Sid-sational Penguins Best Blue Jackets

Maybe Sidney Crosby should get sick more often. After missing practice the previous day with a malady, the Penguins’ captain notched a pair of second-period goals, including the game-winner, to lead the troops to a 4-1 victory over Columbus last night at PPG Paints Arena.

The game didn’t start so well for our boys. Exactly one minute into the contest Johnny Gaudreau raced through open space and beat Tristan Jarry with a perfectly placed shot to the glove side, in the process setting a rather ominous tone. Fueled by young legs, the Blue Jackets proceeded to pile up a 29-12 advantage in shot attempts. Fortunately, only 10 got through to Jarry.

To borrow from the baseball classic, “Field of Dreams,” if you go to the net you will score. The Pens embraced that philosophy to perfection in the second period. Following up on a Brian Dumoulin drive from center point 75 seconds in, Bryan Rust barreled to the net and hooked the puck (best way I can describe it) between the pads of a sprawling Elvis Merzlikins as he fell to the ice. A typical Rusty Ugly Betty goal.

Less than a minute later No. 87 got into the act, again by going to the net. After jumping to avoid a Jake Guentzel knuckler from the high slot, Sid somehow had the skill and wherewithal to get his stick blade on a hopping puck and elevate it over Merzlikins’ right pad, all the while being knocked to the ice by Jackets defenseman Andrew Peake. In my mind, a sequence that perfectly encapsulates who Sid is as a player. “The most skilled grinder in the league” as former teammate Colby Armstrong once described him.

At the opposite end of the ice, Jarry made big stops on Patrik Laine and Sean Kuraly from the slot to keep it a 2-1 game.

Enter Sid again. Working behind the net on a mid-period power play, he showed extraordinary hand-eye coordination to bat a fluttering puck out of midair and send it to Evgeni Malkin along the right half wall. Geno delivered a dart of a pass to Guentzel, who pulled the trigger from the top of the left circle. Sid and puck arrived to the right of Merzlikins at the same time. Not sure how it went in, but it did.

Three-one Pens.

We had a chance to pad our lead at 14:13 when Teddy Blueger was awarded a penalty shot, but he was denied by countryman and pal Merzlikins. However, Bluegs would have the last laugh in the waning minutes of the third period. With Merzlikins scrambling to get back into the play following an aborted attempt to exit the ice, Teddy tickled the twine to put the finishing touches on a 4-1 victory. Sending the 15,867 souls in attendance home happy and content.

Puckpourri

Columbus dictated play for most of the evening, enjoying an edge in shot attempts (76-59), shots on goal (39-34) and high-danger chances (16-15). The Pens blocked 25 shots.

Jarry’s in a groove. Flashing his All-Star form, he stopped 38 of 39 shots, including a dandy on a between-the-legs-job by Laine from point-blank range. Over his past seven starts Tristan’s posted a .954 save percentage while yielding only 11 goals. I’ll take partial credit…a while back I opined that Jarry was good but not great and that he lacked focus. Of course he’s been locked in ever since.

Like Sid, Malkin shook off an illness to play. Although he wasn’t awarded an assist, No. 71 was parked practically atop Merzlikins on Rust’s goal. Following an adjustment period, Geno’s line is meshing. They were far and away our most effective line possession-wise (Corsi 64.71). Love the straight-line, buzz-saw element that Jason Zucker and Rust provide.

Speaking of Rusty, nice to see him emerging from a season-long slump. Hope he stays hot.

At age 35, Crosby is almost quietly enjoying a remarkable season. He’s presently tied for fifth in the league in scoring with…appropriately enough…35 points. Quite an achievement, considering all the talented young guns out there.

Ryan Poehling sat out with an upper-body injury. Danton Heinen subbed and saw 9:18 of ice time.

On Tap

The Pens (14-8-4, 32 points) have a home-and-home with Buffalo (11-13-1, 23 points) this Friday and Saturday. Despite their struggles, the Sabres are fast, talented and explosive. Should be a good test for our ‘Guins.