Pens lose to Jets 2-1
Goals: Michalek (1) from Letang, Cooke
Top 3:
1) Matt Cooke. The rejuvenated Cooke had another solid game for the Penguins, essentially winning Letestu’s faceoff for him to set up the Michalek goal. Cooke skated forward to grab the puck before the Jets could, and then sent it back to Letang who set up the Michalek shot. As Michalek shot the puck, Cooke ran through Pavelec on a borderline interference possibility and the Pens got on the board. He was also a key component to the penalty kill, which had another perfect night. Cooke continues to put together solid nights at both ends.
 |
| M-V-P...wait what? |
2) Pascal Dupuis. Dupuis was one of the most energetic players on the ice for the Penguins and created many chances with his speed and effort. Unfortunately, he was denied by Pavelec on a semi-breakaway. Dupuis was another big part of a very strong penalty killing unit, which helped the Pens stay in the game until the end despite playing lackluster throughout.
3) Marc-Andre Fleury. Fleury also gets a spot in the top 3 for keeping the team in the game. He made several great saves and could not be faulted on either goal as they were both caused by complete defensive lapses. Fleury did all he could (with a little help from the post and Letang) to keep the team in the game as he put together one of his more consistent games this season.
 |
| What do you mean you didn't see the puck? |
Bottom 3:
1) Zbynek Michalek. I know Michalek scored the Penguins only goal, but he ends up in this spot for that horrible start. Michalek fell on the very first shift, leading to essentially a 3 on 1 and a Jets goal 8 seconds into the game. The Penguins had a difficult time recovering from that and it set the tone for a first period that ultimately buried the Penguins. The Jets came into this game low on confidence, but with a crowd that was willing to back them at any moment possible. Michalek gave them that moment.
2) Kris Letang. Letang’s play continues to slide as his minutes stay high and the Penguins struggle on offense. He has been skating masterfully up and down the ice, but it is certainly costing him in the defensive zone lately. The second goal was a result of Letang’s exhaustion from skating back from the offensive zone as Burmistrov simply outworked him and took a loose puck from him. He did potentially save a goal for Fleury, and earned an assist, but his turnovers and penalty were a bit much for my liking.
3) Chris Kunitz. Though Tyler Kennedy was the one diagnosed with concussion like symptoms today, it wouldn’t surprise me if Kunitz followed suit. He turned the puck over at center on his first shift of the game and things pretty much went downhill from there. He missed a wide open net, took a foolish retaliatory penalty, and was generally off on his shooting and passing. Maybe it’s a lack of linemates that is hurting him, but he better show up for that new contract soon.
Random Statistics:
- The powerplay has 1 goal since Malkin went out…I think I found last spring’s powerplay again.
- Vitale led the team with 2 blocked shots (umm…defensemen, where are you?), but only received 9:36 in playing time
- Steve MacIntyre played a measly 3:37 tonight
- Zbynek Michalek is amongst the worst in the league with a -6 plus/minus rating
- The Penguins entered this game with only 1 loss against the Thrashers/now-Jets franchise
Random Thoughts:
- The Penguins were the last loss for the Thrashers and the first win for the Jets….weird.
- Why is Steve MacIntyre on this team? Everyone looks exhausted and he barely plays, call up a useful player for the time being, there’s over a week before we have the Islanders still.
- Vitale earned much more playing time than he got which goes against Bylsma’s style completely
- I wouldn’t mind seeing a powerplay of Dupuis-Vitale-Neal trot out onto the ice, just to watch their sheer effort against the penalty killers
Injury Report:
- Malkin, Orpik, Crosby, and Jeffrey all did not make the trip to Winnipeg and Minnesota, so no updates on them until the team is back home on Wednesday I imagine.
- Tyler Kennedy missed the game with “concussion like symptoms” which he reported to the team on Sunday night.
- Deryk Engelland was cut by a skate to his face in Saturday’s game against Buffalo, and reopened the cut against Winnipeg. He won’t miss any time though.
Takeaways:
1) Can’t Afford Slow Starts. The Penguins came into tonight’s game without Crosby, Malkin, Kennedy, Jeffrey, and Orpik. Oddly enough, when a team is missing that much firepower and a defensive stud, they can’t risk playing catch up in a game. Yet, the Penguins went down by 2 goals for the second game in a row. The Penguins just simply don’t have the talent right now to get off to a bad start and play catch up for the rest of the game. The first period cost this team the game for the 2nd time in a row.
 |
| They like hockey in Canada...who knew? |
2) Must…Focus. The Penguins might have been a little awestruck with their return to Winnipeg for the first time in decades. Many of these players were young kids when the Jets left and spoke about their excitement at Winnipeg getting a team back. Add that distraction to the travel and heavy game schedule the team has started off with, and it’s easy to see why the team wasn’t ready at the start of the game. The coaching staff is going to have to emphasize simplicity in the first periods to keep this team afloat and in games early.
3) Is anyone Healthy? The big news today was Kennedy went down with “concussion like symptoms” from some unknown time and unknown source. The injury list already has plenty of all-stars, and the lack of bodies is going to lead to quicker wear and tear on those who are playing the most right now (Letang is my biggest concern). The Penguins might want to consider putting guys like Orpik on the short term IR so they can call up some fresh bodies, especially with such a front-loaded schedule.
Pens Record: 3-2-2, 8 pts.
Goals For: 19
Goals Against: 18
PP %: 20% (6 for 30)
PK %: 95% (21 for 22)
Next Game: Tues 10/18 @ Minnesota, 8 pm LET’S GO PENS!!!
(BTW – I’m gonna miss the 3rd period, so my recap might be limited for the Wild game)
No comments:
Post a Comment