Penguins Can’t Hold Back Avalanche

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.