This game summary, if you can call it that, will be brief and to the point.
Basically a modern-day spin on Julius Caesar’s “veni, vidi, vici.”
The Penguins came. The Hurricanes saw and conquered, to the tune of a convincing 5-1 victory at Lenovo Center last night.
Some will point to the fact that the black-and-gold doubled the ‘Canes in shots on goal (36-18) while piling up a 75-43 advantage in shot attempts as cause for optimism. A Pyrrhic victory if there ever was one.
The Pens’ problems remain the same. Chief among them, when they “get to their game” or “play the right way”…choose your Sully-ism…they can’t cover both ends of the ice effectively.
Mike Sullivan wants to play behind the other team’s defense, and I get it. However, when we go charging out the front door we invariably leave the back door open.
Once again, our guys seemed at a loss in the defensive zone, especially when trying to defend the rush. Our gaps are terrible, there appears to be little communication, and no one seems sure of where they’re supposed to be or what they’re supposed to do.
It’s not like these guys started playing hockey yesterday and are brand new to the game. They’re pros who’ve been on skates since they were knee-high. It’s counterintuitive to suggest they don’t know what to do, unless…
…the problem is systemic.
I don’t know what Sullivan and his staff teach in terms of actual defensive play, or how much time they devote to it in practice. But there’s clearly a disconnect and it keeps getting worse. Last night’s loss a prime example.
Of course, it doesn’t help matters when you have…
One Bad Apple
At the risk of dating myself and identifying as a nerd, back in the ‘70s the Osmond Brothers had a hit song titled, “One Bad Apple (Don’t Spoil the Whole Bunch).”
Well, actually, it does. Last night, Erik Karlsson established a new standard for defensive misdeeds. The erstwhile Norris Trophy winner was directly responsible for three ‘Canes goals, including the first two.
How someone that well paid can play so poorly, and with such apparent nonchalance, is beyond me. He almost singlehandedly destroyed any semblance of defensive structure that otherwise might have existed.
To Sullivan’s credit, he yanked EK65 off the top power play. Perhaps a healthy scratch is in order, too.
Raspberries to GM Kyle Dubas for biting on this turkey.
A final thought.
The Hurricanes were practically eviscerated this summer by a host of key free-agent defections, including ex-Pen Jake Guentzel, Teuvo Teräväinen, grinder extraordinaire Stefan Noesen and defensive pillars Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei. Not to mention long-time GM Don Waddell, who pulled a Jim Rutherford and bailed just as his team appeared to be primed for a fall.
However Waddell’s replacement, Eric Tulsky, has quietly done yeoman’s work plugging gaps on the cheap. In particular, he signed journeyman Jack Roslovic to a one-year, prove-it deal for $2.8 million. The speedy Roslovic now has nine goals on the season, including the pair he scored last night.
Tulsky was a finalist for the Pens’ vacant GM post until Dubas became available. Makes you wonder what our team would look like and how we’d be performing if we’d hired Tulsky instead.
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Hey Rick,
Solid recap. I agree with most of it. Invariably it does come down to the system.
One really great point you bring up is how many top flight players took wing to different cities via FA for the Canes and yet they thoroughly trashed our grounded water fowl with a revamped roster. Need I say it? Coaching!!!
On the point I diverge, and don't get me wrong, I never wanted Karlsson here in the first place, so I hate being his defender, but while you were typing this well crafted, terse and nearly spot on I was busy banging away on a post of my own and you will see we don't view 65 as the same.
And by the way, for those Penguin Poopers reading these two Posts my friend was not the blogger who earned my rant. The prodding ersatz expert posts on a different site, a site I try not to read for the sake of my BP but sometimes sneaks across my computer screen when the algorithms mess up. I opted to not give him full notoriety here on this site.