Leafs Rake Stumbling Penguins 5-2

There’s a time-honored adage in sports. Good teams find a way to win and bad teams find a way to lose. It applies to teams in all sports. And it especially applies to our Penguins.

Right now, the Pens are finding ways to lose. The culprits might be different on any given night, but the story remains the same. During last night’s disappointing 5-2 home loss to Toronto, it was an inability to play for a full 60 minutes or even a full 20. Coupled with a first power-play unit that couldn’t score if you took all the opposing players, including the goalie, off the ice.

Add in watery (make that atrocious) team defense and you have the recipe for another flat-line loss. In the process, taking a giant eraser to the positives on display during the recent road trip.

Following a fairly even start to the proceedings, the ice began to tilt in favor of the visitors midway through the first period. At 12:04 the Maple Leafs grabbed the lead on a snipe from the high slot by a wide open (and I mean wide open) John Tavares. The way the Pens avoided him, you would’ve thought he had the bubonic plague.

Three minutes later the Leafs made it 2-0 as an equally unfettered Mitch Marner had Casey DeSmith at his mercy at the lip of the crease. A huge assist again to our indifferent defense.

The second period brought more misery. Following the opening draw, Sidney Crosby and his linemates mostly stood around and watched as Auston Matthews and Michael Bunting set sail on a 2-on-1. DeSmith had no chance.

The more I watch replays of this goal the angrier I get. Talk about an appalling no-show effort from our supposed best players.

Shameful.

Thank God for the Evgeni Malkin line, who played like they actually gave a darn. On the ensuing shift, Geno found Jason Zucker with a crisp pass high in the offensive zone. Jason cut loose a bullet that deflected off Rickard Rakell and past Matt Murray’s suspect glove hand. Then Crosby picked off an errant outlet pass and beat Murray with a blocker side backhander at 2:38 to make it 3-2.

Finally skating with purpose, the Pens carried the play for most of the period. As he had done so often during our Cup runs, Murray stiffened, thwarting excellent scoring chances by Sid, Kris Letang and Brock McGinn.

Then came the final minute of the period. As I watched the Matthews line hem in Crosby and Co. I thought, uh oh, they’re going to score. Sure enough, with our d-zone coverage folding like a cheap suit, Bunting struck from the blue paint.

If only the period had ended at the 19-minute mark. Or Sid’s line had been glued to the bench. Which, based on merit, is where it belonged.

The Pens gave it the old college try in the third period, but Murray continued to flash his Cup-winning form. The best save of all may have come from Leafs defender Morgan Rielly, who blocked a dangerous shot from the slot by Geno at 17:29.

Eight seconds later William Nylander potted an empty netter, running the score to 5-2 and mercifully bringing an end to the proceedings.

Puckpourri

In typical black-and-gold fashion, the Pens dominated everywhere but on the scoreboard. We held an edge in shots on goal (37-33), shot attempts (76-59), faceoffs (55 percent) and hits (50-25).

Metrics mavens will point to the advanced stats as evidence that our process is sound. But the only numbers that really matter are the ones on the scoreboard.

While we’re talkin’ digits? How about the collective minus-13 posted by the Crosby line, with Jake Guentzel bringing up the rear at minus-five? Bryan Rust, in particular, seems lost. Zero points in his last six and three in his last 13. A totally uncharacteristic minus-nine on the season.

As much as I’d hate to mess with the Malkin line…our one saving grace…perhaps flip-flopping Rust and Rakell is in order. Or maybe something more drastic, like elevating Jeff Carter to Sid’s right flank and dropping Rusty to the third line.

Speaking of Carter, in a rare display of aggression the big guy went after Alexander Kerfoot in the closing moments in retaliation for a hit from behind along the boards.

Bi-polar performance of the night. Letang had six shots on goal, myriad shot attempts…and finished a minus-four.

DeSmith made 28 saves. I absolve him of blame…defensive support on all four of his goals against was virtually non-existent.

Teddy Blueger returned after missing the first 15 games of the season. He centered a generally effective fourth line for Ryan Poehling and Josh Archibald (Corsi of 60).

A final thought. Imposing on paper, the sum of our parts isn’t adding up to a team. At least not a very good one.

On Tap

The Pens (6-7-3) hit the road to take on Minnesota (Thursday), Winnipeg (Saturday) and Chicago (Sunday).