PREGAME:
Hockey is For Everyone Night at PPG Paints Arena, lotta stupid people with bad takes. If the existence of the LGBTQ community bothers you, maybe that’s on you and not the Penguins.
https://twitter.com/G_Off817/status/1098665582155755523
Almost that time!#LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/ME8zuwYsKZ
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 21, 2019
Same lineup from the win against the Devils, just with DeSmith in the cage.
Let’s talk about Blueger real quick: He’s been impressive, no doubt. He was pedestrian at best against the Rangers over the weekend. When you’re 24, your team is scratching and clawing for a playoff spot and you don’t play well, it’s to the press box. Sorry, folks. That’s how it works. Sometimes the shiny new toy isn’t always the best option.
FIRST PERIOD
Pens didn’t make it easy out of the gate. “Penalty killer” Jack Johnson was sent to the box just a minute and a half in.
It didn’t take long for the Sharks power play to make the most of it. A point shot from Brent Burns would be handled by DeSmith, Letang would try to block the rebound but Hertl was right there. He outwaits DeSmith and lifts it past him.
[protected-iframe id=”84c98432d0e9ddf5382dbd2708cd8b4a-142507471-50437453″ info=”https://www.nhl.com/video/embed/hertls-opening-ppg/t-300064220/c-66088703?autostart=false” width=”540″ height=”360″]1-0 Sharks
The next few minutes were all Sharks. The Pens mostly survived.
Then Dillion decided to take a cross check to the back of ZAR’s legs and it was to the power play.
They did absolutely nothing with it. Phil with an absolutely egregious turnover at the blue and Evander Kane was off to the races. Another shorthanded goal against.
[protected-iframe id=”7e732a2b50203e09beeb3bd818b561bb-142507471-50437453″ info=”https://www.nhl.com/video/embed/kanes-shorthanded-tally/t-300064220/c-66089203?autostart=false” width=”540″ height=”360″]2-0 Sharks
Please sign my petition to murder death all blue line drop passes on the power play.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, ZAR would get his stick in the feet of Evander Kane a few minutes later and it was to the PK.
Late in the Sharks power play, the puck would be pinned against the wall inside the Penguins zone. Against all logic and reason (and letting the goddamn clock continue to run!!) Jack Johnson would take off like he was shot out of a cannon and head to the scrum. Because this is both stupid and dumb, the puck was worked out by the Sharks. With no defenseman in front, Cullen scrambled, the puck was worked from Pavelski to Lablanc to Hertl for the tap in.
[protected-iframe id=”7e25795c0fd6c9000d7e75f7491149f6-142507471-50437453″ info=”https://www.nhl.com/video/embed/hertl-taps-in-second-ppg/t-300064220/c-66089803?autostart=false” width=”540″ height=”360″]What a stupid, stupid play by Johnson.
3-0 Sharks
The only other notable part of the period was Phil Kessel not shooting on a wide open 2-on-1. Inexcusable.
It was a special teams kind of period. The Penguins played fairly well and controlled the shot share at 5v5, but when your PK is 0-for-2 and you give up a shorthanded goal, 5v5 doesn’t matter.
SECOND PERIOD
The Penguins started the second with much more of a purpose and it showed. A 2-on-1 with Sid and Jake saw a shoulder save by Jones. Then Phil would get a grade A chance by changing the shooting angle, but again, another huge save.
Even with DeSmith getting ran in his crease with no impediment, the officials decided that was ok, but not Geno slightly getting a stick into Karlsson. It was back to the PK and we all cringed.
The PK actually stood up and killed the penalty. Geno was fed coming out of the box and despite Geno getting rung up for a hook two minutes prior, Jumbo Joe Thornton would do the same and….nothing. Joke.
Bryan Rust went to the room during the PK. He came back.
ZAR went back to the box when he decided to clutch and grab Evander Kane. The Sharks pressed the entire time and outside of Cullen missing a pass to spring him on a breakaway, DeSmith stood up to keep the deficit at three.
The period would end with the Penguins living in San Jose’s zone and getting a power play after Kane would leg drop Guentzel. Two good chances, but no dice.
Pens with 56% CF in the second. A better period, but putting yourself behind the eight ball that early, could be too little too late.
THIRD PERIOD
Opening the period on the power play, but not much doing. Sharks killed it.
A scrum would ensue in front of Bob Errey with Tanner Pearson going after Dillon. Errey obviously loved it and thought it would be the turning point. We played some 4-on-4.
The Pens would absolutely dominate the 4-on-4, but of course tonight would be the night Martin Jones became competent.
Turns out there was a line brawl during a TV timeout. We came back from commercial and the ice was a yard sale. No idea how, why or what set it off, but alright then. Sullivan got kicked out. Pete DeBoer still looked like he couldn’t remember if he left the stove on.
Pens pulled DeSmith with 4:36 to go. Two seconds into it, Phil took a high sticking penalty.
Burns scored on a 5-on-3 after Letang got a shot in on Hertl.
Turn the lights out.
THOUGHTS
- You can’t start late against one of the best teams in the league. You just can’t and that’s the thing – when the Penguins decide they want to be, they’re still a top team. It’s time to flip the switch for good.
- Your cynicism masked as intelligence isn’t funny. It’s obnoxious. Sit back and enjoy a fucking hockey game for once.
- Gotta wonder what’s going on with Phil and Hornqvist. Unrealistic droughts for both. Have to get going.
- We can argue until we’re blue in the face about the starting goaltender for this one, but when you have two division games on the horizon and the team in front of the goalie takes the first 20 minutes off, doesn’t matter who starts.
- It’s buried somewhere on the internet, but James Mirtle of The Athletic wrote way back when in about 2007 about how Jack Johnson isn’t good. It was really the first shot fired back in the day of Hockey Men vs. Analytics. Here’s the thing – we all know how bad he is. It’s been written to death. Tweeted to death. He’s the last gasp of the old school that people will not let go of. He’s a safety blanket for the old school. If not GMJR, someone would’ve made a similar play for him.
- Two huge divisional points coming up with Philly and Columbus.
- Overlord Jeff is heading to the Stadium Series. Content galore coming.
Go Pens.
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