By Brian Metzer
The Penguins left Pittsburgh on a high note last weekend after knocking off the Dallas Stars 2-1 in a shootout. Sadly, the feel good vibe dissipated just 28 seconds into the first game of the current four-game road trip when Teuvo Teravainen scored to put the Blackhawks up 1-0.
That 1-0 lead would eventually turn into a 5-3 loss in what was probably the Penguins’ best chance at getting some points on the trip.
The tough part about that loss was that the Penguins were on the comeback trail when a bad goal got past Sergei Murashov. Just one of many mistakes that have turned this jaunt into a nightmare. The crazy thing is that they answered the loss with one an amazing first period that saw them jump out to a quick two-goal lead in Colorado on Friday. That flipped in a blink once Nathan MacKinnon took over, sparking a comeback that saw the Penguins fall again – this time, 5-2.
Then it was on to Vegas, where the game was over before it even began. The Golden Knights jumped out to a 1-0 lead just over a minute in and were leading 3-0 before the bright light city could even set the Penguins’ souls on fire Viva Las Vegas style. This game might have been the most disappointing because of the self inflicted wounds.
The defensive zone coverage was terrible. Defensemen were left to roam, activate and open for chances that turned into goals. Rasmus Andersson and Noah Hanifin scored nearly mirror image goals, beating Murashov with clean shots that he’d probably love to have back. Mark Stone got a gift when video review deemed his footy goal a non-kicking motion and Trevor Connelly put the game out of reach when he picked off a Sidney Crosby pass – shortly after Crosby scored – and took it down the left wing and beat Murashov cleanly on the short side. Vegas danced to a 6-2 victory leaving Dan Muse and the Penguins looking for answers.
“We’ll have games and we’ll have stretches that I think we’re playing the brand of hockey I know we’re capable of, but we have to do it on a more consistent basis,” Muse said. “So, we’ve shown signs, but you can’t be two periods or one period. It’s got to be more consistent.”
He sounded frustrated as he talked about the lack of consistency and his teams inability to put together complete games over the past week and truthfully – throughout the first month of the season. He was asked about that frustration and he quickly pointed a finger at himself just as much as his players. Saying that it is on all of them to find a way to get back on track.
“It’s on us. It’s on us together,” Muse said. “We can’t be feeling bad for ourselves. It’s on all of us, myself included. So, together as a group, we got to dig in. We have to find consistency in our game. There’s a lot coming off of tonight that we have to clean up from a structural standpoint, across the board, a number of things.
“I’m not saying that’s just the players. That’s myself included. That’s us as a group. We have to stay together. We have to find a way to get out of it.”
While things have been shaky since the third period of their second game against the Montreal Canadiens, this trip has been particularly bad. Yes, they have managed to have the better of the scoring chances and high danger chances in each game, they haven’t been able to finish and have scored just 2.33 goals per game. On the flip side, they are allowing well over 5 goals per outing.
Their power play has struggled mightily, which is a big part of that anemic offense. It is worth noting that Crosby scored a power play goal against Vegas.
They have also struggled on the PK, where they have killed only 57.1 percent of the chances against.
They’ve been terrible in the faceoff circle, winning just 44.9 percent of their draws and they’ve been getting knocked around quite a bit. They were outhit in Vegas 27-10.
Things will not get easier come Monday night when they head into Utah to face a Mammoth team that is sitting in first place in the Central Division. To add to that challenge – the Mammoth were crushed by Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday and they’ll be looking to get back on track.
NOTES:
Speaking of McDavid – he put together a five point night in Utah and now has 23 points in just eight games to start this season.
Sam Girard was tripped by Brett Howden during Saturday’s game and crashed hard into the boards. He was down on the ice for a long while before laboring to the bench and down the runway. He did not return to the game.
After being held scoreless in four straight, Crosby now has three goals and four points in his past three games. He has taken more than two shots in a game in only three of the nine he’s played so far this season. Crosby’s goal – his 657th – pushed him past Brendan Shanahan and into sole possession of 14th place on the all-time list.
The Penguins won only 44.2 percent of their faceoffs on Saturday and now have only won more than 50 percent in three of their first nine games. Their high water mark came against the Dallas Stars when they won 55.6 percent. Their worst night came against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 9, when they won only 33.3 percent.
