The new-look Penguins took to the ice last night at PPG Paints Arena following a big trade at the deadline. Actually, the new-look Pens looked an awful lot like the old-look Pens. Riding a dominant second period, the black-and-gold struck for three goals in under five minutes to rout visiting Columbus, 5-1.
Although most of the damage was inflicted by the Sidney Crosby line, the other units chipped in as well. After spotting the Blue Jackets the early lead on a power-play tally by Gustav Nyquist, our fourth line pulled us even 2:40 into the second period. Spotting an opening, Chad Ruhwedel drove to the left circle and snapped off a hard shot on goal. Jackets goalie Joonas Korpisalo made the initial stop but couldn’t control the rebound. Brian Boyle nudged the puck to fellow big-and-tall forward Radim Zohorna, who bunted the biscuit into an open net. In the process jump-starting the Pens’ quick-strike offense.
A mere thirty-six seconds later, Marcus Pettersson gained the zone and fed Jake Guentzel a pass below the left circle. Jake slipped the puck to Evan Rodrigues in the slot, but E-Rod was checked and the rubber popped loose to Crosby. Sid cut laterally through the slot, turned and fed Guentzel at the back door to the right of the net. Jake slipped it into a wide-open net for his 30th goal of the season.
The locals widened the gap to 3-1 at 7:28 of the frame, thanks to a terrific individual effort by Bryan Rust. After flagging down a waist-high feed from Evgeni Malkin at the visitors’ blue line, the Rusty Razor skirted rookie Cole Sillinger and defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov, sliced east-west through the crease and beat Korpisalo at the far post to make it 3-1.
By this time the Pens were entering the Jackets’ zone virtually at will. On an almost leisurely rush, Crosby and Mike Matheson played pitch and catch. Sid flicked a return pass toward the net, where it deflected in off Guentzel.
It was pretty much academic after that. Evgeni Malkin interrupted a mild but hardly threatening Blue Jackets’ push midway through the third period with a 5-on-3 marker to put the game on ice.
Chilled to perfection, like that champagne Other Rick enjoyed on Monday night.
Puckpourri
The Pens held the high ground in shot attempts (58-48), shots on goal (37-27), scoring chances (36-24) and high-danger chances (11-8). We outshot the Blue Jackets, 20-7, during the pivotal second period.
Notice to opponents…give us time and space to make plays and we’ll kill you. The Blue Jackets gave us time and space.
Crosby paced the attack with three assists to earn second-star honors. The top star went to Guentzel (two goals). Number-three star Rust had a goal and a helper. Boyle, Matheson, Rodrigues and Ruhwedel each collected an assist. Brian Dumoulin finished a plus-three. Tristan Jarry stopped 26 of 27 shots in yet another air-tight performance.
Quiet of late (no points in his last three games) Kris Letang had a fairly uneventful night. He had a game-high three takeaways…and three giveaways, too.
Sid leads the Pens in scoring with 64 points (22+42). Jake is right behind with 63 (31+32). Shifting Rust to Malkin’s wing seems to be paying dividends.
Newcomer Rickard Rakell flew in on the red-eye and played left wing on a line with Jeff Carter and Kasperi Kapanen. He registered two shots on goal and a hit in 14:08 of ice time. Rakell joins fellow former-Ducks Pettersson (a close friend) and Danton Heinen.
In deference to Rakell, Zohorna switched to No. 63.
With our third win in a row, the Pens (39-16-9, 87 points) grabbed sole possession of second place in the Metro, two points ahead of the Rangers and three behind front-running Carolina. However, there’s no rest for the weary. Our guys shuffle off to Buffalo to take on the improving Sabres tonight.
Are you intentionally misinterpreting now, Phil? All I have to say about that is the lady doth protest too much, methinks.
I said this: “He has a shooting % over the last few years that would rank pretty low on the Penguins, but far above ZAR and Simon lol. That could improve with the better passes he will be receiving. If he kills penalties well, it’s a great trade.”
also said “I’m interested to see how it goes, it looks like a good pick up. The guy can score and most importantly goes to the net. He will take a hit to make a play.”
As far as misinterpreting, you gave Rakell’s two game stats instead of the one game we were talking about and skipped his lifetime stats because you knew they were very low. Your normal pick and choose.
The rest of the stuff you are talking about with Murray and whatever, I don’t have a clue, what your saying. I complained about Murray during the cup runs? I said back then I thought Fleury was the guy. I said I liked Fluery better but for some reason was more comfortable with Murray in net.
I also stated that Murray was horrible after they shrunk his pads because he couldn’t just stand there and play angles anymore. Pretty sure I nailed that on the head. He was responsible for two first round exits by the Penguins. Best trade ever getting rid of him.
How is he doing by the way? I think he would still be the guy if he could have those giant pads.
Phil,
My original comment was “I only saw the first period – I loved it. No Simon, no ZAR, Rakell hitting and skating”, I qualified my statement to what I actually witnessed and Rakell did have a credited hit in the first period and he did something pens don’t do, he went to the blue paint and initiated contact (physicality). You then started comparing Rakell’s physicality to Simon’s; including career stats. Hockey is a game of what are you doing now. You can’t compare what Rakell did in Ana. to what Simon did in Pgh.
PS Rick,
That Champaign Monday Night was perfect!
Hey Rick,
I only saw the first period – I loved it. No Simon, no ZAR, Rakell hitting and skating, and how about the moves that Kappy dazzled us with, too bad Korpisalo was a tiny fraction better. This stretch run is going to be great not having to worry about Simon and ZAR stealing TOI from the kids or other NHL level talent.
Hey TOR,
Don’t know what you were watching, but Rakell only had one hit for the game, the guy doesn’t hit. He hits less than Simon.
I like how Sullivan used Simon this year and had no problem with Simon’s game. I get it, you’re from Pittsburgh, the backup quarterback is always better. I think part of Sullivan’s game plan was to use the 4th line to tire out opponent’s defense. Hextall just changed that.
I’m interested to see how it goes, it looks like a good pick up. The guy can score and most importantly goes to the net. He will take a hit to make a play. When I say he can score, I should say he shoots all the time, sort of a one trick pony if you will. He has a shooting over the last few years that would rank pretty low on the Penguins, but far above ZAR and Simon lol. That could improve with the better passes he will be receiving. If he kills penalties well, it’s a great trade.
Hey Phil,
Yes I am from Pgh, but really, I always like the back-up quarterback? Let’s look no further than the arguments you and I had over me backing the starter Murray when winning 2-Cups and setting a Penguins’ record for consecutive shutout minutes in the playoffs, while you always extolled the virtues of Murray’s understudy.
Oh, wait, I get it, you are just sad that I won’t be doing anymore play-by-play of Simon’s Goals this season. I know, how sad, it was so exciting writing about all (3) of those goals. And ZAR, wow he added almost as many (2). I can always watch Anaheim games and write up a blurb.
I can’t understand why everyone was complaining about the Penguins’ lack of secondary scoring with such luminaries filling opponents nets with 5 goals.
According to Natural Stat trick, after 2 games in Pgh, Rakell is averaging 9.81 hits/60 (i know it is early but these are the numbers as we argue), Simon averaged 6.22
Sorry if my sarcasm is showing and I don’t wish Simon or ZAR ill but this team is infinitely better off without them. I am all for giving every kid a chance, a real chance but I am not for being blind. There are at least 7 kids in WBS that could have filled the roles affectively the same as Simon and ZAR (Affectively equaling the same amount of team wins and loses)
Thanks for the picking and choosing stats. I can always count on that from you. Try Rakell vs Simon for the season, not two games, then try Rakell’s career, he’s towards the bottom of the league.
I don’t care about that. The fact that he isn’t afraid to go into high traffic areas is the key. ZAR used to do it, but he changed after the Tom Wilson incident. Simon never did it.
I think someone was commenting here somewhere about the Pens defense not being physical. That is the Pens big problem.
Sorry Phil, but I didn’t pick and chose the stats, you did. You said Rakell was only credited with 1 hit. In a game the Penguins won 5-1 you chose to limit the discussion not only to hits but credited hits, hits that only occur to the player carrying the puck, not considering contact initiated by going to the net, a la Hornqvist. Hitting a player carrying the puck can only occur when you don’t have the puck and usually only when you are losing and trying to get the puck back looking to score and get back in the game. When protecting a lead, you typically don’t take chances. Furthermore, you don’t compare apples to oranges, to get an honest look, stats have to be normalized to situations (Strengths, Scores, etc), team mates, opponents, coaching strategies. Rakell’s small sample size may not be fair either, but it is a lot less unfair than trying to cross multiple confounding variables.
You can mourn the loss of Simon all you want. This is America. In your grief, you won’t be missing the Champaign I soaked up in my celebration.
As for ZAR, the Wilson hit is a poor excuse for his 2 year slump. in the regular season before the hit, ZAR 8G in 43 GP (Regular season). After the hit, the next 2 season, ZAR had 6 G in 57 GP and 9 G in 45 GP. Unfortunately for him he has now been in a 2 year slump 2 in 53 GP last season and 2 G in 52 GP this season. His 2 year slump has nothing to do with Wilson’s hit. It may simply be complacency, knowing your coach won’t pull you out of the line up, regardless of how little you contribute to the offense.
Yes, there are people here on this site complaining about the Pens defense being a bunch of Monty Python Sir Robins, bravely running away when danger rears its ugly head in the crease but everywhere else in the ‘burgh, coaches, talking heads, and fans were whining about secondary scoring. I never thought the Penguins were the problem with the secondary scoring. I have always blamed Sullivan’s stubbornness of playing his boys Simon and ZAR over kids in the minors and the team’s strategy of trying to drive offense through the defense (remember my ranting about this not being the Capitals of the mid 90s with Hatcher, Iafrate, Cote, and Johansson?). Penguins secondary scoring disappeared when Matheson was injured and only Letang was left to try and drive Offense through the blue line. Dumoulin, Pettersson, Marino, and Ruhwedel not only can’t defend their own net, they can’t drive offense.
Coaching stubbornly refuse to put the puck back on Crosby’s, Malkin’s, Guentzel’s, and Rust’s stick trying to drive the square pegs of the a aforementioned feeble four into the round hole of offense.
Oh, i’m sorry, I thought you implied in your original statement that you watched Rakell “hitting” inferring he hit more than once when he only had one hit for the entire game. I was only limiting my discussion to the game you were commenting on. 100% my fault.
I get it now, the NHL needs to go back credit Pettersson for all of those hits he took 2 years in a row being most hit player in the League. He’s one of the leagues top hitters.
Rackell is not a hitter. Spin it as you like, look his career 4.55 hits per 60. I do realize from Anaheim’s record that they were leading by 4 goals every one of those games so the numbers may be skewed. For the record the powerhouse Simon has 5.12 per 60. I watch him “hitting” every game.
As for ZAR, you can “STAT” that one all you want. Watching the games he went from a guy who threw punishing checks to a guy that threw casual checks. I know it from watching the games, not stats.
PS: I saw the reason for your obsessive hatred of Simon and Sullivan got traded again. At least maybe he won’t keep being a healthy scratch on a last place expansion team.
Are you intentionally misinterpreting now, Phil?
Also, which would you prefer, talking about the fact that Simon and ZAR couldn’t find the back of the GPS or that they are n ot as physical of a presence as Rakell? or do you wish to argue about whether the team is better off without Simon and ZAR?