Rangers Blank Skidding Penguins, 3-0

In my last article, I opined that, barring a total collapse, the Penguins are a playoff team. Well, don’t look now, but that worst-case scenario may be playing out before our very eyes.

Our once-promising season continued to devolve last night at Madison Square Garden. (That 10-game winning streak seems like a lifetime ago, doesn’t it?) With captain and linchpin Sidney Crosby sidelined due to a non-Covid illness, the Pens’ pop-gun attack (28th in the league in finishing) sputtered once more en route to a 3-0 loss to the Rangers.

The game pretty much followed our recent pattern. We dominated the fancy stats. But on the scoresheet, where the rubber meets the road, or more appropriately, the ice? Not so much. In an odd sort of way, we’re fast becoming the embodiment of recently traded lightning rod Dominik Simon. Lots of activity with very little to show for it.

SHOOT!

I confess I didn’t see the game but listened to it on the Pens’ radio network. Color analyst and straight-shooter Phil Bourque bemoaned the fact that we were passing up opportunities to get the puck on net in search of the perfect setup. The better, I suppose, to solve the Rangers’ all-world goalie Igor Shesterkin.

That tends to work…never.

Along those lines…

Has Anyone Seen Our Secondary Scoring?

Not that it ever really came all the way back, but our bottom-six scoring has once again dried up quicker than a puddle in the heart of Death Valley. During our recent 1-4 skid only Evan Rodrigues and Brian Boyle have tickled the twine, and E-Rod’s goal was poked in by an opposing defenseman.

Barring our 11-2 shellacking of Detroit, you have to go back to our 5-1 loss to the Rangers on March 25 to see another bottom-sixer (Jeff Carter) listed on the scoresheet.

Top heavy teams don’t go far in the playoffs. Neither do perimeter teams.

Take the Shortest Route to the Puck and Arrive in Ill Humor

In stark contrast to Bobby Clarke’s above stated axiom, our Pens generally try to go around the opposition rather than through them. So often our shots come from the side or a sharp angle, with nary a soul planted in the slot.

Perhaps this is by design. We’re built for speed and not for smash-mouth hockey. But it wouldn’t hurt us to borrow a page from the Flyers’ old book.

Bumpy Road Ahead

Wish I felt more optimistic about our chances. But it’s beginning to feel like 2014-15 (the Mike Johnston season) to me, when we staggered down the homestretch at a 4-9-2 clip.

Unless Jason Zucker returns in a hurry and magically balances out our lines, things could get ugly. In rapid succession, we’ve got the Capitals and Predators on the immediate horizon, followed by home-and-home matchups with the improving Islanders and Bruins.

Look Out Below

Given the dearth of cupcakes on our schedule, I can see us going something like 3-7 over our final 10 games. Unless we right the ship, it isn’t beyond the realm of possibility that we could slip below the Caps and into a wild card spot. Which would mean a potential first-round matchup with the Panthers.

Heaven forbid.

Puckpourri

The Pens held the advantage in most statistical categories: shot attempts (60-46), shots on goal (30-24), scoring chances (33-17) and high-danger chances (14-6).

Frank Vatrano and Artemi Panarin scored in the second period to give the Rangers a 2-0 lead. Dryden Hunt tacked on an empty netter in the final minute of play.

For my money, there wasn’t a thriftier pickup at the trade deadline than Vatrano, plucked from the Panthers for a fourth-round pick. The speedy winger has six goals in a dozen games with the Blueshirts, three against the black and gold.

In addition to Crosby, defenseman John Marino sat out due to illness. Making his NHL debut, Filip Hallander (no points in 5:52 of ice time) “replaced” Sid. Mark Friedman subbed for Marino.

Sans No. 87, Mike Sullivan slotted Evgeni Malkin between Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust. The unit was a collective minus-five with two shots on goal. Skating with Carter and Rickard Rakell, Rodrigues paced the Pens with nine shots on goal. Carter had five and Rakell two.

Teddy Blueger centered for Danton Heinen and Kasperi Kapanen. Hallander and Anthony Angello flanked Boyle on the fourth line, which saw only 3:58 of action 5v5.

I don’t dislike Angello (or Hallander), but I have no idea why Radim Zohorna isn’t playing instead, especially since several of our wingers are versatile and can play either side.

The Pens (41-21-10, 92 points) fell eight points behind the first-place Hurricanes and six behind the second-place Rangers in the Metro. We’re presently up by six on the fourth-place Capitals. Since a 5-1 win over Columbus on March 23, we’ve gone 2-5-1. Since January 25? A pedestrian 14-11-5.