Light-Switch Penguins Blank Preds, 2-0

Our Penguins are on-again, off-again. Just like a light switch. Or binary code, if you prefer. Have been throughout this star-crossed campaign.

Last night before a below-capacity throng of 17,482 at PPG Paints Arena, our guys were…mercifully…on again. They overcame an undisciplined start and a gritty, determined Nashville squad to prevail, 2-0, thanks to some clutch scoring and a sparkling…and much needed…return to form by Tristan Jarry.

It looked for a time as if it’d be another one of those nights as Jake Guentzel and Pierre-Olivier Joseph took a pair of early penalties almost back-to-back. In the process placing us and our beleaguered penalty killers in an early hole.

Fortunately, our PK, with a little help from Jarry, rose to the occasion and the Pens soon hit their stride.

At the other end of the ice Juuse Saros was razor-sharp as well, stopping Ryan Poehling, Josh Archibald and Jason Zucker on glorious opportunities to keep the game scoreless through 20 minutes.

Speaking of saves, Jarry stoned Ryan McDonagh on a 3-on-2 midway through the second period and robbed Kiefer Sherwood on a breakaway attempt a short time later.

The good guys finally broke through at 14:15 of the frame thanks to a sensational bit of passing. Joseph initiated the play with a gorgeous outlet pass to Evgeni Malkin breaking over the Preds’ line. Geno lugged the puck along the right wall, faked a shot, then fed a trailing Brian Dumoulin cutting down the slot.

I don’t know if the big defenseman ate his Wheaties yesterday morning, but Dumo drove to the net and beat sprawling d-man Kevin Gravel with a dazzling curl-and-drag before slipping a short cross-slot pass to Zucker parked to the left of the cage. Easy pickins’ for Zucks and a gem of a play by Dumo. One of the prettiest of the year. But I digress.

What began as an intense affair between two clubs battling for their playoff lives turned downright chippy in the closing minutes of the period. Sidney Crosby and Preds heavy Michael McCarron tangled with two minutes to go. On the ensuing faceoff McCarron went for the puck and Crosby went for blood, cross-checking the hulking Preds forward in the head before somehow escaping unscathed. Setting the tone for a nasty third period that ultimately benefited the Pens.

Just past the five-minute mark Poehling broke in alone on Saros but couldn’t control the puck. We returned the favor, yielding breakaways to Colton Scissons and Philip Tomasino, the latter when three Pens collided in slapstick fashion in the neutral zone. The second-year forward had oodles of time and space, only to be foiled by Jarry.

Speaking of puttin’ on the foil, McCarron blasted Archibald head-first into the end boards and got away with it. Perhaps feeling emboldened, Callan Foote proceeded to hammer Danton Heinen with a forearm shiver along the wall near the 13-minute mark. This time the refs called a penalty.

Payback took all of eight seconds. Crosby won the draw and slipped the puck back to Kris Letang. Tanger faked a look to Malkin and fed Rickard Rakell drifting toward the left circle. Doing his best Sid imitation, RikRak threaded a two-foot needle between Saros and McDonagh to Guentzel at the far post for a slam dunk. Not to mention a huge insurance goal.

This time our foe self-destructed, as Thomas Novak took a retaliatory penalty for slashing Zucker at 16:52. (The benefit of initiating the rough stuff.)

Rather than going for the Preds’ exposed jugular, we smartly drained time off the clock to bag a huge two points.

Puckpourri

Stats-wise, it was another dominating performance. According to Natural Stat Trick, we piled up huge advantages in shot attempts (87-47), shots on goal (45-28), scoring chances (47-21) and high-danger chances (a mind-boggling 24-6).

Jarry moved as freely and effortlessly as at any time in recent memory en route to his 28-save shutout, his second whitewash of the season. He seemed to anticipate every move and shot.

I can hear the cash register go ka-ching every time Zucker scores a goal (26 and counting). I sure hope we can sign him this summer…he plays with such passion and fire and is so critically important to the fabric of the team. Literally our heart and soul. Nothing against Mikael Granlund personally or as a player. But if his $5 million cap hit prevents the Pens from re-upping Zucker, heads should roll.

I know a lot of folks are high on Poehling, and I like his speed and all. But he seems to have flippers where his hands should be, a la one-time burner and failed first-round pick Konstanin Koltsov.

I may have issues with his d-zone play, but POJ’s outlet pass on our opening goal was truly a thing of beauty. Patchwork as it is, our undermanned defense continues to get ‘er done.

Chad Ruhwedel set the tone for the physical affair with a booming open-ice hit on Egor Afanasyev at 16:20 of the first period.

Neanderthal Rant

I’ll never get my wish as long as Mike Sullivan’s coach. But we need to get somebody…anybody…to handle the likes of McCarron. Heck, bring Jay Caufield out of retirement. Or better yet, Gary Roberts, who could probably still kick everyone’s butt.

Okay, I’m being more than a bit facetious. But we need to get someone who can play and handle the policing chores so Sid and Co. can stick to hockey.

On Tap

This was a huge win, no doubt. But the load don’t get any lighter. The Pens (37-28-10, 84 points) have back-to-backs this weekend against the Presidents’ Trophy winning Bruins (58-12-5, 121 points) and the improving Flyers (29-32-13, 71 points). Think Philly and coach John Tortorella wouldn’t love to stick a dagger in our playoff hopes?

Don’t look now, but the Panthers…winners of two in a row…are stapled to our tails in the wild-card race. They trail us by a point, although we do have a game in hand.

Sure hope the loss to the Red Wings doesn’t come back to bite us, although I fear it will.