The Pens were curb-stomped for the second straight game. They’ve now lost four straight, their longest such streak of the season. You worry, rightfully, because despite the injuries, the guys who have actually been playing are playing like dog shit. Some guys are coming back from injuries, maybe, but haven’t played in over a month. Overall, though, this isn’t at all how you want your team playing right before the postseason. The starting goalie hasn’t been playing well, and his backup just gave up five last night.
Pens won the Cup last year. We can’t complain about anything. Rules are rules.
Also, the team we’ve seen the last few weeks will look completely different in a few more. Nobody can predict how the team will respond when everyone is healthy. They could easily go right back to being the dominant force they were a few months ago. You just don’t know.
But most importantly, none of these games right now matter. The Pens are locked into the playoffs. They know half their team is out. The other half is probably just trying to survive, at this point. They know reinforcements are coming. That’s what their focused on, and they’ve been saying as much in every interview they give. These last two weeks before the playoffs are more or less the last two weeks of school before summer vacation. Nothing matter, nobody cares.
Which makes the hype that was created for last night’s game so bizarre. If it was a Cup preview, that was probably news to everyone actually playing the game. Nobody is thinking about a series that is still at least two months away when guys are getting injured every other shift. Pump the brakes.
Shit will figure itself out in a few weeks — players will return, slumps are bound to end — and then Sullivan and Company can start worrying about the little details. ‘Til then…
RECAP:
Rags Friday. Let’s just make it out of here alive.
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