Apparently, the Penguins are a team in disarray.
And after playing against an expansion team for the first time since the 2000-01 season, a team supposedly comprised of throwaway and potential rental players, those claims have only been exacerbated.
Between GMJR saying in front of the team bus the other day that heads may soon be rolling and the reports that the dark cloud of lethargy hanging above them is impossible to ignore, the omen of change seems ever present.
Some of these shortcomings can probably be written off after these players having played a zillion games in the last two years. Another part of it, though, falls at the feet Jim Rutherford. He deserves a longer leash than some in this fanbase have given him, but that also doesn’t mean he’s immune to criticism either. He seems to be preaching patience on potentially making a trade to give these guys a shot in the arm, which would be fine if the argument couldn’t be made that the Sheahan trade felt rushed. As soon as Detroit signed Athanasiou, GMJR was jumping in to the aid of a fellow GM to bail him out of the salary and contract hell he himself was the contractor of, while also shipping out the most likely Chris Kunitz replacement this roster had (Scott Wilson). While, sure, Sheahan’s been a lot better as of late, you’ll recall Greg McKegg had a stretch of good games too. Neither were ever going to be Nick Bonino, either. Then there’s the whole Ryan Reaves thing, who, despite being a great guy, offers absolutely nothing tangible on ice. You’ll also recall that’s where this game is played.
All that being said, Bonino and Cullen and Kunitz and Daley were all going to be near impossible to replace. Rutherford, to his credit, retooled this team on the fly once and turned them into back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions, so the history and experience to do that to the current construction of this team is there. That’s likely coming sooner rather than later, hopefully before the fanbase eats each others feet. Because losing 4 of the last 5, including 3 straight, and falling out of a playoff spot turns people into hyenas.
The Flyers have a better point percentage than the Penguins now, by the way.
— Charlie O'Connor (@charlieo_conn) December 15, 2017
And that, well, that doesn’t help either, considering those dickheads lost like 100 straight 5 games ago. It should go without saying that hopefully that next step is in the right direction.
LINEUP
Ready to do battle with the Golden Knights. #PITvsVGK pic.twitter.com/dKsHHzzm51
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) December 15, 2017
HCMS with a little line juggling that gave Dom Simon the nod alongside Sid and Bake, while Hornqvist got to wreak some havok with 71 and 81. Murray would return to the crease to go head to head with his old predecessor/mentor at the other end.
https://gfycat.com/@pensblog/detail/WarmPertinentGilamonster
FIRST PERIOD
It seems surprising to think that a team in Vegas would be absolutely elite on home ice. This is 100% not sarcasm. Coming into last night’s game, the Golden Knights posted a staggering 11-2-1 at T-Mobile Arena, the 2nd best home record in the league (by virtue of having played less games at home than the Bolts, it must be said).
With that, it should come as no surprise that they got the scoring opened just 1:41 into the game in what would be a woeful display of defensive zone coverage by the Penguins as Erik Haula led the charge through the middle of the ice with two former Penguins on either side of him. As soon as he deferred to Neal, it was damn near over for the Pens. Maatta stepped up as he had some help from a backchecking Malkin, but Phil left his post to come over and help too, leaving Perron all alone as Ruhwedel had to deal with the Haula center-drive. Neal working himself down low opened up the entire far side of the ice, where Colin Miller was just waiting for the feed. Murr made the save on Miller’s clean look, but only as far as Neal to roof the rebound. 1-0
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Death. Taxes. James Neal scoring against the Pens.
Even as the Penguins seemed to settle in and get a little flurry of chances, including a PP chance seconds after the goal, it seemed like there was no beating the Vegas goaltender.
https://gfycat.com/OldUnsightlyCuckoo
Vintage play.
However, it would end up taking just a few mistakes for the Pens to even the score with just over 8 minutes to play in the period. After two failed Vegas clearing attempts, the first of which was held in nicely by Hunwick before Haula turned the puck over off of the ref to Sheahan down low, the Pens were in. Unreal work behind the net from Hagelin to keep the sequence alive before working his way back out to the front of the net to take Sheahan’s feed and make a pants ointment pass to Erik Karlsson Ian Cole at the side of the net. 1-1
https://gfycat.com/@pensblog/detail/DisloyalMediumEwe
Great shift from Hags, but the way he makes Shea Theodore look silly is just so awesome. The way he protects the puck to reach his stick out to slide a pass around him, you won’t see too prettier a pass than that (until the 2nd period).
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SECOND PERIOD
If the first period was the period of the goals, the 2nd frame was the period of the saves. Both goalies were markedly brilliant throughout the game, aptly being named the first 2 stars of the night, but in the 2nd, neither could be beaten on the 9 shots they each faced. Perhaps the best chance came off of Dumoulin’s stick with just over 6 minutes to play. The Guentzel-Crosby-Simon line were the architects of the chance as Crosby got in on a dump in to remind everyone that Deryk Engelland still sucks at ice hockey as he turned the puck over to a crashing Grendel. Crosby proceeded to again remind everyone that Deryk Engelland still sucks at ice hockey with a nasty between the legs backhand feed to Simon in the faceoff circle. He fanned on the shot, but still managed to get it over to a creeping Nick Lidstrom Dumoulin on the back post. Shades of 2009.
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THIRD PERIOD
It took just 8:17 of time elapsed in the 3rd period for Vegas to net the game winner and improve to 12-2-1 at home. Calamity of errors for the Pens, too. As the Crosby line went for a line change, Dumoulin took control of a loose puck near the bench. He promptly proceeded to turn the puck over to Haula jumping off his own bench, who stepped in and pushed Letang and Dumo back to drop a pass to Merrill joining in all alone. No chance for Murr on the bomb. 2-1
https://gfycat.com/@pensblog/detail/ThoughtfulUnnaturalGuppy
Money would have to remain razor sharp as the period wore on to give the Pens a fighting chance, showing off his sickening ability to track pucks late on. Insane how he was able to locate the puck after it went off the glass the way that it did, giving Dr. Andre Nosek a free and clear look, and still managed to get a pad over to make the save.
https://gfycat.com/ApprehensiveSphericalJay
But that’d be all she wrote as the Knights rode the wave all the way to another 2 points, with James Neal celebrating like he had just won the Cup. If only he had that chance recently….
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Game.
NOTES
- Again, the Pens powerplay was not able to score on 3 chances. Ebbs and flows, but if the team isn’t scoring at 5v5, the PP needs to.
- Both teams attempted 48 shots at even strength, but VGK pummeled the Pens with 26 scoring chances for, limiting the Pens to just 16.
- Dominik Simon looks the part with 87 and 59, doesn’t he? In 15:55 of even strength ice time, Simon was on the ice for 23 shot attempts for and just 13 against. Only Matt Hunqick’s 16-9 had a (slightly) higher percentage among players that actually played more than 6 minutes.
- Credit to the 2 goalies for being lights out, making 24 saves apiece. Big boy performances.
Game 2 of this 3 game road trip happens in the other part of the desert as the Pens travel to take on the Coyotes Saturday night. LGP.
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