Fallback Penguins Lose to Rangers, Slip into Third Place

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.