Penguins Rely on Jarry-atrics to Best Senators in Rematch

I must say I’ve got this reverse PenguinPoop mojo thing down to a science. I really do. On at least two separate occasions during the Penguins’ 4-1 triumph over Ottawa last night at PPG Paints Arena it had a direct effect on the outcome.

Somewhere around the middle of the first period I shook my head and lamented that we were getting next to nothing from our bottom two lines. In a flash, Brock McGinn crunched Erik Brannstrom into the end boards with a hard, clean body check. Travis Hamonic took exception and invited McGinn to a go-round, in the process taking an instigator penalty as well as a 10-minute misconduct.

Rickard Rakell struck on the ensuing power play and the good guys were off and running.

Speaking of Rakell, I thought coach Mike Sullivan might consider flip-flopping him with Bryan Rust, who IMHO wasn’t working out on the top line. A period or so later, Rust gathers up a loose puck in our zone and bursts through the entire Sens team before placing the puck on a platter for Jake Guentzel to finish.

As if to say, “Wrong again, Buker,” Rusty helped set up our fourth goal as well, capping a tidy two-assist, plus-three performance.

One last observation. I’ve long been a proponent of physical play and how a hit or a fight can provide a spark and turn a game around. Last night was a classic example. The Pens used l’affaire McGinn as a springboard to victory. I just wish we had at least one guy who got involved physically on a consistent basis (I’m talking a Tom Wilson/Tanner Jeannot-type). I think it would make a huge difference in our engagement and compete level.

As for the game itself, what a difference a goalie makes, eh? I don’t mean that as a putdown of Casey DeSmith, who gives his all, but rather a comparison between Tristan Jarry and the Sens’ Cam Talbot. The game was virtually a dead-heat in terms of shots on goal. The difference, plain and simple, was Jarry. He made the big saves…Talbot did not.

I, for one, am very glad to have No. 35 back between the pipes.

The Goals

Rakell staked us to a 1-0 lead at 11:14 of the first period with a power-play goal, thanks in no small part to a nice, accurate shot from center point from Jeff Petry. Underscores the value of getting the puck on net and forcing the goalie to make a save.

We widened our lead 43 seconds later on yet another hustling play around the net by Jason Zucker. The electric winger bumped Brannstrom off the puck and flung a backhander over the right shoulder of the unsuspecting Talbot.

The stage was set for Rust’s rink-long dash and Guentzel’s subsequent tally at 17:12 of the second period. However, the Sens pushed back at 18:55 with one-gloved Brady Tkachuk doing the honors.

You know what they say about a 3-1 lead in hockey. The Senators tried to make the old adage come true, firing off 19 third-period shots on goal, but Jarry was razor-sharp. At 6:13 Rust sprang Sidney Crosby and Guentzel on a 2-on-1. Sid passed to Jake, who tried to return the favor. The would-be pass hit the stick of the luckless Brannstrom past Talbot to close out the scoring.

Puckpourri

The contest was fairly even stats-wise, with the visitors holding the high ground in shot attempts (73-67), shots on goal (45-44) and scoring chances (41-32). The Pens prevailed in high-danger chances (17-16) and faceoffs (66 percent).

It was great to get Jarry and Petry back. The former made 44 saves to earn the No. 2 star and the latter logged a team-high 25:25 of ice time while paired with Marcus Pettersson. 

Kasperi Kapanen is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury. Danton Heinen took his place. Taylor Fedun and Dustin Tokarski were returned to the Baby Pens.

I was surprised to see Mark Friedman get the nod over Ty Smith on defense, especially given Sullivan’s style preferences. Friedman finished a plus-two with three shots on goal and two hits in 16:51 of ice time. The peppery defender fought Tkachuk at 13:50 of the third period.

Guentzel paced the attack with two goals (his 19^th and 20^th) and an assist to garner top-star honors. Our production continues to come almost exclusively from our top-six forwards. All of the goals and all but one of our five assists came courtesy of our top two lines.

Joseph vs. Joseph

One of the more bizarre on-ice happenings I’ve ever witnessed occurred just past the 13-minute mark of the final frame when Mathieu Joseph attempted to check brother Pierre-Olivier. POJ’s stick came up and caught both Mathieu and himself in the mush, a detail that escaped the refs. They issued matching high-sticking minors to the brothers.

On Tap

Up next for the Pens (23-15-7, 53 points), a Sunday matinee matchup against the Devils (29-12-4, 62 points) in beautiful downtown Newark. The Pens have a two-point lead on the Islanders in the battle for the second Eastern Conference wild card slot, with two games in hand. The Panthers (49 points) are in the hunt as well.