Pittsburgh Penguins

[mounD]

- James Neal is wearing a protective device on his left skate for protection, after the apparent break [that turned out to be just a deep bruise] from a Henrik Tallinder shot in the Penguns last game. His skating ability will surely be monitored heavily over the next several games. Apparently the initial look at his injury that revealed a break was merely detecting either 1) a birth defect or 2) a previous condition Neal suffered that caused an inconsistency on a weight-bearing bone in his foot.

- Ben Lovejoy is such an important piece of this Penguins team right now, especially considering all the injuries the club is going through right now. The pairing of Niskanen-Lovejoy possess such great speed, quickness, and solid puckmoving ability and I’ve been very pleased with the play of both D-men.

- Malkin line with some decent pressure about 5 minutes into the period. Malkin especially strong fighting for the puck to create offense from below the goal line… classic Geno. Neal doesn’t look too bad either.

- Tangradi/Dupuis/Kennedy followed up with some good pressure; however a turnover to Spezza around the 5 minute mark almost cost the Penguins. Big save from Johnson though. Game still scoreless at 6 minutes of the period.

- Vitale with a sneaky opportunity around 7:30 of the period, but the puck goes right through the crease on his stuff attempt from around the net. Things are starting to heat up after a relatively slow start. Sustained pressure leads to a Penguins PP at 7:41 of the 1st period as Brian Lee goes off on a holding call. Penguins are 1-13 on their last 14 PP chances.

- Despres seemingly hurt on a hit around the 10 minute mark as the Penguins first PP chance expired. Hoping for the best as Despres goes down the runway to the dressing room. Penguins are now 1-14 on their last 15 chances on the man-advantage. Yikes.

-Chris Neil stuffs in a puck on a second opportunity right on the Penguins doorstep gives the Senators a 1-0 lead at 11:13 of the period. Matt Cooke was a bit late on his defensive responsibility and on the Senators’ sixth SOG of the game, they take the lead. Penguins lead 8-6 in SOG, but have been unable to convert. Same old story lately…

-Nick Foligno dishes a pass across the slot to Bobby Butler after a beautiful deke move around Lovejoy for an easy one-timer goal at the 14:03 mark to give the Senators a 2-0 lead. Penguins call Timeout in attempt to shift momentum and figure out the situation.

- Since the Senators first goal, the Penguins have not been able to create any offense, and have seemed a step slower on 1-1 puck battles. Early in the period the Penguins were leading 8-3 in SOG; however, as the period expires the Penguins have failed to register a shot since just before Neil’s goal. James Neal credited with a SOG late in the period to make the total 9, although the shot was definitely going high.

-Senators lead 2-0 after the first period. Penguins lead 9-7 in SOG, although the Senators carried the play over the second half of the period. Same story for the Penguins, come out strong but fade over the course of play – for the past couple games it hasn’t been until the second period but I suppose they are starting early tonight.

-Malkin led all Penguins skaters with 7:53 TOI and 1:57 on the PP. Tyler Kennedy registered 2 SOG in 4:47 TOI and should see a bit more ice-time with Staal out of the lineup. Matt Niskanen led all Penguins defensemen with 8:00 TOI including 1:07 on the PP. James Neal skated for 6:35 with 1:26 on the PP.

First Period Totals:
Senators 2 - Penguins 0
SOG: 9-7 PIT
HITS: 15-2 PIT
FOW: 10-2 PIT

Statistical edge meaning very little for the Penguins yet again...

Tangradi has a really big opportunity to finally make something happen here. If he doesn't start to produce and show that he belongs in the NHL, he will probably be a bit of trade bait for the Penguins come deadline-time. It's been too long, and he's had too many chances to be given much more of a leash in this situation. If Tangradi can't become an effective NHLer this year or next, then the Penguins probably won't really want to keep him around too much longer. I would expect something to happen on that front; either Tangradi producing and fitting in with this club somehow, or Tangradi being traded to a rebuilding team for some immediate scoring punch.

[mounD]

-Penguins really need a good start to the second period. A quick goal would be incredibly impactful in turning this bad stretch around

-Apparently that won’t be happening. Jason Spezza makes a beautiful individual play, faking a shot and then tucking the puck in short side against Bren Johnson. Amazing reach and an amazing goal at 1:15 of the second period for the Senators alternate Captain. Brent Johnson has now given up 3 Goals on 8 SOG and has been pulled. MAF to the rescue…

-Malkin centers and James Neal almost pokes the puck past Anderson but he manages to cover the puck at 17:55 and the Penguins’ chance is averted. Big save on Malkin, and no rebounds to be had for James Neal. Coincidental roughing minors to James Neal and Milan Michalek. 41 goals currently in the penalty box for both teams combined. 4 on 4 hockey.

-Malkin with a great chance on the 4 on 4, but the net was knocked from its moorings by a Senators player [Anderson I believe] and the play is whistled… no call.

-Dupuis and Lovejoy combine for a good chance around the 3:30 mark, but again Anderson denies the chance off the rush. Senators maintain the 3-0 lead.

-Malkin with a chance coming around the net almost manages to slip in a slow-moving puck on a wrap around opportunity around the 4:00 mark. Since the Senators third goal, the Penguins have really carried the play of this game and set their tempo offensively. Lots of speed, plenty of chances they just haven’t been able to convert. The 4 on 4 was littered with Penguins scoring opportunities, and the Penguins have carried that into the last few minutes of the hockey game.

-Brooks Orpik is really trying to take this game over right now. A massive booming shot at the 5:00 mark and then he absolutely BLASTS Chris Neil in the neutral zone. Aaron Asham is guilty of a slashing penalty away from the play, and the Penguins will be shorthanded for 2 minutes at the 5:17 mark.

-Milan Michalek gets his 21st goal of the season off his right skate on a bouncing puck in the slot at 5:43 of the period. The Senators lead 4-0 and are now 1-1 on the PP tonight. Michalek almost pushes the puck into the net with his skate, but Toronto rules a good goal on the play. Assists to Greening and Spezza.

-Instead of starting off the period with really good energy, the Penguins in the second period have surrendered two goals on two shots and the struggles appear to be continuing for this team. 4 goals on 9 shots is an unacceptable scenario for a team that is already on a 4-game slide.

-Cooke with a wrap around opportunity at the 9:12 mark of the period. Anderson continues to stand strong, making his 14th save of the game and is posting a Shutout so far.

-Tangradi with a pretty solid shift at the midway point of the period. He had a decent scoring chance early on, but the puck slid through the slot away from his stick. Later in his shift, he displayed really good backchecking ability and stole a puck back with good work, creating another offensive chance for the Penguins. If he can continue to play this well, and perhaps convert on some scoring chances, he might not be trade bait.

-Malkin with a beautiful unassisted goal[his 17th of the season] at 11:14 of the period to make the score 4-1 Senators, but Gonchar –who was guilty of a giveaway to Malkin – crosschecks Malkin into the back crossbar after the play. Malkin appears to be injured after the goal, but apparently being cross-checked after you score a goal is completely legal. I hope Geno is alright, because the Penguins really need this guy right now.

-At 12:30 of the period the Penguins lead 18-9 in SOG, and the momentum is beginning to shift their way in terms of scoring chances and maintained offensive possession/pressure.

-Orpik with a great shot through traffic at the 14 minute mark almost cut the Senators lead to two; although the puck slid through the crease, and no Penguins player was within reach of the rebound. Penguins have been carrying the play for a decent stretch, but they really need to convert on their scoring chances. Another goal before the end of the period is pretty crucial.

-Kennedy steals a puck from Carkner behind the net around the 14:30 mark and feeds Dupuis for a great scoring chance, but again the Penguins players are denied by Craig Anderson. The Penguins have had some really good pressure in the offensive zone, but nothing is going right for the Penguins right now.

-Richard Park falls backward on Craig Anderson and receives a goalie interference penalty at 16:34 of the second period and the Penguins will go on the penalty kill for the second time tonight. Penguins’ fans inside Consol very unhappy with the call.

-Chris Neil topples over MAF on a chance moments later and there is no call. Penguins fans inside the building are going crazy. I love emotional moments like this in hockey, very exciting for those of us “covering� the action.

-Senators threaten early on in their PP but Fleury is able to stand tall and make a couple big saves allowing the Penguins to kill the goalie interference penalty on Park.

-Malkin leads all Penguins forwards with 13:16 TOI and 1g scored [1 SOG, -1 rating]. Matt Cooke and Ben Lovejoy each have 3 SOG in tonight’s game thus far. Brooks Orpik leads all Penguins defensemen with 19:22 TOI, including 1:38 on the PK.


Through Two Periods:

Senators 4 – Penguins 1
SOG: 22-12 PIT
HITS: 27-9 PIT
FOW: 22-13 PIT

[mounD]

-Apparently the already anointed first overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft, Andrew Luck, was in the building tonight; apparently the luck he’s brought so far hasn’t been of the good variety… Anderson stands strong on a turning shot from Z. Michalek at the 1:08 mark of the third period.

-Out of the last 130 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins, only 10 of those games have featured all of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal. Frightening. Injuries derailing dynasty?

-MAF with a save on a Jason Spezza slapshot off the rush at 3:15 of the period. There will need to be more of this [aka Fleury standing strong] if the Penguins want ANY chance of coming back in this hockey game.

-Tangradi finishes up another solid shift with a nice shot off the rush, but Craig Anderson again denies the Penguins. Solid effort from Anderson so far tonight, he’s really been steady against a hungry Pens team.

-Malkin and Neal combine for some good chances around the 6:30 mark of the third period, but the pair are unable to convert on Anderson. On the first chance, Neal made a pass to Malkin off his skate [the protected skate], so I don’t expect this injury to hold him up too much in terms of what he’s capable of offensively. James Neal also threw a massive hit on Carkner, showing signs his physical play will continue amidst the injury.

-Tangradi with another sweet chance all alone in the slot, but Anderson denies him just past the 8 minute mark, and the Senators are forced to ice the puck. MAF with a save off the rush on Greening, faceoff in the Penguins end.

-James Neal gets called for a Charging minor on Smith at 8:40 of the period for a relatively clean looking hit. The referees may have thought Neal left his feet, but he lifted his injured foot off the ice during the hit, not propelling himself upward into the air. I guess we’ll never know. Either way the Penguins will be shorthanded for the third time tonight.

-Cooke and Dupuis nearly combine for a shorthanded opportunity around 10 minutes of the period. Dupuis was streaking to the net, and Cooke tried to feed him from behind the Senators net; however, the play was broken up at the last second. James Neal streaking out of the box with a GREAT chance almost sneaking a puck under Craig Anderson; Vitale with a big rebound but is unable to convert on the opportunity.

-As of 10:44 of the third period, the Penguins held a 28-19 advantage in Shots on goal.

-Neal with another great chance at 11:18 of the period after a crafty, little pass from Malkin out from behind the net. Neal couldn’t cradle the puck effectively, and the puck was sent up in to the netting off Gonchar’s stick.

-Milan Michalek scores his second goal of the night to make the score 5-1 Senators. Colin Greening fed Michalek streaking through the slot to put this game out of reach at the 12:36 mark of the third period. Other assist on Michalek’s goal to Kuba. Colin Greening registering his third Assist of the night.

-Malkin is called for Holding at 14:04 of the third period. This game has probably been over for quite some time, but the Penguins need a big kill here to save some face here. This penalty kill means a lot more than just one goal for this team right now. Senators are 1-3 on the PP so far tonight. The Penguins can’t really afford to give up more goals in this game, how deflating…

-The Pittsburgh Penguins have registered 30 SOG in a game yet again. I’m not sure what the streak is, but the Pens have put together quite a few games in a row in which they register 30+ shots on goal.

-MAF with a big save on Konopka in the slot at the 17:14 mark of the period. Although the game is out of hand, these moments / saves could be something to build off going forward. With an imminent 5 game losing streak, the team will be looking for positives wherever they can find them. Tangradi having a solid game is a definite positive I can think of. Dude was bangin’ bodies like crazy tonight, and had a few good scoring chances as well.

-Evgeni Malkin led all Penguins forwards with 19:09 TOI and a Goal. Chris Kunitz finished with 4 SOG in 15:43 TOI; James Neal 2 SOG, 4 PIM in 16:41 TOI. Brooks Orpik led all Penguins D-men with 25:36 TOI, and just under 3 minutes on the PK. Niskanen and Lovejoy combined for 5 SOG and both played 20+ minutes tonight.


Game Totals:

Senators 5 – Penguins 1
SOG: 30-23 PIT
HITS: 35-14 PIT
FOW: 32-29 PIT


Three Stars:

1. Milan Michalek had 2G tonight, giving him 22 on the season. He also had 2 PIM, was a +2 and had 3 SOG.

2. Jason Spezza scored a beautiful goal in tonight’s game and added an Assist. Spezza also finished the game with a +2 rating and 3 SOG.

3. Colin Greening registered 3 Assists in tonight’s tilt, assisting on Spezza’s goal and both of Michalek’s goals this evening. Greening was flying around tonight, and his impact was felt all throughout tonight’s game.

[Gramps]

Just found this on "PensInsideScoop" - This has to be good news right?

#Pens coach Bylsma: "Crosby will join team tonight in Wash and will skate on his own during trip. No timetable for return"

[mounD]

Some other news too...

via PensInsideScoop on Twitter

#Pens coach Bylsma: Jeffrey will play tonight. Grade 1 MCL for Despres, out 2-4 weeks -Sam

https://twitter.com/#!/PensInsideSco...28406034022400

[One87]

http://m.triblive.com/triblive/pm_18...tguid=0u0nBdit

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/teams/story/?i...e=nhl-penguins

[mounD]

http://m.triblive.com/triblive/pm_18...tguid=0u0nBdit

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/teams/story/?i...e=nhl-penguins

Cue the constant stream of Crosby updates...

[One87]

Cue the constant stream of Crosby updates...

It sure as hell beats the Tebow streams!

[mounD]

It sure as hell beats the Tebow streams!

That is a true statement, my friend. Don't get me wrong, I like Tebow and everything I just want to hear about other stuff on ESPN.

[mounD]

More news [good news this time]:

As per Josh Yohe of the Pittsburgh Trib on Twitter:

Martin is playing tonight, by the way

https://twitter.com/#!/JoshYohe_Trib...51461049360384

- Joe Vitale / C. McDonald / Macintyre are Scratches tonight...

[mounD]

Line Combinations:

Kunitz-Malkin-Neal
Cooke-Park-Sullivan[Asham]
Jeffrey-Dupuis-Kennedy
Tangradi-Adams-Asham[Sullivan]

Michalek-Martin
Lovejoy-Niskanen
Orpik-Engelland

-Craig Adams and Matt Hendricks get things started off with a fight at the 2:19 of the period. This game should have a very physical feel to it. Penguins hit the post off the ensuing faceoff on a shot from the point. Tangradi’s physical force being felt again tonight.

-Malkin line follows up with a chance; Malkin pounces on a turnover and then drives in the slot with a backhand near the 3:30 mark of the period. Penguins starting off strong yet again. Leading 5-2 in Hits early on in the game near the 5 minute mark.

-Malkin with a beautiful move off the rush manages to create a couple scoring opportunities for himself around the 8 minute mark of the first period. After the initial chance, Malkin fought for the puck and managed to stuff a puck shortside after some movement around the net. As per usual, Malkin’s line looks very strong, I would imagine he gets extra hyped for these Malkin vs. Ovechkin matchups.

-Richard Park has really elevated his play as of late, and it should translate to a decent increase in ice-time with Staal out of the lineup for the next month at least. The strength of his game lies in being a sound, smart defensive hockey player who can also help you out in the Faceoff circle. Solid offseason pickup for the Penguins.

-Malkin has seen some ice-time with Kennedy and Tangradi tonight. I would expect to see more of this sparingly, including double-shifting of Malkin, since Tangradi especially has shown very solid, physical play in the past couple games and deserves a shot with the big guy [aka Geno].

-Around the 10:40 of the period, Malkin has yet another chance out front, but Vokoun is up to the task. Malkin is in full on beast-mode in this game tonight.

-Neal with a strong wrist shot off the right wing at the mark of the period leads to the game’s second TV timeout. The Penguins are really starting to come on very strong in this –dare I say “must win� – game.

-Richard Park’s line [Cooke/Sullivan] has been having a great game thus far, and had an incredible cycling shift around the 13 minute mark of the period. Consistent, maintained pressure for a solid 45 seconds during the entirety of their shift. Penguins are hungry in this game, and you better believe Bylsma will reward hungry play with more TOI.

-I’m not really one to be into the whole conspiracy theory thing, but I think there is more to Crosby being with the team than some sort of recovery from his concussion symptoms. I don’t really think there is definite progress, instead I think this is more of the team trying to “break the silence� and give everyone some sort of update on his status. My thoughts during commercial breaks…

-Jason Chimera scores off a Malkin turnover at the 15:25 mark of the period to give the Capitals a 1-0 lead. Malkin on the rush turned the puck over at the Caps’ blueline, and left the players in red streaking on a 3-on-1 and eventually a breakaway for Chimera, who beat MAF stick side. Assisted by Halpern.

-Penguins almost give up another goal off a MAF turnover, but the puck is driven off the side of the net and bounces to safety. The Penguins are seriously starting to crumble defensively in this game, typical to their current losing streak. Start strong, fizzle out. Penguins can’t deal with adversity right now.

-Malkin with a screened shot off the wing just past the 18 minute mark forces the Washington Capitals to ice the puck. Hopefully a big faceoff win can translate to some offense late in the period. The Penguins really need something good to happen at this juncture.

-Evgeni Malkin has had himself a whale of a period, dominant in all areas of the ice – outside of his turnover that led to a Caps’ goal. Geno led all Penguins forwards with 7:51 TOI [only trailing Brooks Orpik and Paul Martin; 8:55 TOI and 8:16 TOI respectively] and registered 3 SOG in the period, but had numerous more chances. James Neal registered 2 SOG in 6:46 TOI and has been skating very well, considering his injury. Brooks Orpik – in addition to being the ice-time leader – led the Penguins with 5 HITS and was a dominant force defensively during the period.

First Period Totals:

Capitals 1 – Penguins 0
SOG: 9-6 PIT
HITS: 18-15 WAS
FOW: 10-3 WAS

[mounD]

-Very physical game shaping up tonight here in Washington. 33 HITS registered by both teams [combined] in the First Period. Both teams on a bit of a slide [Washington last 2, Penguins last 5]; I would expect this game to maintain its physical nature. On a very interesting note, these teams are fighting for the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot tonight when normally you might expect them to be jousting for #1 overall. Internal struggles and injuries can have a very large affect on any team in the NHL.

-Capitals seemingly have a better step in the first couple minutes of this second period. Ovechkin using his speed creates a great chance for Carlson around the 2 minute mark of the period. MAF stood tall with a big pad save to keep this game 1-0 in favor of the Caps. Washington also dominating FOW to this point; 12-4 advantage.

-Tangradi with some good work on the Asham/Adams line, but he has been good tonight [and last night] with whichever teammates he ilnes up with. Tangradi really used his power to create a chance at the 4:30 mark, walking out of the corner using his big butt to control the puck. He created a great chance, protecting the puck, and managed to get a shot all alone in front of the net but was denied by Vokoun. He’s certainly played well during this latest chance with the big club.

-Penguins’ Tyler Kennedy gets called for goaltender interference at the 5:38 of the second period at the end of a long shift. Stupid penalty, a bit embellished but a good call nonetheless. Penguins go on the PK for the first time tonight.

-MAF with a beautiful save on Semin from the right-wing / slot, flashing the pad on his stick side to rob Alex Semin early on the Powerplay. Penguins manage to stymie the Capitals offense for the rest of the PK and are able to kill off the man-advantage. As the penalty expired, Kunitz had a chance to float the puck into the net with Vokoun out of his crease, but the opportunity was blocked away by a Caps defender.

-Asham with a good chance near the 9:40 mark coming out of the corner with a stuff attempt but Vokoun stood strong; another good chance for Richard Park moments later, but the Penguins are unable to convert. Yet another solid shift for the Adams line; they continue to be rewarded with ice-time tonight.

- Tangradi playing a shift with Adams and Cooke around the 10:30 mark of the period. Bylsma continues to shift his line combinations around looking for a spark to this recently anemic offense. As per usual, the Malkin line has remained together, but all others are susceptible to change. Tangradi, though, continues to impress in his limited TOI.

-The second period up to the 12:30 mark has been a lot more tightly checked than the first period. Although there have been more SOG this period, the game has slowed down drastically. While the Capitals haven’t quite sat back on their 1-0 lead or anything, the slower style of this second period does benefit their situation more so than it does the Penguins.

-Dupuis collides with Hamrlik in the corner around the 15 minute mark of the period and is VERY slow getting up and going back to the bench. Going to commercial, Dupuis was standing at the bench apparently shaken up. Dupuis’ left skate went awkwardly into the boards on the hit, and it looks like another leg injury for a Penguins player. Dupuis is on the bench currently [15:30 of the period].

-Not much sustained offensive pressure for either team for the bulk of the second period thus far. As of the 17 minute mark of the period the Penguins led 19-10 in SOG and have had the better of the chances, although again they have been unable to convert on their scoring chances. Capitals have had only 4 SOG in the second period at the 18 minute mark.

-Kunitz with a shot off the left wing boards goes through the crease around the 18:30 mark of the period, but Neal is unable to deflect the attempted pass / shot off the pads.

-Dupuis with some solid offensive pressure in the waning seconds the second period, producing a good shot of the rush but then turns the puck over allowing Semin a great scoring chance with Wideman following up with a scoring chance of his own – some of the Capitals’ best scoring chances of the period.

-Again Evgeni Malkin leads all Penguins forwards with 14:00 TOI [no Penguins PP time so far]. James Neal still with 2 SOG in just over 12 minutes ice-time. Tangradi has 1 SOG, and has been banging bodies all night, only playing in 7:10 through 2 periods. Brooks Orpik leads all Penguins D-men with 17:11 TOI and 1 SOG. Aaron Asham has been solid tonight [indeed the whole Adams line], registering 3 SOG in 7:17 TOI.

In the Second Period, the Washington Capitals were pretty effective at hounding Evgeni Malkin all over the ice and making his life difficult offensively. Geno will have to step up and find a way to change the pace of this game if the Penguins want to come out and be victorious in tonight’s game.

- Geno Malkin left the ice with about a minute left in the period and went straight to the dressing room... Let's hope for the team's sake that everything is alright with Malkin. Without him this team would go absolutely nowhere at this point.

Through Two Periods:

Capitals 1 – Penguins 0
SOG: 20-12 PIT
HITS: 31-25 WAS
FOW: 20-13 WAS

[mounD]

-Dupuis out to start the third period, so it appears his ankle / leg is just fine to skate. This is great news for a team that hasn't really been getting any good news when it comes to player injuries. How many players will go down with injury until this problem subsides? Malkin also back out on the next shift; apparently whatever issue he was dealing with late in the second period has been taken care of.

-MAF with a save on Oven Chicken around the 2 minute mark of the period. Off the faceoff, Ovechkin with another chance below the dot off a broken play on the draw. OV is starting to heat up a bit in this game but MAF has been up to the task.

-Matt Hendricks with a shot off the far post near the 3 minute mark of the third period, Capitals almost making this game 2-0 and the bad guys again make a push in this game. Consistent pressure and the Penguins are forced to ice the puck 3:50 into the period.

-I'm not exactly sure what the Penguins record is without Letang in the lineup, but he is perhaps the most crucial player that is currently out of the lineup. Without the presence he brings in so many areas of the game, the Penguins are a weaker team; he moves the puck incredibly well, joins the offensive rush and has a very powerful shot, and brings a physical presence on the defensive end. Without Kris Letang the Penguins are a handicapped team more so than without Crosby in my honest opinion, and his absence might be the biggest factor in the Penguins' recent slide.

-MAF with a good save on Carlson near the 7 minute mark of the period after a couple minutes of solid offensive pressure from the Washington Capitals, their best such stretch of the game. Penguins will need to weather this storm and hopefully convert a turnover into some quick offense in the last 12:30 of the period.

-The Capitals have decreased the Pittsburgh edge in SOG, and at 7:30 of the third period the Penguins lead has shrunk to 21-17. Malkin, Asham and Dupuis all have 3 SOG for the Penguins; Carlson has 3 SOG for the Caps, 4 others with 2 SOG.

-Jeffrey and Cooke combine for a great Penguins scoring chance near 9 minutes of the third period, but Vokoun is strong on Cooke's shot from the left Faceoff dot. Just after the Caps get a chance on a 3-2 play going back the other way, but Fleury flashes the pad keeping the Penguins within 1.

-Moments later Ovechkin feeds a puck off the rush to Alzner in front of the net and MAF is again HUGE, giving the Pengunis a chance to win. In another push, Ovechkin fires a puck through MAF but the puck trickles wide, and then a try by Semin near the 10:30 mark goes just wide on an open net after some good puck movement by the Caps.

-The Penguins look like a very tired team in this third period, although the Capitals really should be the team that is more susceptible to late game fatigue; given the fact that they are returning from a late night flight back from Los Angeles last night, whereas the Penguins played last night but a bit more closeby than La La land. Penguins will have to find another gear [set the gearshift to the high gear of your soul; run like an antelope out of control] in order to tie this hockey game.

-A scrum in front near the 12 minute mark produces a great chance for Aaron Asham, but he is unable to push the puck past Vokoun. Nearly tying the game on the play, the Penguins have been largely dominated in the period, hopefully the Pens can change the tempo of the game starting with Asham's chance.

-Malkin coming off the bench before the 14 minute mark has a great chance, but he is unable to stuff the puck shortside as it trickled back to him across the slot. Soon after Pascal Dupuis is called for a Slashing penalty and the Penguins will be on the Penalty Kill for the second time tonight. Bad timing at 13:47 of the third period.

-I know it's not necessarily game-related, but I must say that Eddie Olczyk really struggles with some players' names, especially Pascal Dupuis. Frankly, his name isn't that hard to say, but Eddie O continues to call him Pasquale, Pasqual and all other incarnations of Pascal besides the correct utterance. Not really important, just hilarious as I used to play hockey in the same organization with Olczyk's son if memory is correct Eddie Olczyk was not one of the smartest men I've come across. Just some food for thought.

-With 5+ minutes left in the third period, the Penguins still hold a slight advantage in SOG 25-20, but have been held back by turnovers / penalties / not being able to convert on scoring chances. The Capitals have also come on pretty strong in the third period.

-James Neal has a great chance just before the 16:30 mark of the period but is denied off the rush by Vokoun, and Neal tumbles over Carlson and fortunately he looks to be okay after the pretty bad looking spill. Good news for Penguins fans.

-Dustin Jeffrey shoots a puck off the post just before the 17 minute of the period after a point-shot by Michalek. Penguins again unable to convert on a prime scoring chance.

-MAF with a huge save on an Ovechkin backhander short side near the 17:35 mark, Fleury giving the team a chance to win. Soon after [before 18 min. mark] a scrum around Vokoun produces chances for Chris Kunitz and Evgeni Malkin, but neither player can convert a goal. Vokoun, fighting for every puck, is able to keep every puck out of the net posting a shutout so far.

-MAF off the ice at the 18:43 mark for the extra attacker. Malkin-Neal-Kunitz-Dupuis Martin-Niskanen. Martin with an opportunity can't convert on a late shot, Vokoun standing strong in the final minutes. Penguins call a Timeout with 21 seconds remaining and an offensive-zone Faceoff upcoming. Pens lead 30-21 in SOG at this point. Penguins lose Faceoff, Capitals ice the puck and another offensive zone Faceoff upcoming with 13 seconds left.

-Capitals are able to clear the puck and they shutout the Pittsburgh Penguins 1-0 in tonight's game. This was Vokoun's second Shutout on the season. Pittsburgh Penguins again reach 30 SOG, but are now on a 6-game slide. Executing when it comes to finishing offensive chances being the biggest problem for the team right now. The Penguins started strong tonight, and came on strong at the finish of the game, but were ultimately unable to eke out a win and have fallen out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

-Evgeni Malkin led all Penguins forwards with just over 20 minutes of ice-time tonight. Malkin had 3 more shots in the final frame to give him 6 SOG on the night, however he finished with a -1 rating. Orpik led all Penguins players with over 27 minutes ice-time tonight, including 2:36 on the PK. Brooks Orpik also threw a ton of Hits tonight and was a force all game. James Neal and Aaron Asham both registered 4 SOG in 17:40 and 10:00, respectively. Tangradi had still 1 SOG in just under 10 minutes of ice-time, but had a pretty solid game overall. I would expect more TOI coming in his future, perhaps more opportunity to play with higher offensive-skilled players.

Game Totals:

Capitals 1 - Penguins 0
SOG: 30-21 PIT
HITS: 40-39 PIT
FOW: 25-20

Three Stars:

1. Vokoun stopped all 30 Penguins SOG tonight, and gets my First Star of the night. Registering his second Shutout of the season, putting an end to a 2-game losing streak for the Capitals, Vokoun got the big win for the Capitals tonight and made some big saves on Penguins players Evgeni Malkin especially.

2. Jason Chimera scored the game's only goal in the First Period, and finished the game with just over 13 minutes of ice-time. Jason Chimera has been a surprising player over the first half of the season, going through the team's first 30+ games as their Goal-scoring leader. Nobody would have pegged Chimera for 14 goals in the first half of the season, but that's where he stands.

3. Evgeni Malkin was an offensive force tonight for the Pittsburgh Penguins, despite the fact that his turnover led to the Capitals lone goal and GWG in tonight's contest. He registered 6 SOG in 20+ minutes TOI and was particularly threatening in the first and last periods. There was a brief scare at the close of the second frame that he might be injured [after going to the dressing room with about a minute remaining]; the Penguins will need a healthy Malkin in order to have any sniff at the playoffs this year.

The Penguins are really struggling for a Win right now, and the post-game on NBCSports speculates the Penguins will be active in the trade market sooner rather than later. I don't find myself disagreeing about that idea in principle, but where exactly would the Penguins be looking to improve? Certainly the one thing that comes to mind is offensively, particularly a veteran Centermen, but that's mainly due to injuries and I don't think a permanent move to bring in a Center is in the Penguins long-term interest. There are many questions the Penguins' organization needs to answer regarding the injuries [some major] to their elite players and how those injuries will affect their future with the club. At that point, I think the Penguins would be ready to make some sort of deal to bring in some scoring punch.

[mounD]

So What's the Story with the Penguins?


After tonight's game against the Washington Capitals the Pittsburgh Penguins have played their first game after the halfway point of their season. After 42 games, the Penguins are sitting in ninth place in the Eastern Conference outside of the playoff picture in January for the first time since 2009. Amidst a 5-game losing streak in which the Penguins secondary scorers created very little offense, many have begun to voice their concerns about this Penguins team. Everyone remembers last season, a season that saw Dan Bylsma overcome hundreds upon hundreds of man-games lost from marquee players such as Crosby, Malkin, and Jordan Staal to guide the team to a 4th overall seed in the Eastern Conference with 106 points. Since the Penguins are in a very similar situation this season, a casual observer might say:Well, they were fine last year. What's the story with the Pittsburgh Penguins?

The answer to that question is not so simple. Some people would have you think there is no definitive explanation. I, on the other hand, believe there are two major factors currently ailing this team that were not a major factor during last season's injury-laden success. One of these factors is painfully apparent while the other is up for some debate.

The Kris Letang Factor: More Important than Crosby?

The first major factor the Penguins are uniquely faced with this season - among a slew of other injuries on the slate - is the absence of their star puck-moving Defenseman, Kris Letang. In the absence of Crosby and Malkin last season, Letang was arguably the Penguins most gifted [and important] offensive player. His 50 points and 236 Shots on Goal really helped spark the offense for Pittsburgh last season, and he proved his immense worth to the team both in creating offense and playing stout defensive hockey - as is evidenced by his +15 rating. In terms of fantasy potential Letang is an absolute STUD in just about every format. Letang's season has been cut short by a Max Pacioretty hit sustained in late November, but after 22 Games played Letang had registered 19 points, 12 PIMs and a +5 rating.

Injury aside Letang was dominating offensively and scoring at near point-per-game pace even with Sidney Crosby out of the lineup - someone his production has been tied to in the past. The addition of James Neal, who has scored 21 goals on the year and leads the NHL in Powerplay Goals [10] and Shots on Goal [171], likely has something to do with the slight bump in Letang's early season production but I think the real answer is that we've seen a maturation from Letang; he's simplified his game and production was flowing as a result.

In Letang's absence - the past 6 games especially - the Penguins offense has been anemic, failing to score more than 2 goals during a 6-game slide and scoring only 6 goals total during the same stretch. Even with improved play from important players like Matt Niskanen, Paul Martin and even Ben Lovejoy the Penguins still lack the elite puck-mover who dominates in all situations when Letang does not suit up. Letang's importance to the team really cannot be understated; here is a small statistical breakdown showing the team's goal-scoring production while Crosby and Letang, respectively, are out of the Penguins lineup this season. I realize the sample size is very small with Crosby in the lineup, but there's not much I can do on that front.

98GF/34games w-o Crosby - 2.89 goals/game
26GF/8games w- Crosby - 3.25 goals/game
54GF/20games w-o Letang - 2.7 goals/game
70GF/22games w- Letang 3.18 goals/game

It's plain to see that Letang's worth to the Penguins in terms of goal production is at least equal to that of Sidney Crosby. When Letang is out of the lineup the Penguins score almost one half goal / game less than with him dressed, this may seem small but it's actually a dramatic difference when games are decided by a single goal on a nightly basis. Okay, so Letang is out of the lineup... that can't be the whole reason why the Penguins are struggling. In truth it's only part of the equation.

Team Mentality: Drifting over to the Dark Side

Alright, we've already discussed Kris Letang and the huge impact that his absence has on this team; however, other than his injury there isn't much different from last season. The Penguins were without Staal, Crosby and Malkin for much of last season yet there was still relative success in the regular season. There has to be something else to blame besides the Letang injury, and I think you can find the culprit evident in the Penguins recent losing streak.

I don't know if I'm the first person to posit this argument, but I think there is a negative mentality sweeping the Penguins players right now. As I've already mentioned the Penguins have been struggling to score recently, are in the midst of a 6-game losing streak, and every game seems to follow a similar pattern: the Penguins start very strong, things don't go their way, Penguins can't recover from adversity, and then a frantic push to even things up at the finish line. Not every game has followed this course, but the past couple weeks can largely be described by the previous blurb most notably the games against the Rangers and Devils.

I'm not exactly sure that the Penguins are starting to view their struggles in a negative light, but their recent struggles in the middle of games seem to indicate a sort of let-down when fate deals the team a tough situation. Dealing with adversity is a huge aspect of playing in the NHL, indeed any professional sport, and when players are struggling to deal with adverse situations, you can bet they aren't winning a lot of games. Recently the Pittsburgh Penguins fall into this category; let's look at a recent game against the New York Rangers to highlight a couple things about this Penguins team.

The Penguins started off strong against the New York Rangers, scoring the game's opening goal at 5:43 of the first period, and it appeared the Penguins would take that advantage into the locker room after the first period;however, Brad Richards was able to score off a rebound in front of the net late in the period to tie things up going into intermission. With a Powerplay opportunity early in the second period, one might think the Penguins were poised to take the lead; however, the result was a Shorthanded goal from Brandon Dubinsky and the Rangers never looked back after taking a 2-1 lead in the hockey game.

In key "momentum" shifts - normally shifts right after a goal is scored - the Penguins failed to establish themselves offensively, and when they had chances they were unable to convert. Although Henrik Lundqvist was absolutely special in this game, the night was just a precursor of what was to come for the Pittsburgh Penguins. In the games that would follow [New Jersey and Ottawa] the Penguins faced two more hot goaltenders and both games followed a similar suit, both Penguin losses.

In the most recent loss to Washington, the Penguins seemed incredibly deflated at the end of the first period and during the second period. After another great start to the game and another turn of events that did not favor them, the Penguins fell into a bad rhythm and were pretty well outplayed during the second period. I have played quite a bit of hockey in my life, and I know how a team can respond when things are continually not going their way night after night. It looks to me like this Penguins team is currently operating with a defeatist mentality, just waiting for something bad to happen at which point they completely crumble.

Outlook: The Second Half Push or Fade?

Something's got to give with this Pittsburgh Penguins team right now. You can only blame your problems on hot goaltenders for so long, and it's not even Jaroslav Halak we're talking about here. As we've learned over the years there is nothing anyone can do to control injuries to star players and Kris Letang's concussion is no different. His return to the lineup is inching closer and closer, but until that point the Penguins will have to figure out how to fill his presence on the blueline and manufacture some offense.

In the meantime there is one thing the Penguins can do: change their attitude. They are a quality hockey team despite all the injuries to premier players, and they are fully capable of not only making the playoffs but causing a fuss in the tournament. If only the Penguins change their self-defeating "oh no, not again" type mentality, then they can again ascend the Eastern Conference rankings and help Dan Bylsma repeat as Jack Adams award-winner and Coach of the Year. If the Penguins can't figure out their identity and overcome the injury bug yet again, we just might see the Penguins outside the playoff picture in the Spring.

Do you believe in miracles?

[ross10019]

Great post MounD.

Without a doubt the loss of Letang or Crosby is the big factor, much moreso than if they would lose say Malkin alone, or JStaal alone.

But to me the real key to this team is when it has Letang and Crosby together on the ice, that's when the offense truly becomes deadly. Pretty clear that when they are both playing, Bylsma does whatever he can to make sure they're on the ice together as much of the game as possible - I don't have specific numbers, I'm sure you or other Pens diehards can dig them up pretty easily, but I'm willing to bet that as compared to other examples of ice time together among forwards and Dmen in the NHL, it's among the highest for Letang/Crosby. When Letang's on the ice with Crosby, in addition to the rush and crisp breakout pass dimension that Letang brings, he effectively functions as a 3rd winger for Crosby; for a genius-level intelligence player like Crosby, it increases massively the number and quality of scoring chances that he can help manufacture.