Yesterday was one of those days. After dragging through my workout, I decided to do my Saturday afternoon cardio at the gym rather than outdoors so I could watch the Penguins-Stars game on TV, in effect killing two birds with one stone.
I started out briskly enough but soon began to lag. It was a real struggle to do my customary 60-minute walk. There were plenty of internal “negotiations” (I wanna’ quit…no you don’t) along the way. Truth be told, I barely made it to the finish line.
As it turns out, a pretty fair description of our 3-2 loss to nettlesome Dallas at American Airlines Center, which halted our league-best winning streak at 10 games. Our boys started strong, snagging a 2-0 first-period lead on goals by Brian Dumoulin and Kasperi Kapanen while piling up an 11-7 edge in shots on goal.
However, the Stars stayed within striking distance thanks to a second-period marker by Denis Gurianov. In the final period they took over, weathering a couple of black-and-gold bursts while nearly doubling us in shots on goal, 15-8.
Ageless Joe Pavelski knotted the score with five minutes remaining, banging home a second-chance opportunity from close range. Seventy-five ticks later John Marino blew a tire in the neutral zone, trapping Jeff Carter in the process and leading to an odd-man break for the Stars. Tristan Jarry made a spectacular tip-of-the-glove save on Miro Heiskanen while belly-flopping to the ice. However, with No. 35 stranded hopelessly out his cage and his teammates slow to react, Roope Hintz had easy pickins’ as he nudged the puck into an open net to give the Stars a 3-2 lead. Their final margin of victory.
In fairness to our guys, with nuclear sniper Bryan Rust and gritty Brock McGinn joining Drew O’Connor in Covid protocol and Evgeni Malkin still in mothballs, skipper Mike Sullivan was forced to ice a watered-down lineup. Puck luck…or lack of…played a part, too. Evan Rodrigues dinged a post in the opening frame and Danton Heinen did likewise in the third period. You’ll have that on occasion.
However, make no mistake. The homestanding Stars earned this victory through the dint of hard work and ceaseless pressure, the kind we usually apply to our foes. Indeed, they had us back on our heels for much of the second half of the contest. When we’re forced to stand and defend rather than carry the play? Cracks start to appear in our armor, especially our defense down low.
It echoes my most recent article. Are the Pens as currently constructed built for the rigors of postseason play? Based on yesterday’s game, which featured a strong opposing goalie, close-checking and a playoff-type feel?
A sobering reminder that the jury’s still out…
Puckpourri
The Stars outshot the Pens, 32-29, and won 52 percent of the faceoffs. They dominated in shot attempts (47-34) over the final 40 minutes.
Dumoulin appeared to channel E-Rod on his goal, a snipe from the left circle six minutes into the first period. Kapanen’s goal, an unconscious net-front deflection of a Marcus Pettersson drive 25 seconds later, was a thing of beauty. Maddeningly inconsistent though he may be, the flying Finn possesses some elite skills.
Jake Guentzel assisted on Dumo’s goal, giving him 26 points in his past 17 games. Bulwark Kris Letang logged a team-high 23:26 of ice time and picked up an assist as well. Tanger has eight assists in four games since the holiday break.
Jarry allowed three goals in a game for the first time since December 1 in Edmonton and for only the second time since November 14. A span of 16 games.
The Pens went with essentially ten forwards. Defenseman Mark Friedman, seeing his first game action since November 13, filled in at wing on a makeshift fourth line. The feisty Toronto native skirmished with Alexander Radulov, but got turned around on the Stars’ first goal. Kasper Bjorkqvist dressed, but saw only 5:34 of ice time. A mild bone to pick…if you’re not going to play the kid, send him down and call up someone else. I personally think Radim Zohorna would be a far better (and more productive) choice.
Carter returned to the lineup. He picked up an assist and won 54 percent of his draws. However, he was on the ice for two of the Stars’ goals.
The Pens (20-9-5, 45 points) are presently in fourth place in the Metro, four points behind the Capitals and five points off the division lead. Next up…a trip to the left coast for a clash with much-improved Anaheim on Tuesday night.
I realize Jarri has been outstanding of late… but he still shows some signs of crumbling under pressure IMO.
In the 3rd period with the Pens up 2-1, the Pens were on their heels. I said to my wife that this is the time that World class goalies strap the team on their back and steal a win for the team.
I don’t blame him for the loss but I seriously wonder about his ability to play Big when it’s needed.
In my book he has to prove he can carry this team at critical points of the regular season and especially during the playoffs.
We will see.
Hey Lightning,
You aren’t going to get an argument from me. Your point is well taken and I have sort of written that myself, not in so many words but around that point. The kid has had really strong streaks over the last couple of seasons only to crumble.
However, I like Jarry and since he is young, have no problem giving him a chance to prove himself. His crumbling act came under the tutelage of Goalie Coach Buckley who had all of his Goalie, Murray, DeSmith, and Jarry, hiding on the Goal line and dipping their short side shoulder, giving away the short side top corner to every shooter in the league. Under Chiodo, Jarry and DeSmith are both challenging shooters far more often.
Only thing with DeSmith is that he just doesn’t seem to have it anymore. I don’t if he was a Cinderella Goalie with the Clock has striking 12, and as his fairy godmother warned him he now has to run from the ball or if he really did have a level of talent that he has not yet/or maybe never recover from after his injury last season.
In any case, I am hopeful but not completely sold on Jarry (not really a big fan of reaction Goalies or Goalies hell bent on trying to score Goals, but take them while they are riding a wave). However, DeSmith Scares me as the back-up and there really is no quality back up in reserve should the unthinkable happen and Jarry get injured. I do think the team has 3 really good but very young Goalies in the system but 2 are in Europe and need a little more seasoning and the 3rd is himself injured right now in WBS and yet to prove himself in NHL regular season play.
The other Rick
You obviously know more than I do on goalie technique and play. Great insights.
I also don’t like Jarry in shoot outs after overtime. I think He often comes to far out on players coming in side to side. It opens the goal up to much and he gets burned.
Hey Lightning,
Interesting comment. You peaked my interest on Shoot Out records. The records give you good reason to doubt Jarry in Shoot Outs. He is one of only 4 Penguin Goalies with a losing record in Shoot Outs. He is 4 and 6 in Shoot Outs. And his Sv% is 4th worst on the team at 0.610. Only Zatkoff, Caron, and Conklin have worse Shoot Out Sv%.
However, again, I still wonder how much Buckley has to do with Jarry’s weaknesses in the shoot out. Fleury was one of the toughest, but he trained under Bales.
Murray was better than jarry has been, but again, he came up under Bales.
But you point is well taken and one of the reasons why I still am not sold on this team even if makes the Playoffs. To me, I will give Jarry a chance, but need him to prove himself come playoff time. He can’t make stupid stretch pass attempts up his on zone onto opponents sticks.
All good things must come to an end eventually Rick.
It was an amazing run by the Pens given all the twists and turns in the NHL in November and December.
Covid is back and the damage to our game is irreversible. Every team is trying it’s best to cope.
Last night we lost a game that should never have happened. Up by 2 goals going into the third period and
we got “spanked” as my dearly departed Mother would say.But I do not blame the players. Jamie Benn and crew
crashed the net and we did not have the players to push back.Can you imagine playing these guys in a 7 game
series whereby the REFS put away the whistle and let the rough stuff go.We are in trouble when that day comes.
Sadly Dallas is not even one of the TOP 8 teams I would be concerned about come April.
.Lets Go Pens !!
I realize our boys are not going to win every game they play, but lately the second period is becoming a problem…
The start of the game we come out firing and outplaying any team, than the intermisson. Maybe it’s the long change or they think the other team will just give up. I don’t know..just keep the pedal down and go.
I don’t blame Jarry on any of those goals, Carter kicked the puck back to the Star forward..in the net.. use your stick and clear it to the boards.
The other problem and it’s been talked about many times but we need a defenseman that is going to NOT play nice in front of our goalie, some say Ruhwedel is playing well but all 5ft. 2 of him isn’t working out in front of the net by watching two forwards stand there. Friedman did a good job but we all know Mike doesn’t like that type of player, and Petterson at 6’4 and 110pounds doesn’t scare anyone!!
Media talking Pens as contenders….I still am not convinced, this team not built for playoff hockey.
Maybe they will change my mind!!! I hope so.
I agree with you Pen’s4ever.
We need an upgrade to the defense and a couple BIG forwards to play with Sid and Geno.
Cheers
Hey Jim,
100% agree! We need BIG Forwards and BIG D who are not only big but play BIG. And we need a back-up Goalie. This team if 1 injury (to Jarry) from cellar dweller.
The problem here is two fold; the Upgrade to the D, and a couple of big forwards won’t come cheap and there aren’t a whole lot of assets left to pay with, nor will a quality Back-Up Goalie come cheap, not when other teams know you need them. We do have a first round pick again this year but I pray that we learned our lesson and we don’t throw another 1st rounder away chasing a delusion.
Second, even if Hextall did manage to get a couple of BIG forwards and D, the Coach would not use them. He still hasn’t realized the value of Ian Cole, Nick Bonino, Tom Kuhnhackl, Eric Fehr brought to the team bus where he was the door man on that won back to back Cups. Sullivan lives in a fantasy world where where magical pixie horses fly around with Peter Pan and Tinker Bell and David s slay Goliaths every weekend. He is on a psychedelic trip and truly believes in his next man mantra where you can replace a Sid, Geno, or Jake with a Dominik, Zach, or Conor and expect the same results. His arrogance thinks he was the reason the team won the Cup and not the players. That all players are interchangeable.
Hey Pen’s4ever,
Good to hear from you.
You know I agree 100%. There is no snarl in this team. Meekly letting players smack you around, chanting the next man up mantra, as team mates get injured isn’t grit; it is stupidity. Letting Opponents stand in front of your net with a free pass is disrespecting your goalie and invites disaster. Pulling up as you cross your opponent’s blue line waiting for others to drive the net is so predictable that everyone already knows what you are going to do and only works when opponents give you time and space. Waiting for others to drive the net when your wingers are Smurfs and will get their heads handed to them by opponent’s D-men if they have the guts, knowing what is in store for them, is ludicrous. And you can’t blame the Smurfs when they lose heart and take to skating the perimeter.
At the very least, this team is shy at least 3 bricks, probably more. As Mike noted on another page,, this team needs at least 1 real heavy forward and 1 real big D-man who actually plays big. However, the third brick this team is in desperate need of is a back up Goalie.
And no one tell me they have a heavy in ZAR. Saying ZAR tries to play a heavy game can be an accurate statement, but saying he does play a heavy game is delusional.
Well said Coach.
We are heading down the same road as last year and the year before that and the ……..
Never ends with this group.
Cheers