his ninth goal of the season, Boyle continues to be a most pleasant surprise. Thanks to his timely scoring and great work on the PK, to say nothing of his physical play and leadership, he’s making a strong bid for a lineup spot even when everyone’s healthy.
Speaking of, Jason Zucker’s return seems imminent. In other roster shuffles, Kasper Bjorkqvist was sent to the Baby Pens while Anthony Angello was recalled.
Rangers GM Chris Drury is demonstrating why he was so highly regarded. Vatrano (five goals in seven games) and Copp (six points in four) are proving to be great acquisitions. With eight goals in 15 career games against the black and gold, the former has joined Jordan Eberle and Conor Sheary on the list of notable Penguin killers.
Hard to believe Zibanejad was once traded straight-up for Derick Brassard. What a player.
The loss drops the Pens (40-18-10, 90 points) into third place in the Metro, one point behind the leapfrogging Rangers and six in back of pack-leading Carolina. Next up, a trip to Minnesota to take on old friend Marc-Andre Fleury and the rugged Wild.
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Hey Guys,
Sorry I am late too.
All great points you raise. I just want to add one small thing.
Coach talked about this a month ago.
Wild,Avs, Avs, NY Rangers, Washington,Smashville,NY Islanders, NYI (Ouch) , Oilers, Boston, Boston and Columbus..
12 opponents in the final 14 games. Talk about murder's row. Everyone of those teams can beat us or worse knock the crap out of us and our small D corps.It does not matter about who the forward limes are.
What shape will we be in come play off time? There are no easy games to rest our boys,
Just raising a point guys....
Go Pen's
Cheers
Jim
Excellent Point Jim,
There are a lot of good teams there and worse, some teams that have a heavy fore check
We talk about the Pens O when the D could very well be the teams Achilles heel.
Perhaps one of the least talked about good things that has happened to this team all season is that they stayed relatively healthy in Goal and on D. And during that brief stretch Matheson was out, they struggled heavily. Outside of Riikola, I don't really see any help in the system at the moment. If any of those big teams start running our D and they start dropping like the forwards did all season..... I don't even want to think about it.
And what would be worse would be an injury to Jarry, especially since our D doesn't really protect him.
Rick
I'm glad we finally get Zucker back in the lineup. I wasn't aware of this but with him in the lineup prior
to his injury the Pen's were 13-2-1. I'm keeping my fingers crossed and I know it's a long shot but
when McGinn returns I'm hoping it somehow puts E-Rod in the press box. Sully should put McGinn or
Heinen on the left wing with Carter & Kappy. GO PENS
Sorry, I am Late to the party,
E-Rod is a luxury this team doesn't need. Right now he is being used poorly. He doesn't have the skill set to play wing at all or bottom 6 at all. He is best suited for Center. With Crosby, Malkin, and Carter are the 3 best choices for the top 2 lines. He could possibly fill in at 3rd line Center while Carter moves up to 2nd, but so could Blueger, Zohorna, and O'Conner. For 4th line Center, E-Rod hasn't the skills required. Boyle is the best Choice for 4th line Center with some else filling in on the Wing. E-Rod, at this point is stealing a roster spot. He should have been traded when his stock was high, right when Malkin came back. At his best he is a 2nd line Center on a 2nd tier team.
Since the team opted not to trade him, I agree Mike, E-Rod should be first choice for Press Box time; that is if this team really has designs on one last Cup run. However, quite frankly, I don't see Sullivan making that hard decision.
Zucker? We all know I am not a fan. He has a tendency to fade over the course of a season. But this year he has had a lot of time off. Maybe he can come out flying. Zucker-Malkin-Rakell may be worth a look. I would rather see him with Sid and used to provide the Center drive that Rakell and Carter provide the other 2 lines but Sid gets who he wants on his line.
I would think Heinen would be a better 3rd line wing with Carter and Cappy, leaving Blueger to Center McGinn, Boyle, Zohorna, depending on opponents.
Just my 2 cents
Rick & The Other Rick
If nothing else the Pens / Sully have options which is always a good thing. I understand your concerns
with Zucker but as a Coach I know theirs more to a players value than just goals and assist and to be
fair Malkin was flat out stinking up the joint. Also, I might point out that 60% of Malkin's points since he
returned from injury have come on the Power play. He currently has 15pts at even strength and he's
playing way better than prior to his injury. It's hard for me to place blame on his wingers when the Center
makes or breaks a line. The thing I do like about Zucker is he's capable of playing on any line - he creates
chaos for opposing teams / fast and physical. It should be interesting as we gear up for the playoffs.
I do think you can alternate McGinn and Heinen based on the chemistry of our 3rd and 4th lines.
GO PENS
Hey Mike,
Yeah, I'm hoping Zucker can provide a spark and maybe balance out the lines, although I fear Zohorna (plus-12 in 17 games) will be the one to sit out. I've really liked the look of our fourth line with Big Z and Boyle in there.
Mark Madden shares your opinion of Rodrigues. Says he handles the puck like someone trying to kill a snake with a tree branch. Two goals in 36 games...one of them an empty netter...doesn't speak for him playing in the top six. Or maybe at all, according to Madden.
I heard they swapped out Pettersson for Friedman at practice today. I don't dislike Marcus, but I think Friedman's game fits our style better and I love the edge he brings (which, of course, makes Sullivan uncomfortable). However, Marino seems to play best with Pettersson.
It's a bit of a mess back there...especially with Dumoulin looking surprisingly vulnerable these days.
We really don't match up very well against the Rangers. It's like everything we can do, they can do a little better. We just have to hope that reuniting Rust with Sid and Jake...and the Zucker, Malkin, Rakell combo...gives us an edge going forward.
Rick
Rick
I'm not an E-Rod hater but I just think things have naturally come full circle and I was happy to see
him pulled from our 2nd Power Play unit - that was long overdue. i do think we're a stronger team
with Rakell - he can both create scoring opportunities for himself and teammates and I was pleasantly
surprised by his willingness to take the body.
Rick, like you I'm concerned about a playoff matchup with the Rangers - the games that we've had
with them haven't been physical at all and they beat us - I don't see them playing that way come
playoff time. I think the way things stand now I would prefer to play the Caps in the 1st round but I
can't see that happening.
GO PENS