A team of Detroit B-Listers pretty much their way with our Penguins Tuesday night at PPG Paints Arena, prevailing by a 7-4 count.
Not exactly the way you want to begin the preseason in earnest, especially since the black-and-gold was well-populated with A-Listers, including Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Rickard Rakell and Egor Chinakhov.
THE HIGHLIGHTS
- Nicholas Robertson scored his first of what hopefully will be many goals in a Pens uni at 7:19 of the first period, a shorty and a pretty one at that. The newcomer also added a second assist on Rakell’s goal at 12:22 of the second period.
- While we’re talking RikRak, his short-side marker from a sharp angle below the right circle was a thing of beauty.
- Sam Girard showed nifty skills while setting up the goal, puttin’ on the ritz (or more moves than Mae West) in Mike Lange-speak.
- A slick tic-tac-toe passing play from the Ruck Twins, Markus and Liam, set up Rutger McGroarty in the waning minutes. Liam also assisted on Kaeden Korczak’s uncontested wrister from the high slot at 6:55 of the final frame. Mikhail Ilyin had the primary helper.
- Korczak picked up an assist on Robertson’s tally and finished with four hits.
- Ilya Solovyov somehow managed to escape the wreckage a plus-2 on the night (so did the Rucks). The burly 229-pounder played a strong all-around game.
- Declan Carlile stood up for Crosby during an early scrum and later got involved with Wilmer Skoog. Even had a few choice words for the Wings’ bench.
THE LOWLIGHTS
- Not to kick a guy when he’s down (I’m sure he feels bad enough already), but Dear Lord was Arturs Šilovs awful. Our likely 1A netminder yielded seven goals on only 23 shots (for a crispy .696 save percentage), all the while serving up pizzas hot ‘n’ bubbly from the oven. (Translation, he gave up a ton of juicy rebounds.) Somewhere my colleague, Other Rick, an avowed proponent of a Sergei Murashov–Joel Blomqvist goalie tandem, must be smiling a knowing smile.
- A raspberry to coach Dan Muse for not yanking Šilovs when it was obvious his goalie didn’t have it.
- The defense didn’t exactly bathe itself in glory, either. The Wings Mason Appleton bulled his way through paperweight prospect Tomas Galvas as if the kid was vapor to score the Wings’ go-head goal. Galvas finished a team-worst minus-3. Girard and Finn Harding were minus-2 each.
- Physicality, or lack of. Carlile, Korczak and Solovyov each got involved at various stages and rookie Atley Calvert delivered six hits. Which turned out to be three more than the rest of the Pens’ forwards combined. Following the game, the Ol’ Two-Niner, Phil Bourque, called the team out for its collective passivity.
The good news? There’s nowhere to go but up (hopefully).
Snip, Snip
The Pens trimmed nine players from their roster today. Defensemen David Breazeale, Tyler Duke, Brent Johnson, Ryan Mast, Maleek McGowan and Broten Sabo have been assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Goalie Taylor Gauthier was placed on waivers for the purpose of being sent to the Baby Pens.
Forward Carter Sanderson was reassigned to the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL. The aforementioned Galvas was returned to Liberec Bili Tygri HC in his native Czechia.