Hey all. Other activities are keeping me detained, so I don’t have time to write a full-blown game summary. But I wanted to put up a quick blurb about the Penguins stirring 5-3 come-from-behind victory over Vegas last night.
The highlights:
- Vegas jumped to a 3-0 first period lead, courtesy of goals from Chandler Stephenson, Evgenii Dadonov and Nicolas Roy, the last on a power-play with 30 seconds to go in the period.
- The Pens stormed back in the second, firing off the first 13 shots of the period and closing the gap to 3-2 on goals by Jason Zucker and Teddy Blueger just 49 seconds apart.
- Our guys snatched a 4-3 lead early in the third, thanks to tallies by Zucker (0:28) and Jake Guentzel (2:12), again of the quick-strike variety. It was Jake’s 20th goal of the season.
- Sidney Crosby closed out the scoring with an empty-netter at 18:52.
- The Pens outshot the Golden Knights 37-26 (18-6 in the second period) and outhit them, 32-26.
- Tristan Jarry made 23 saves on 26 shots (.885 save percentage).
- Kasperi Kapanen and Jeff Carter finished with two assists apiece, Brian Boyle, Kris Letang, Evgeni Malkin and Mike Matheson one each.
- Zucker and Bryan Rust returned to the lineup following lengthy absences.
- The Pens finished their six-game road trip with a 4-2 record. With the victory, we’ve moved into a third-place tie in the Metro with the Capitals. Both teams have 51 points.
- Next up…Ottawa at home on Thursday night.
That’s all for now, folks.
Hey all,
I’ve mentioned that I’d like to see the Pens add a right side defenseman before the deadline. An under-the-radar guy who popped into my head is Colin Miller of Buffalo. He’s 29 years old, right-handed shot, goes 6-1, 199. Not huge, but not a midget either. Will use the body (a career high of 165 hits in 2017-18) and, if need be, drop the gloves to defend a teammate. He’s flashed some offense in the past (10 goals, 41 points) with Vegas, again in ’17-18. Great possession numbers early in his career. He’s been languishing in Buffalo the past three seasons, so his numbers have taken a hit. But he’s always impressed me as a pretty solid player.
He’s currently in the final season of a 4-year deal that pays him $3.875 million, so there’s no long-term cap commitment. Maybe the Sabres could be induced to eat part of his $$$. Anyway…he just feels like a guy the Pens would go after and who might be a good fit.
Rick
PS–Forgot to mention. Miller was originally a fifth-round pick of the Kings back in 2012. Who was L.A.’s assistant GM at the time? Ron Hextall.
Rick
Hey Rick,
If I was drinking the Kool-Aid, your suggestion of Colin Miller does look intriguing. If I thought the Pens had any realistic chance of getting different results with the same formula that has wrought them 3 straight 1st round losses, I would join you in banging that drum. Miller would definitely be a lights out better option than Ruhwedel, who is now showing the signs that most reasonable people said they worried about at the beginning of the season. Ruhwedel is a decent 7th or 8th. Expecting him to play 70 or more games will expose why he is as old as he is without ever playing that many games before.
I will be vocally opposite to any trade that sends any Penguin (other than Simon) for anything other than young prospects or draft choices. The Window was closed by the closed mindedness, unwillingness to adapt, of the Coach.
Having said that, I wouldn’t be opposed to looking at him off season as UFA replacement for some deadwood that I would like to see moved out. at least as a transition for some young kids to come up.
Again in the end, I want our Pens to be selers rather than buyers this year. I do believe with the right draft picks, better coaching (willingness to change, no favoritism, no allergy to big players – size or style) and the right free agents the team will have a better probability of getting Crosby (and maybe Malkin too) than they could ever have this year. I don’t want to be having this same conversation, the same conversation we have been having for 3 years already, once again this coming summer.
Hey Rick,
I hope all went well with your “Other Activities”. Can’t wait to see it. Just giving a teaser for our loyal readers, you can tell them to what I am referring.
The game was too late for me to watch, so I can’t comment on anything other than the highlights. Jarry’s stats took a hit, but I only blame him on the opening G. It went 5 hole. However, Simon really dogged it on the play. Granted he started from behind the net, but there was not hustle in him coming back. He looks like he was in cruise mode thru Center Ice, gliding rather than churning his legs. Wonder how the “Friends of Simon Society” will try to defend that, if they even noticed it.
The 2nd Knights G was a bit-o luck. Dadinov, trips up Kapanen in the FO circle and he takes out Dumo. Dandinov gets a double trip and a tip. Of course your “stellar” defenseman, having the best season of his career, Kris Letang was wandering around in the opposite FO circle instead of covering the net, totally oblivious to the fact that his defensive partner had wandered all the way to the point. Malkin was covering the net and tried to mark Dandinov but he is a Forward trying to do a Defenseman’s job. He was behind him but he (Malkin) had his stick between Dandinov’s legs rather than hitting the Knight or tying up his stick.
The 3rd Knight G was completely on a lack of “D”. Neither Ruhwedel nor Marino (2 -RHD on the ice together – absolutely stupid coaching) were on the right side of the puck.
On the Pens side, Zucker did earn his PPG. There was no real talent used there, just good old fashion grit. He just kept banging away Patric Hornqvist style until it went in.
Blueger’s G was pretty in that Matheson made Coffeyesque stretch pass tap-to-tap it Boyle who tried splitting the Knights defenders like Mario used to do. He did get about 1/2 of a step, but couldn’t get the authority Mario would have had on his back hand. It skipped of the Goalies glove and Blueger rammed home the rebound.
Zuckers’ 2nd G was really due to Malkin, Kapanen, and then Luck. Give Malkin props, he won a speed draw stick-to-stick to Kapanen who ripped a shot toward the net. Zucker had his back to the play, being held up by a Knight defender in the FO circle, keeping him from crashing the net. Kappy’s shot hit Zucker’s stick and deflected into the net.
Guentzel notched the GWG with hard work and a little earned luck. Guentzel dug the puck free from a scramble, swung behind the net and tried a wrap around. The attempt was going to go wide but Lehner kicked the puck into his own net.
Not sure what disconnect occurred in Sullivan’s synapse causing him to not only break up Zohorna-Malkin-Carter, but to sit Zohorna instead of Simon. Zohorna-Malkin-Carter was unbelievably dominant getting 7 Shot Attempts in only 6:13 TOI while Zucker-Malkin-Kapanen only had 6 shot attempts in 11:49 of TOI; less shot attempts in almost twice as much TOI. And if not for a great FO win by Geno. Kappy’s hard shot, and luck, that line would have been absolutely quite all night.
As for Simon, he shouldn’t even be in the AHL let alone the NHL. That game was a whole lot tougher than it had to be.