I have a gift.
Whenever I make a prediction or offer an opinion about a player, you can pretty much bank on the opposite coming true.
Need a for instance?
In an article I posted on Thursday, I opined that the Penguins shouldn’t count on their core scoring three goals a game anymore. So how many goals did Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin tally during last night’s 4-0 whupping of our archrival Capitals?
Yep. Three…count ‘em…three goals.
Need more? I haven’t been all that impressed with newcomer Reilly Smith to date. So he sticks the dagger into the Caps’ comeback chances with a late goal. For good measure, I lamented Tristan Jarry’s inability to steal a game for us. Well, maybe he wasn’t the sole reason we beat the Caps, but he certainly was a key contributor, stopping all 19 shots he faced and stoning “the Great Eight,” Alex Ovechkin, on a breakaway late in the second period with the outcome still very much up for grabs.
Another lament? The power play.
Two-for-three.
Protecting a lead?
Done.
We sometimes refer to this phenomenon as the reverse PenguinPoop Curse. But enough silliness.
I confess I didn’t watch the game (darn ESPN+) but listened to Steve Mears and Phil Bourque describe the action on radio. The first period sounded like a low-event, even-steven affair with neither team finding the net.
Then…SHAZAM!!! The Pens took it to their hosts in a big way in the second period.
Pouncing on a turnover by Ovechkin at the Caps’ blue line near the four-minute mark, Erik Karlsson swatted the puck along the right wall to Rickard Rakell, who quickly found Malkin in the slot. Bang, bang, the puck was past goalie Charlie Lindgren and we had a lead.
A minute later Trevor (the Wrong) van Riemsdyk was assessed a hooking penalty and our much-maligned power play made him pay. Malkin fired a diagonal pass to Jake Guentzel at the side of the net and Jake bunted it to Crosby. Sid wasted no time in chipping the puck in off Nick Jensen’s stick for a 2-0 advantage.
The Caps pressed furiously for the next several minutes while holding a decided edge in territorial play (seven shot attempts to none by our Pens), but Jarry stood his ground and made four crucial saves. A tussle between Bryan Rust and Martin Fehervary resulted in matching minors and brought an end to the Caps’ surge.
Rasmus Sandin gifted us with a second power play with a slash on ex-Cap Lars Eller at 10:46. Again we cashed in. This one off a Jake-to-Geno-to-Sid relay, with Crosby connecting on a wrist shot from below the right circle. Credit Karlsson, who absorbed a hard check from Tom Wilson at the left point for keeping the puck in the zone and initiating the scoring sequence.
Playing with a lead hasn’t exactly been our strong suit. But our guys did a terrific job of keeping the Caps in check, pretty much letting the air out of the Capital One Arena while holding our rivals to a paltry four shots on goal during the third period.
Malkin capped a masterful four-point performance by scooping up a loose puck on a hustling backcheck and headmanning it to Smith, applied the final coffin nail by beating Lindgren from the left circle.
Pretty much just the way Mike Sullivan would draw things up on the dry-erase board. Let’s see if we can lather, rinse, repeat.
Puckpourri
Stats-wise, the contest was pretty much all Pens. We held the high ground in shot attempts (68-54), shots on goal (35-19), scoring chances (27-25), high-danger chances (12-5) and faceoffs (55.2 percent).
Jarry’s shutout was the 14th of his career.
My word was Malkin magnificent, an effort hearkening back to his Hart Trophy season of 2011-12. His line dominated with a Corsi of 71.43 and an insane expected goals for percentage of 82.20! I don’t know what Geno ate for breakfast (red borscht perhaps?). Whatever it was, I’d make sure he gets plenty of it.
Sid’s line was strong as well (Corsi 68, xGF% 69.47).
But…(you had to know one was coming).
Our bottom six struggled by every conceivable metric. While their primary job is goal prevention, which they managed to attain, both lines were horrific in terms of possession. The Matt Nieto–Noel Acciari–Jeff Carter unit was especially toxic. Now that his adrenalin rush is wearing off, Jansen Harkins may not be the answer on the third line.
Sooner than later, we’re going to need some production from these guys.
I wonder if Kyle Dubas might take a flyer on Max Comtois, a former teammate of Rakell’s in Anaheim. The rugged 6’2” 210-pound left wing was recently released from a PTO with Vegas. He notched 16 goals in 55 games for the Ducks back in ’20-21.
On the bright side, our third pairing of Chad Ruhwedel and Pierre-Olivier Joseph enjoyed a splendid game. You’ve got to feel good for the former, whom Dubas was actively seeking to replace. Chad continues to play his usual steady brand of bomb-proof, no-frills defense.
Speaking of defensemen, Marcus Pettersson dropped the gloves with Wilson in the final minute of play. Although “the Dragon” was mostly hanging on for dear life, you’ve got to admire his courage. It’s one thing to fight when you know you have a chance, and a whole other kettle of fish to get involved when you don’t.
For the record, Pettersson tangled with the Flyers’ equally fearsome heavy Nicolas Deslauriers last season and actually acquitted himself reasonably well.
He sure doesn’t pick his spots. Again, props to Marcus for showing a ton of heart.
On Tap
The Pens square off with the Flames at PPG Paints Arena tonight, the first of their 12 back-to-backs on the season.
