Perhaps it’s a little too early to label a game “must-win.” Especially since most of our competition are struggling with consistency issues as well.
However, with a troika of very challenging games dead ahead in Colorado, Vegas and Utah, the Penguins really needed to take advantage of last night’s match-up with the lowly Blackhawks.
The fact that we didn’t, or couldn’t, doesn’t speak well of our chances for a successful season. Indeed, in many ways the 5-3 loss harkened back to a similar defeat at the hands of a dreadful Hawks squad back in April of 2023. The one that ended our 16-season playoff run.
Statistically at least, the Pens didn’t play horribly. They attempted 62 shots to Chicago’s 34 and held a 27-20 edge in shots on goal. They more than doubled the Hawks in scoring chances (37-15) and held a significant edge in high-danger chances (16-9) as well.
Yet we lost.
Once again, sloppy, disconnected play was a culprit, particularly in our own end. Brought on, in no small part by a fierce Hawks forecheck and a corresponding unwillingness by the coaching staff to adjust. Not to mention a stale, rancid power play that misfired on four chances to run our string of futility to 16 scoreless man advantages and counting.
Not to pin the loss on the kid, but Sergei Murashov’s 15-save (on 19 shots) performance didn’t help. In particular, the game-winner he yielded to Teuvo Teravainen from the sideboards at 15:42 of the third period should’ve been stopped.
In the good news department, Sidney Crosby broke out of his season-opening slump with a pair of goals. And Nick Robertson notched his team-high fourth goal while helping to drive what’s emerged as a buzz-saw fourth line with Blake Lizotte and Connor Dewar.
Sorry to be so brief, but life has intervened, specifically doggy-sitting duties, so that’s all for now.
