Oilers Smash Teetering Penguins, 5-1

In the late 1960s and early ‘70s heavyweight champion Joe Frazier was a formidable fighting machine, laying waste to anyone who had the temerity to challenge him. His calling cards…relentless pressure and a sledgehammer left hook.

However, by the time “Smokin’ Joe” defended his title against strapping George Foreman in January 1973, he was in decline. The young challenger did the unthinkable, destroying the previously indestructible Frazier inside of two rounds.

A scribe who covered the fight described Frazier’s once-vaunted left hook as a “dying fish flopping on the shore.” Foreman concurred. “You mean that thing was his left hook?”

Watching the Penguins bow rather meekly to the Oilers last night at PPG Paints Arena, I felt like I was witnessing the last vestige of our once-proud champions being swept away. Kind of like watching Frazier go down six times under Foreman’s thundering punches. Or that dying fish writhing on the shore.

It was painful to watch.

I felt sad. Sad for Sidney Crosby, whose desire for another Cup still burns white-hot. Sad for Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, whose long and glorious black-and-gold careers may be coming to a close sooner than anyone wants to think. Sad for the players. Sad for the fans. Sad for Mario.

The Pens simply can’t hang with the best teams in the league. Going back to March 25, we’re 3-8 against clubs positioned for a playoff berth. Too many nights of playing high-energy hockey in November and December have left our aging team worn and depleted. While other clubs are stepping up the intensity for the postseason, we’re fading out.

It reminds me of the end of the 2014-15 season under Mike Johnston when we barely qualified for the playoffs on the last day. As much as you wanted to hold out hope that we’d make a miraculous turnaround in the postseason, you knew it wasn’t gonna’ happen.

It didn’t. We lost to the Rangers in five games.

Although I do plan to write a playoff preview, I can tell you right now this team will be lucky to win a game, let alone a series. Way (way) too many passengers. Way too little swagger and passion.

I’ll point a finger at coach Mike Sullivan. His insistence on stripping big personalities (and big players) out of the lineup has created a team that far too often resembles a cadre of 9-to-5ers taking the T to work. There’s no one to light a fire or provide a spark when the goin’ gets tough and the puck’s not going in.

Business-like might work in the corporate world. It won’t cut it in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Good coach and better human being that he is, I don’t want Sullivan’s blueprint on this team going forward. It isn’t 2016 anymore. We aren’t going to speed anyone to death.

It’s time for a new voice and a new vision. Perhaps a more balanced style and approach to team building, rather than Sully’s eggs-in-one-basket scheme.

It’s time for a new era.

Puckpourri

Evan Bouchard, Evander Kane, Zach Hyman, Connor McDavid and Zack Kassian (empty net) scored for the Oilers. McDavid tallied four points to earn top-star honors.

Jeff Carter scored the lone Pens goal. Mike Matheson and Kasperi Kapanen assisted.

The Oilers held the high ground in shot attempts (64-59) and shots on goal (42-34). The Pens had an edge in scoring chances (29-23) and high-danger chances (19-15). Our power play continues to shrivel. We were 0-for-4 last night…the Oilers 2-for-4.

Sullivan juggled his forward lines. He bumped slumping Bryan Rust to Crosby’s line and teamed Rickard Rakell with Malkin and Jason Zucker. The latter skated only five shifts before departing with what appeared to be a lower-body issue. Brock McGinn plugged the gap.

While I fully understand the need to get Rusty going, he and Malkin form an effective pair with nine goals for and seven against 5v5. Rakell and Geno do not (three goals for, eight against 5v5).

Only the little-used McGinn-Teddy Blueger–Evan Rodrigues line had more shots on goal than shots allowed 5v5. Sid’s line in particular was heavily under water (five shots for, 11 against 5v5).

Speaking of E-Rod, he seems to epitomize our plight. In his first 33 games he scored 15 goals and 30 points. Since then? A paltry three goals and 12 points in 48.

Casey DeSmith did what he could, stopping 37 of 41 shots.

Despite the loss, the Pens (45-25-11, 101 points) still cling to third place in the Metro, courtesy of the Capitals’ 4-1 loss to the Islanders. We finish the season Friday night at home against the Blue Jackets. The Caps play the Islanders and Rangers away in back-to-back games on Thursday and Friday night.