Penguins Fall to Rangers in Cookie-Cutter 5-3 Loss

In many ways, last night’s 5-3 loss to the Rangers in Game 6 at PPG Paints Arena was a case of déjà vu all over again.

For the second game in a row, the Penguins jumped to a 2-0 lead and appeared to be in complete command. And for the second straight game, an incident occurred to hijack the momentum in favor of New York. Irretrievably so.

That’s where the similarities end.

The Game 5 downturn was for the most part unavoidable. When Rangers d-man Jacob Trouba drove our captain and leading scorer Sidney Crosby from the game with a second-period elbow strike, we couldn’t shuffle our line combinations fast enough to recover.

But last night’s game changer? Completely avoidable and self-inflicted.

Five minutes into the second period, Rangers d-man Ryan Lindgren ran Evan Rodrigues face first into the side wall in the New York zone. A questionable hit no doubt, although E-Rod put himself into a vulnerable spot by turning into the boards.

Angered, the Pens’ forward popped to his skates, made a bee-line for his antagonist and delivered a retaliatory cross check up high. Up went the referee’s arm, accompanied by a fateful tweet of the whistle.

To digress, hockey’s an emotional sport. Passions run high and so do tempers. I absolutely understand E-Rod’s heat-of-the-moment reaction. During the regular season, I might even applaud it. Someone does you wrong, you want to get even. Stand up for yourself and the team.

Except you can’t. Not in this situation. Not with your team holding a 2-0 lead and the next goal likely to decide the outcome (which it did). And not with Crosby, Tristan Jarry, Brian Dumoulin and Rickard Rakell parked in the press box. Our margin for error is simply too thin.

The Rangers’ lethal power play sprang into action. Five seconds later…five seconds…the previously dormant Mika Zibanejad scored to make it 2-1. Shifting the momentum and awakening a slumbering sniper in one unfortunate swoop. Not to mention a chagrined No. 9 drawing a withering stare from coach Mike Sullivan as he exited the box. If looks could kill, E-Rod would be pushing up daisies.

The results were cataclysmic. Seventy-six seconds later Zibanejad had his second goal of the game, knotting the score at 2-2 and flushing all that wonderful early work by the Pens down the drain. Or more accurately, the commode.

I’m sure no one felt (and feels) worse than Rodrigues…usually a very responsible player. And, truth be told, the Rangers had been gathering momentum since the start of the period. Perhaps a New York pushback was inevitable. But E-Rod’s misguided stab at retribution opened the door and the Rangers stepped through. Check that…came barreling through with guns ablaze.

With the (Adam) Fox (pun intended) already in the hen house, a Mike Matheson indiscretion at 12:57 of the period completely removed the door from its hinges. Although accidental…Matheson lost control of his stick on a follow-through while battling Frank Vatrano near our net…it again handed the Rangers a power play, this one of the four-minute variety.

Kind of like downing a bottle of arsenic with a snake venom chaser.

The result? All-too predictable. A gorgeous stretch pass from Igor Shesterkin caught the Pens swapping out penalty killers and sent Zibanejad and Chris Kreider streaking in on a 2-on-1. Domingue stopped the initial shot, but was helpless on Kreider’s follow-up.

Three-two, Rangers.

Speaking of Domingue, I may be treading on sensitive ground (ice). After all, he’s saved our bacon in a big way by plugging the gaping void created by the injuries to Jarry and Casey DeSmith. I just wish he’d stop a few more pucks. Like on the Rangers’ game winner with 1:28 left to play, when he got a blocker on Kreider’s long-range blast, only to have the rubber pop up and over his head and into the net. A soul-killer, not to mention game stealer.

In particular, Louis seems to have difficulty tracking pucks, especially when the Rangers set up for extended periods in our zone and especially on shots from long range.

We’re asking a lot from our third-string goalie, I know. And for the most part Domingue has performed admirably and even valiantly…just like our Pens.

But in Game 7?

Rusty or not, ready or not, we need Jarry.

The Goals

The Pens’ first goal came at 14:12 of the opening frame, capping a strong shift by Jeff Carter’s line. Following a three-shot volley, Kasperi Kapanen dumped a backhander on net from a sharp angle. Shesterkin made the save, but the puck popped off his pads to his nemesis, Carter, who outmuscled Trouba around the net and shoveled the puck home.

Ninety-six seconds later Jake Guentzel curled out of the right corner on a cycle and dished a pretty cross-ice feed to Bryan Rust low in the left circle. Rusty beat the spread-eagled Shesterkin at the near post.

Last but certainly not least? Evgeni Malkin broke up an attempted d-to-d pass by Trouba at the Pens’ blue line and set sail. The big Russian chased down the skittering puck at the Rangers’ line and beat Shesterkin stick side with a well-placed bullet. Great hustle and effort by Geno, not to mention timing on his shot, to knot the score at 3-all.

Rust nearly scored a goal-ahead goal six minutes into the third period on a 2-on-1, but his shot struck iron.

No need to rehash the Rangers’ tallies.

Puckpourri

According to Natural Stat Trick, the Pens held an edge in shot attempts (63-61), faceoffs (58 percent) and, surprisingly, hits (26-21). The Rangers had the advantage in shots on goal (38-34) and scoring chances (29-25). High-danger chances were even at a dozen apiece.

New York dominated special teams play, going 2-for-3 on the power play. The Pens continued to sputter with the man advantage (0-for-3). Way too much passing while trying to set up the elusive perfect shot. And we’re attacking wide again, instead of down the middle. Will we ever learn?

For the series the Rangers’ power play is clicking at 33.3 percent success rate (5-for-15), in effect making mincemeat of our vaunted PK. The Pens are 4-for-18, with two of those goals coming from the second unit.

Malkin had a strong game while centering for Guentzel and Rust, firing off a game-high seven shots on goal. His line registered a Corsi of 62.86. The Rodrigues-Danton Heinen-Kapanen unit likewise excelled possession-wise (Corsi 77.87). However, the Carter-Jason Zucker–Brock McGinn trio struggled (29.41).

Brian Boyle flattened Trouba early on with a booming hit behind the Rangers’ net, but paid a dear price. The big guy appeared to turn his right knee or ankle after his skate lodged against the boards and had to depart, leaving the Pens with only 11 forwards.

Zucker put a big hit on Trouba as well. Speaking of Zucks, I thought he was an inspirational force, skating with abandon and sticking his nose in to the tune of a game-high five hits. If only he could score once in a while.

The series resumes tomorrow night at Madison Square Garden in a winner-take-all Game 7.

Around the League

The Panthers eliminated the Caps. The Stars have forced a deciding Game 7 with the Flames. And Boston-Carolina, Toronto-Tampa Bay and Edmonton-Los Angeles square off today in Game 7s.