Penguins Score (!) but Fall to Senators in OT

It seemed our Penguins would never score again. Senators goalie Joonas Korpisalo had stopped our previous 33 shots on goal with the aplomb of a Vezina Trophy candidate. With the clock ticking down to 30 seconds left in regulation the situation, indeed, appeared grim.

Then Kris Letang deftly skirted the Senators’ blue line while avoiding two checkers and slipped a backhand pass to Erik Karlsson. The former Sens star wired a shot from the top of the left circle that hit the stick of Jacob Bernard-Docker and skittered wide of the net.

Sidney Crosby scooped up the biscuit along the right-half wall and calmly surveyed the scene before zipping a pass to Evgeni Malkin at center point. Geno unleased a blast, but broke his stick in the process. The wayward shot instead tracked to Karlsson to the left of the net, then made a hard turn into the crease.

Digging like Mike Lange’s coal miner, Michael Bunting seemed to whiff on his frantic shot attempts, but somehow impacted just enough of the rubber to nudge it across the line with 22.6 seconds left in the game.

The camera panned to our bench. The players reacted in slow-motion, as if they’d forgotten how to celebrate a goal. Understandably so, given our recent paucity of production.

Having battled back to tie the game, dramatically so, we promptly gave it away in overtime.

With the combination of Crosby, Letang and Bryan Rust appearing completely discombobulated, the Sens fired three shots on Tristan Jarry in the first 42 seconds, including a breakaway by Tim Stützle. After Jarry, brilliant all night, made two more stops on Shane Pinto and Brady Tkachuk near the two-minute mark, Karlsson had a breakaway of his own.

Alas, with the game and second point on his stick, EK65 tried a million-dollar move when a hundred-dollar one would’ve sufficed. The quicksilver defender never got a shot off, although he somewhat atoned moments later by setting up Bunting to the left of the Sens’ cage. Unfortunately, the newcomer’s…uh…bunt attempt sailed wide right.

Following a takeaway by rookie Zack Ostapchuk and a less-than-pristine exit to the bench by an exhausted Crosby, the Sens poured into our zone and carved us up with a series of crisp passes. Culminating in Drake Batherson’s sharp-angle finish from the bottom of the left circle.

Jarry, valiant in defeat, had no chance.

As for the rest of the game? The Pens generally had the better of the play early, piling up a 25-19 edge in shots on goal through 40 minutes. The Sens’ young legs took over in the third. They appeared to score 3:50 into the frame but Mathieu Joseph, P-O’s brother, jabbed Jarry with a high stick while jockeying for position and the goal was overturned following a challenge.

The Sens took the lead for real at 11:06 when Joseph found Jake Sanderson uncovered in the slot. The Sen’s d-man whipped it past Jarry stick side.

Puckpourri

Going by the numbers, the Sens held the high ground. According to Natural Stat Trick, they prevailed in shot attempts (67-63), shots on goal (39-35), scoring chances (37-30) and high-danger chances (15-14).

It’s still hard to imagine the Sens are as bad as they are. They’re teeming with good young talent. Which goes to show that teardowns and rebuilds aren’t easy or quick, even when you draft (exceptionally) well.

John Ludvig was involved in another scrap. After stepping up to drill Jiri Smejkal along the wall with a hard, clean check two minutes into the game, he was challenged by Mark Kastelic. The Pens’ toughie got the takedown in a punchless affair.

The Crosby-Bunting-Rust line combined for 14 shots on goal and plenty of north-south play. Bunting’s goal provided a snapshot of what he brings to the fight. He’s scored something like 38 of his 71 career goals in the area between the circles and around the blue paint.

I’m not suggesting for a second Bunting is the equal of Jake Guentzel. But the Pens need straight-line and they need grease and jam…desperately. Bunting will provide it.

Is it my imagination? Or is Mathieu Joseph far more physical and assertive than our P-O? #thewrongJoseph.

Drew O’Connor returned to the lineup after missing three games (all losses) with a concussion. He skated next to Geno, bumping Valtteri Puustinen to the third line and Emil Bemström to the fourth.

Sully’s System

I’ll be the first to admit I’m not an X’s and O’s guy. So I can’t speak to the intricacies and nuances of coach Mike Sullivan’s system.

I can, however, comment on what I see.

Chaos…and not the good kind. We always seem to be scrambling. Nobody ever appears to be set and nothing appears to be organized. We almost always resemble a fire-drill on ice.

We lack speed and puck support. Lots of shots from the perimeter, lots of one-and-dones. We rarely employ the center drive, which forces opposing defenses to react while creating space for the wingers. Except for a select few, nobody seems to make plays, either. We just dump the puck in and expend tons of energy trying to retrieve it.

In fact, a commenter on another site astutely observed that we seem to expend twice the energy as other teams for half the reward.

Rob Rossi once lamented that former coach Mike Johnston had turned the Pens into “a chip-and-chase group of muckers.”

Has Sullivan done the same?

A parting observation. It’s well-documented that we don’t practice 3-on-3 hockey and it shows. We’re 3-7 in games decided in overtime this season.

Correct me if I’m wrong. But isn’t it a coach’s job to prepare a team for all game situations and not just a select few? #holdSullyaccountable.

Call Me Superstar

Former Pen Max Talbot was, indeed, a superstar, just as he proclaimed. At least in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

The former Pens’ Cup hero and eighth-round pick was a big-time scorer with the Gatineau (nee Hull) Olympiques of the Quebec League, racking up 202 points in 120 games during his final two junior seasons. Always a money player, he earned two playoff MVP awards as well. 

Accordingly, he’s being inducted into QMJHL’s Hall-of-Fame.

Congrats, Mad Max! We miss you. Wish we had about a dozen players with your heart and soul.

On Deck

The Pens (28-27-9, 65 points) return home to host low-lying San Jose (16-41-7, 39 points) on Thursday night. Leading the Sharks in scoring? None other than old friend Mikael Granlund (40 points in 51 games).

As for my prediction that we’d win three of our last 20 games? I’d earmarked the Sharks as one of those victories.

Don’t let me down, boys.