Banged-Up Maple Leafs Mash Feckless Penguins, 7-0

For years it seemed every time the University of Pittsburgh football program had a chance to make a statement in an important game the Panthers invariably lost.

Those Pitt teams have nothing on our present-day Penguins.

Several times this season, the Pens have had an opportunity to use dramatic victories as a springboard to better things. Each time they’ve failed miserably.

We responded to an impressive 3-0 whitewashing of Stanley Cup champion Vegas on November 19 by going 1-2-1 in our next four games. Following the pulsating, Tristan-Jarry-scores-a-goal comeback over the Lightning on November 30? We lost four in a row (0-2-2).

This latest fiasco may be our worst botch job yet. On the heels of back-to-back victories this week, including the thrilling 12-round shootout win over the Canadiens, the Pens simply fell apart at the seams last night against a banged-up Toronto team that was missing all-world sniper Auston Matthews, key defensemen T.J. Brodie, Mark Giordano and John Klingberg and goalie Joseph Woll.

Indeed, the 7-0 shellacking at the hands of the Leafs was arguably the worst defeat of the Sidney Crosby–Evgeni Malkin era, eclipsing even the brutal and humbling 5-2 loss to woebegone Chicago last spring that cost us a playoff berth.

And make no mistake, the score could’ve been much (much) worse if not for the efforts of goalies Jarry and Alex Nedeljkovic, who faced down an astounding 44 scoring chances and a staggering 22 high-danger chances combined.

Plain and simple, their teammates quit on them, basically serving them up as sacrificial lambs. They deserved a far better fate.

Can’t begin to imagine how Kyle Dubas feels about now. Hardly the triumphant return to the city where he used to work, eh? Talk about having egg on your face.

If I were the Pens’ GM, I’d be sorely tempted to blow it all up, and that includes the head coach who just received a rousing endorsement. Despite Dubas’ best efforts, everything about this team is stale and screams for real change.

As constructed, the Pens are going nowhere. We can’t string together more than a couple of wins in a row. Worse yet, we can’t produce the type of effort that’s conducive to winning on anything approaching a consistent basis. We’re on-again, off-again. Like a light switch.

Perhaps it’s due to age. Maybe these guys simply aren’t physically or mentally capable of putting forth the kind of effort and intensity that’s required to win on a nightly basis. Or maybe it’s a lack of talent. With the exception of a handful of core players, nobody on this team can score.

It seems we need to be 100 percent healthy to be competitive. In the rough-and-tumble world of hockey, that happens…never.

Barring some miracle infusion of fresh talent, we’ll continue bob along like a cork upon the high seas, winning a few, perhaps losing more. All the while our chances of garnering a playoff berth grow more remote.

Puckpourri

According to Natural Stat Trick, the Pens actually had an edge in shot attempts (71-66) and shots on goal (38-35). Scoring chances (44-34) and high-danger chances (22-12) were heavily in favor of the Leafs.

Speaking of awful, just as our power play has shown signs of life, our penalty kill has gone into the tank. We yielded two power-play goals last night. Over our past five games we’ve killed only 15 of 22 opposing power plays, a 68.2 percent success rate. We obviously miss the dual presence of injured vets Noel Acciari and Matt Nieto.

About our only win of the night occurred five minutes into the game when Leafs forward Matthew Knies challenged John Ludvig for a crunching hit on Max Domi. During the ensuing battle, Ludvig landed a couple of lefts before the combatants tumbled to the ice.

The rookie black-and-gold defenseman also rushed to Crosby’s aid during a late second-period scuffle with John Tavares and other Leafs.

According to radio color man Phil Bourque, Mike Sullivan often refers to hockey as a “belligerent game.” Yet the Pens are so rarely equipped to play that way.

Knies would go on to register a Gordie Howe Hat Trick. He, Mitch Marner, journeyman Bobby McMann and Domi scored against Jarry, who was pulled at 2:28 of the second period after stopping 10 of 14 shots. Tavares, Noah Gregor and William Nylander beat Nedeljkovic, who stopped 18 of 21 shots.

Veteran Martin Jones, only recently recalled from the AHL Toronto Marlies, made 38 saves to post the shutout.

If the NHL had an award for taking the dumbest penalties, Malkin would win hands-down. Not that it had any bearing on the outcome, but Geno was hit with a double-minor for high-sticking Leafs defender Jake McCabe midway through the third period. In the offensive zone, of course.

It wasn’t Kris Letang’s finest hour, either. Tanger was assessed a holding penalty (followed in short order by a 10-minute misconduct) early in the second period when we still had a sliver of a chance, leading to a rally-crushing power-play goal by Tavares. He finished a game-worst minus-4. Crosby and Jake Guentzel were minus-3 each.

Although expected to return, Rickard Rakell didn’t suit up. Vinnie Hinostroza cleared waivers and played in RikRak’s stead. He was a minus-1 with two shots on goal in 7:52 of ice time.

On Deck

The Pens (13-13-3) return home to face Minnesota (12-12-4) on Monday night. The resurgent Wild are 7-2 since former Baby Pens skipper John Hynes replaced Dean Evason.

We’re five points out of a wild-card spot. Only eight teams have fewer points.