Penguins Update: Help Needed

What a difference a day or two makes.

Last Thursday our Penguins were riding high after bumping off the Red Wings to claim the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot. Our destiny was squarely in our hands.

And now? Following a nightmare on Elm Street (or Center Avenue) Saturday that saw our Pens lose to the Bruins while the Wings, Capitals and Flyers all unexpectedly won, we have to win our final two games and get help to squeak in.

No easy feat, given our opposition. Indeed, tonight’s foe…the Predators…are a solid, underrated hockey club. Well coached by Andrew Brunette, too.

If we somehow triumph? We’ll need to beat the Islanders on Wednesday night on Long Island. The 8-2-1 in their last 11 Islanders. The team that derailed our shot at a 3peat in 1993 and knocked us out of the playoffs in ’75, ’82, ’19 and ’21 as well.

Those Islanders.

Yeah, I know. Those defeats are ancient history in some cases. Still, it doesn’t bode well.

As for receiving help from other sources? The Red Wings have a home-and-home on back-to-back nights with the Canadiens, who are 1-5 in their last six. Here’s hoping the Habs’ young guns can exploit the Wings’ weak underbelly…defense and goaltending…and take at least one of those games in regulation.

Now would be a great time for a Juraj Slavkovsky hat trick or two.

Also starting tonight, the Caps have back-to-backs against the Bruins and Flyers. They surprised me by short-circuiting the Lightning on Saturday night, a game I didn’t expect them to win. Let’s pray the Bruins are as hard on Alex Ovechkin & Co. as they were on us.

As for the Caps finale against the Flyers tomorrow night? I’m not sure what to root for.

Wish I felt better about our chances. However, the clock seems to be striking midnight on our Cinderella stretch run.

Saving Sully’s Bacon?

Although I doubt if coach Mike Sullivan’s job was ever in serious jeopardy, our 7-1-3 stretch run has likely bought him some extra security and good will heading into next season.

I’m not so sure it’s warranted…or the best thing for the team. Or our kids.

Go back to our shocking 4-1 victory over Carolina on March 26, the one that got this whole thing started. Due to illness and injury, our fourth line that night consisted of kids Jonathan Gruden, Sam Poulin and Jesse Puljujärvi. Each logged around 10 minutes of ice time while providing an underpinning of energy and grit. Gruden delivered a big hit and a fight. Puljujärvi, a force against his ex-mates, scored a goal.

As a unit, they helped drive that win.

So what became of them?

Gruden was benched the very next game and shipped back to the Baby Pens a short time later. Poulin soon followed suit. Despite scoring goals in back-to-back games (and three in six), Puljujärvi’s ice time diminished. He’s been dining on press box nachos of late.

As for our fourth line? With the exception of veteran Jeff Carter, it’s pretty much been stapled to the bench.

When it comes to the kids, how quickly our coach forgets.

Ned or Jars?

Sully obviously has a big decision to make heading into tonight’s clash with the Preds. Namely, who to start in goal, Alex Nedeljkovic or Tristan Jarry?

Statistically speaking, it’s a virtual wash. Both goalies have .903 save percentages. Jarry’s goals-against average is a tick better…2.91 vs. 2.93. He actually has a higher quality starts percentage than Ned to boot (.604 vs. .484).

There’s one stat where Ned has a clear-cut advantage. The Parma, Ohio, native’s compiled a 17-6-7 record. Jarry’s 19-25-5 mark pales in comparison.

While this is far from an objective observation, my sense is Ned makes the saves you absolutely need him to make at crunch time. Jarry, not so much.

Provided Ned isn’t too worn down from his heavy workload?

For better or worse, he’s my guy.