RECAP 52: Fire Escape

The only thing more irritating that a dumb person that thinks they’re smart is a bad team that thinks they’re good.

All told, the Flames should’ve been run out of the building last night.  And they nearly were.  It doesn’t matter how many times they trade rape Boston, how many John Hockeys they get, or how many “win and you’re in” goalie tandems they try, they’re still just an ordinary hockey club.

That’s not to say they didn’t earn their 2 points last night.  After a disjointed, even first period that saw 2 Flames powerplays, one Pens PP, and 2 minutes of 4v4, the Penguins took over for the following 40+ minutes.  Calgary just hung around long to make the Penguins pay like it was 2015 all over again, surrendering 2 second period goals despite the Pens owning 21 of the 28 attempted shots at even strength.

For as much as Crosby stole the show in the 2nd, Chad Johnson stopped the show.  Any other year, the Pens probably get shut out with a 2-0 deficit after 40, regardless of how much Crosby was dangling his balls on their chin.  But, as of course is tradition, it was the Pens 3rd period effort that earned them a point before inevitably having to head to the skills competition with the Flames coughing up the lead like they were back in Atlanta.

Game Changer

As mentioned, for as good as Crosby was, Chad Johnson was the game changer. That a little surprising considering the Flames goaltending situation has been a tire fire since Kiprusoff retired.  But here comes Chad Johnson making saves well above his pay grade to keep this from being a blowout.

Johnson stopping the best player in the world. pic.twitter.com/5waUT7Ct5n

— FlamesNation (@FlamesNation) February 8, 2017

And when Johnson wasn’t robbing Crosby, both of his posts were defying all laws of physics to keep Sid out of the goal scoring column.

The Goals

16:19//2nd – G: Ferland (8)//A: None – 1-0 Flames

As soon as the Penguins killed off the carry-over Cole penalty from the first period, they started imposing their will on the game more than the Baylor football program did to the city of Waco.  Crosby was putting on a clinic all period long, but uncharacteristically gave the puck away in one of the most dangerous areas of the ice to some jobber with 14 career goals.

18:03//2nd – G: Frolik (13)//A: Tkachuk (24), Backlund (23) – 2-0 Flames

Another goal.  Another turnover at the offensive blueline.  This one coming from Schultz, releasing Backlund up ice on the 3v2.  That passing sequence just put the Pens through the spin cycle.  Kunitz probably makes a play if he doesn’t chase the pass to Tkachuk.

5:51//3rd – G: Kunitz (7)//A: Crosby (30), Letang (22) – 2-1 Flames

Faceoff critics will point to this goal as anecdotal evidence that faceoff wins do not correlate to scoring chances and puck possession (they don’t).  Yuuuuge play by Letang to bait the pass, pinch, and force the turnover.  Give Crosby Point #998 on the Chris Kunitz Redemption Tour.

15:06//3rd – G: Guentzel (5)//A: Cole (15) – 2-2

Again, Pens D activating to take away a weak Calgary clearance.  Cole with the freelance work, but the Guentzel finish boys and girls.

R1//SO – Save: Kessel.  Goal: Versteeg

R2//SO – Save: Crosby.  Miss: Monahan

R3//SO – Miss: Letang. Game.

Notes

• Let this be your daily reminder that Matt Murray is a star.  He kinda got “overshadowed” here with how much Johnson stood on his head, but there were two holy shit saves he made in the 3rd that gave the Pens a chance to get back in it.

• For as bad as the PK has been all year, going 4/4 against the #7 PP in the league is a step in the right direction.   None of the murders were better than the OT kill though.  Warrior efforts from Kuhnhackl, Bonino, and Cole with Daley in the box.
• Crosby probably breaks 1000 points tonight in any other game with the way he played.  Really dominated the game from start to finish, even if you ignore the giveaway.
• HCMS threw Guentzel and Kessel out to flank 87 in the 3rd.  It was pants ointment.
• Low key loved what the Wilson-Rowney-Hornqvist line was doing.  Calgary’s D didn’t have a real answer for their forecheck, particularly in the first period.  Rowney himself got stoned twice by Johnson and Hamilton on back to back shifts in the opening frame.
• At 5v5 alone, the Pens attempted 49 shots.  The Flames? 29.  This, of course, is expected from a Calgary team that consistently over the last couple of years refuses to possess the puck and insists on cheaply giving it away.  Via hockeystats.ca:

For as bad as the Penguins have been on the road this year, they get two chances this week to pad those stats against the two shittiest teams in the league, traveling to Colorado and Arizona on Thursday and Saturday respectively.  Do it.