During the latter stages of the Mike Sullivan era, it became almost de riguer for the Penguins to blow leads.
Last season we squandered eight third-period leads, tied for eighth-most in the NHL, and 18 leads overall, according to the website Champ or Chumps. In 2023-24, we blew nine third-period leads and 21 overall. Fifth-most on both counts.
Well don’t look now, but Sully’s new team, the Rangers, are experiencing similar meltdown issues. On Tuesday night, the Blueshirts built, then frittered away, a 4-1 lead after two periods before losing to the Bruins, 5-4, in overtime.
Last night, the Rags carried a 4-2 edge into the third period against the Islanders, only to succumb by an identical 5-4 score.
Adding salt to the wound, both losses/collapses occurred on home ice at Madison Square Garden.
To be fair, it is the exhibition season, and most of the damage was perpetrated against kid goalies Talyn Boyko and Dylan Garand and not the team’s front-line puck-stoppers. Too, it does take time to implement and adapt to a new system. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the Pens have blown leads in both their exhibition games under Dan Muse to date.
However, the Rangers did dress close to their regular lineup against the Isles. As I viewed videos of the goals, I was struck by their sloppy, passive defensive play, not to mention poor positioning. An all-too-familiar dynamic.
Perhaps it’s (more than) a bit mean-spirited, but part of me will take a fiendish delight if the Rangers struggle under Sullivan as we have these past few seasons.
To digress, you certainly can’t deny the great work Mike did to galvanize an underachieving but still potent team and drive it to back-to-back Stanley Cups. Sully was the right voice preaching the right system at precisely the right time. He possessed, and still does, many great qualities as coach. He’s intelligent, passionate, organized, driven, and a great communicator to boot.
However, I couldn’t help but think that over the past several seasons, his persona and philosophy were as much a part of the problem as they were the solution.
That’s why I’ll be paying extra-special attention to the Rangers this season.
Winging It
The Pens have announced their roster for tonight’s tilt with the Red Wings. Our lineup will once again be chock full of players hoping (or needing) to make an impression.
Forwards: Cal Burke, Connor Dewar, Robby Fabbri, Filip Hållander, Danton Heinen, Aaron Huglen, Blake Lizotte, Aidan McDonough, Tommy Novak, Sam Poulin, Valtteri Puustinen, Nolan Renwick, Philip Tomasino
Defense: Alexander Alexeyev, Connor Clifton, Matt Dumba, Ryan Graves, Chase Pietila, Jack St. Ivany, Ryan Shea
Goal: Tristan Jarry, Arturs Silovs
First Cuts
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View Comments
Rick
I’m encouraged by the way Muse is approaching the pre-season, giving players an opportunity to demonstrate how they can contribute within his system. It appears that everyone is being given a fair chance, which is great to see.
Apologies for my absence over the past week or two—things have been getting busier on my end.
The Other Rick
On another note, I do have some concerns about Blomqvist. He seems a bit fragile, though that’s only my personal impression without much evidence to support it. Hopefully, my observation is off the mark.
Mike,
I had a similar thought about Muse, at least over the first three preseason games it appears that he really is looking at every player and creating a great atmosphere of competition. Blomqvist isn't the only injured player. The Penguins injury list is growing and that may be a symptom of the heavy competition from giving everyone a chance. Players are not only playing harder in game situations, but practicing harder. Over this stretch of unmitigated malaise that has sunk this team over the last 8 or so seasons, the once heavy injury bug that plagued the team when it was winning Cups was nearly absent. The team's man games lost had plummeted. Now everybody seems to be skating with passion and purpose.
As for Blomqvist specifically, I hope you are wrong too - he shows way too much promise. He has never played more than 45 games in a season. I don't know enough about his time in Liiga though to know if we can draw any conclusions from that but he does have low GP totals. Also, I would need to look at what his injuries were and need to see if it is more a question of getting a better strength and conditioning program for him. I trained a player who had gotten several concussions in quick succession before training with me. His previous S&C coach never really had him doing anything to strengthen his neck area, so every time the kid got hit he snapped around like a bobble head shaking his brain around. While I was training him, he didn't experience that injury.
Hey Rick,
I did see that NYR posted 2 come from in front losses in their last 2 games. I too am keeping an eye on Sullivan and the Rangers. However, my frustration was not as much with Sullivan as it was with the deification of Sullivan by the organization, the media, and many fans, so if NYR flops badly this season, any delight I have over the flop will be more about seeing any NY team lose and the Pens organization, media, and fans see more evidence that it was the three-headed monster that won those two Cups.
Also, did you see Blomqvist is out about 4 weeks with his lower body injury? Hmm…