It’s safe to say Saturday afternoon’s tilt against the league-best Avalanche represented a measuring stick of sorts for our Penguins. After all, the Avs had amassed 102 points going into the fray…a full 10 better than the black and gold.
If the 3-2 loss is an accurate reflection of our standing, we aren’t too far off the mark. Indeed, for 40 minutes at least, we skated stride for stride with the Avs if not a step ahead. However, as the old saying goes, the devil is in the details. At critical junctures, our structure and defensive-zone coverage broke down, much as it has throughout the second half of the season. It proved to be the difference.
Still, the Pens gave the Avs a run for their money. We piled up a 17-11 edge in first-period shots on goal and narrowly missed taking the lead when a Rickard Rakell shot whistled wide of the net.
The Avs proceeded to draw first blood at the midway point of the game, courtesy of a glaring giveaway in the offensive zone by Evgeni Malkin. Nathan MacKinnon quickly countered, sailing into the Pens’ end before pulling up and feathering a soft feed to a trailing Andre Burakovsky. The ex-Cap ripped off a shot that Tristan Jarry literally fought off like a boxer, but Mikko Rantanen…perched on the doorstep…batted the rebound over Tristan’s right shoulder for his 35th goal of the campaign.
In a bit of whatever-you-can-do-I-can-do-better, MacKinnon’s friend and neighbor Sidney Crosby evened the score five minutes later. After firing off a shot that was blocked by Cale Makar, Jake Guentzel picked up the loose biscuit and circumnavigated the Avs’ net before feeding Kris Letang at the right point. Tanger’s drive popped off Darcy Kuemper and into the slot. Sid pounced and swept it home.
Having scratched and clawed to even the score, the Pens appeared to let up and it cost them. With Brian Dumoulin trapped up ice, Alex Newhook sped into our end but lost control the puck as he attempted to post up at the top of the right circle. No matter. The unintended bobble wound up serving as a perfect drop pass for onrushing Nicolas Aube-Kubel, who beat Jarry with a blistering drive.
Holding a 2-1 lead, the Avs tightened the screws in the final frame, denying precious time and space while limiting our guys to just eight shots on goal. Still, the Pens knotted the score at 15:07 on a rather innocent looking play. Mike Matheson went coast-to-coast and fired off a harmless-looking shot that bounced off Kuemper. Guentzel scooped up the loose biscuit and alertly fed Matheson, who’d circled behind the cage and reemerged at the back door. The mobile defender coolly beat Kuemper from a sharp angle below the circle to knot the score.
At this stage, I had high hopes that we’d earn at least a point. Hopes that were dashed almost instantaneously. Once again we appeared to take our foot off the gas pedal, and again the Avs instantly made us pay. Following the ensuing faceoff, the bad guys rambled into our end on a 3-on-2. Burakovsky hammered off a hard shot that sailed past the net but struck the end boards at just the right angle and velocity. The puck caromed right on to the waiting stick of Devon Toews to the left of the net. Jarry didn’t have a prayer.
Handed a gift power play moments later on a holding penalty to Darren Helm, we failed to muster a single shot on goal during the man advantage before fading rather quietly into the afternoon. Which pretty much summed up the game for our boys.
Close, but no cigar.
Puckpourri
Although we faded down the stretch, the Pens held the high ground in most statistical categories: shot attempts (64-53), shots on goal (40-38), scoring chances (32-26) and high-danger chances (13-12).
With Jason Zucker out again (still no official word on his condition) coach Mike Sullivan juggled the lines. He kept the Guentzel-Crosby-Bryan Rust unit intact and elevated Jeff Carter to right wing alongside Makin and Rakell. Teddy Blueger centered the third line for Evan Rodrigues and Kasperi Kapanen. Brian Boyle moved to the middle between Danton Heinen and Anthony Angello.
A bit of a surprise that Sullivan dressed Angello over Radim Zohorna. The Manlius, New York native registered four hits in 6:34 of ice time. Mark Friedman once again played in place of Marcus Pettersson.
From a possession standpoint, the new lines worked well…with the glaring exception of the Malkin line (Corsi 25.93). Geno (no points, two giveaways, minus-two, 29 percent on faceoffs) had a particularly rough afternoon. As he is wont to do at times, Sullivan kept the fourth line pretty much shackled to the bench.
Guentzel paced the attack with two points. Rust had a game-high seven shots on goal. Matheson tied career highs in goals (10) and points (27), set back in 2017-18 as a member of the Panthers.
Since a three-game pointless jag in early January, Crosby’s tallied points in all but five of last 34 games. He has 21 goals and 47 points during that span. Talk about leading from in front!
Old friend Jack Johnson is alive and well and enjoying a bit of a redemptive season for the Avs. He logged 22:30 of ice time yesterday.
The Pens (41-19-10, 92 points) remain in third place in the Metro, a point behind the Rangers and eight up on Washington. Next up…a return match with the Avs and a chance for revenge on Tuesday night in the ‘Burgh.
Hey Jim,
The thing I worry most about this team is the fans and Organization have deluded themselves and have already hurt the future with no real shot at a Cup. When our Pens lose games they love to point to who was missing from the line up but ignore the players missing from other teams line ups. They love to console themselves after a loss when the Referee makes a bad call with how horrible the call was but blame the losses on Referees.
Lots of things are possible. And yes, there is a possibility that this team could get passed the 1st round, but it is not probable. It is still mathematically possible for NYI to make the playoffs, but that is not probable either.
Well said Coach.
Fans have no idea how long it will take to rebuild a Cup contender with no elite young players to pick from. You just can not trade for these types of elite young players with out real assets going the other way. This did not have to be this way.
I still think there defense is suspect. To me letang still gives the puck away to much and dumlolin is to slow.
Dumoulin isn’t fast but he isn’t slow. He’s actually a pretty smooth skater and has longish strides and a decent reach, and he doesn’t get beat wide too often,so… Letang gambles and loses sometimes but is still elite. Other elite defensemen also occasionally give the puck away, it happens. Any way, 8-58 are the least of our problems. If they can get a couple of games off this month, I think we will then see them at their best.
It was a very entertaining game to watch Rick. 5 on 5 hockey for 58 minutes. That has to be a first for us .
We need the power play to have several chances per game to help us win. The PP is our strength.
With their team leading point getter, Nazem Kadri,Captain Gabe Landeskog and 3 of their Dmen sidelined, I really thought we would win this one.
Great to see Sid and Nate play against each other because they both are so competitive. What local Pen’s fans do not know is Nate is Sidney’s prodigy.There is almost 8 years between them and when Crosby was 20 running his local Hockey School for his Cole Harbor Community, that he does each year, 12 year old Nate Mackinnon was one of his star pupils. When asked who was his favorite Hockey player growing up Mackinnion answered Sidney Crosby !! Their more than just good friends Rick. The student has finally become the teacher and Crosby is very happy for MacKinnon. Case in point, had the NHL went to the Olympics this year, Nate would have played on the first line for Canada with Mac David and Crosby would have centered the third line the Coaches said.
Having said all this, Crosby played a heck of a game last night.
You mention Jack Johnson, who with the Av’s has had a resurgence this year. His 230 plus pounds frame helps in physical games and when injuries strike. He is their # 7th or 8 th Dman depth wise.
Get this Rick. His cap hit is the league minimum at 750k per season. He has to be one of the best bargain in the league.
It would be like getting Letang for only 2 million a year! GM Joe Sakic played against him as a player and signed him to a walk on player contract at Training Camp and he made their Roster. Good to see this happen.
Tuesday should be another really fast, close game because Kadri and Landeskog will both be out of their line up and Crosby will want to even the score.
Great post my friend.
Cheers
Jim
Sorry, DOn’t know why I put Rantanen in as missing. but it still doesn’t change what I said much.
I would like to see Kapanen and Rakell with Malkin. Despite Kappy head casing at times, this is the best spot for him as both he and Rakell can adjust to Malkin’s curls inside the zone in order to receive the puck since both can also stop on a dime and accelerate to open space and also give him back the puck. I really liked also how Rakell and Kap were reading and reacting to each other when they were playing with Carter, who had nothing to do with their kismet. I think the idea of having a more North-south type with Malkin-Rakell to balance them out is misguided. The more skill and speed Malkin has on his flanks, the more the D gets backed up and cedes him the above the circles real estate where, once he lays claim to that, good luck defending that line. Will they give up chances? Sure but that was never something to be “managed” – the key is them having the puck more and causing damage offensively. That also really loads up the top two lines. God was it frustrating that Sully saddled Malkin with Carter, who is fine on the third line but just isn’t suited to playing with someone as intuitively creative as Malkin.
Hey Rick,
Sorry, game 70 was, by no means, a measuring stick for our Penguins. Missing from Colorado’s line-up was Kadri (26 G, 57 A, 83 Pts, +18), Rantanen (35 G, 47 A, 82 Pts, +32), Landeskog (30 G, 29 A, 59 Pts, +27). That is right Rick. 3 of the Avs top 5 were missing from their line-up. If the Pens only lost 3 – 2 with Crosby, Guentzel, and Rust out of the line-up, Okay, I would agree with you.
Yes, the Black and Pyrite was without Zucker and McGinn but that is a far cry from what Col was missing.
And let me add this, Col was also missing Girard and Murray. Okay Murray isn’t a horrible loss but Girard averages 21:44 in TOI.
Now Let’s compare, our Penguins were minus 17 G from their line-up, Colorado was missing 96 G from their line-up.
The only thing that our Penguins can say after yesterdays game was that their coach, with his A team couldn’t beat Colorado’s B team.
Call me a pessimist if you will, many here have fixed that assignation to me for several years now, even when I have been right. I can’t help but always look for the reasons why – in this case “why was the score close?” with the most probable answer by a near infinite margin, the missing 96 G from Colorado’s line-up.
Jim called it yesterday and the day before. He pointed out the serendipity of the teams schedule, getting to play a decimated Avs line-up but in less than 24 hrs the truth of his words evaporated.
Even if the Pens had won, the W would not have been a predictor of future playoff success.
Hey Coach,
Great analysis as usual. We are on the same page my friend. Now the weekend is over and we can see the last 3 days that things are happening around the league.Hopes are fading fast for many teams.
The Panthers have clinched a play off spot.Toronto is winning a few key games,Boston as well. Never count out the 2 time defending Stanley Cup Champions.. Those 4 teams will make up the Atlantic contenders and who ever emerges will be a tough opponent in the semi finals.
In the Metro we have the Canes,Rangers ,Pens and the lowly Capitals. The Islanders are to far back but they will be a spoilers for sure.I think they are 7-3 and have beaten some good teams on the way recently. We play them twice in the next 12 games. Ouch.!! That said Coach we are not good enough to finish first in our Division so we will NOT get to face the Capitals in the first Round. Meaning it will be the Rangers or the Hurricanes as our first round opponent.
We do not match up well with either of those teams. You get the picture..
BTW, MAF stole the game for Minnesota as the Cannes out shot the Wild by a 2 to 1 margin.The Wild could be the sleeper team to watch,but my money is still on a healthy Colorado to carry the day in the West.
Last week the Calgary Flames Coach Darryl Sutter said at a press conference ” The wild card team that has to play Colorado in the first round is just a waste of 8 days of time….Nobody can beat them”. That says a lot.
Speaking of the Avs, an interesting fact Coach. Their 6th, 7th and 8th d men are Erik Johnson,Ryan Murray and Jack Johnson. EJ was drafted first over all in 2006, Ryan Murray was drafted 2nd overall in 2012 and JJ was drafted 3rd over all in 2005. Not to shabby Coach.
Plus Cale MaKar,2017 and Bowen Byram, 2019 were the first d men drafted in their year as well taken both at 4th.
5 number 1 rated d men on one team. That may be a first for the NHL.
Add Devon Toews,( 10th over all in points, 5 th in goals in 2022), 24 year old Sam Girard, a top 40 rated D man and newly acquired, highly regarded 6’3″Josh Manson from the Ducks.
Their 9th D man is former LA player,Kurtis Mac Dermid and he stands 6’6″,weighs 240# and plays with a mean streak when needed.He can also play forward on the 4th line.Every team needs one just in case the need arises.
All this just to say the Avs have a really good and deep D Corps.
When healthy their D corps can beat you and that was what the Coach of the Calgary Flames was referring to.
As you pointed out, with Kadri and Landeskog out ,Colorado is a much different team. They are the Avs 2 best forwards this year and both play a physical, edgy game when needed. Something Nate MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen don’t do. So they are sorely missed..
Apologize for the long rant Coach…I agree with you.The road ahead for our Pen’s is not an easy one and this summer MAJOR changes will be made!! Lots of speculation going around in Montreal. Still !
More concerning is if this Ukraine situation is not over with soon it could affect ALL RUSSIAN players in the NHL in the near future.
Hope you have a great day….
Jim