Game 26 - Penguins 6 Islanders 1: Goal Assessment

Get the full thoughts here:  The PensNation - Game 26

+/- Assessment

1st Goal For (Dupuis): + for

• Kunitz – gives the puck away but takes it back at the blue line and gets it to Sid, then eventually passes down to Dupuis
• Crosby – beats Hamonic to the puck to help Kunitz and gives the puck back to him
• Dupuis – takes a sharp angle slapshot that goes off the post, off Nabokov, and in

2nd Goal For (Kunitz): + for

• Letang – fantastic keep at the blue line by batting the puck down in midair, eventually puts the puck in the corner for Neal
• Bennett – rotates down to give Letang an outlet and then gives the puck to Crosby and gets open for Crosby before giving it back to Letang
• Crosby – rotates to give Bennett a passing option, pulls a defender away from Neal, then gives Neal a passing option and feeds it right back to him
• Neal – gives Kunitz a perfect pass on the crease
• Kunitz – taps in Neal’s pass for a PP goal

3rd Goal For (Kunitz): + for

• Martin – break out pass to Crosby at the blue line
• Crosby – passes it to Kunitz in the middle
• Neal – passes the puck to Kunitz on the crease
• Kunitz – taps the puck to Neal and then receives a pass from Neal and shoots it past Nabokov

1st Goal Against (Boyes): - for

• Despres – trips over the puck / his own feet / the blue line, which leads to a 2 on 1 that Boyes shoots in

4th Goal For (Kunitz): + for

• Dupuis – throws the puck into the offensive zone for Crosby to retrieve
• Crosby – beats out Moulson to the puck in the offensive zone and drops it for Letang
• Letang – gets a low shot on net that leaves a rebound
• Kunitz – starts the break out in the defensive zone and buries the rebound in front when he gets to the crease

5th Goal For (Neal): + for

• Letang – clears the defensive zone with a hard pass off the boards
• Neal – takes the puck, goes in on a breakaway, and beats Nabokov

6th Goal For (Dupuis): + for

• Kunitz – forces a turnover in the offensive zone, receives a pass from Dupuis and sends it down to Crosby
• Crosby – passes the puck across the slot to Dupuis
• Dupuis – one-times the puck past Poulin

Get the full season +/- here:  Season +/- Spreadsheet

Bennett Scores in Win; Pens Sign Mark Eaton

Main Storylines:

• Evgeni Malkin is out indefinitely with a concussion. He will not join the team on the upcoming road trip.
• Neal is moving up to the 1st line. The second line is Bennett-Sutter-Dupuis. Jeffrey is the 3rd line center.
• The scratches are Malkin (concussion), Bortuzzo and Boychuk.

Pens 5  Lightning 3

Goals:  Crosby (8) from Kunitz

            Crosby (9) from Neal, Martin

            Martin (3) from Cooke

            Bennett (1) (PP) from Crosby, Letang

            Cooke (3) from Sutter, Letang

ESPN Recap:  http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/recap?gameId=400442741

Stats:

• Matt Cooke recorded his 200th career assist.
• Sidney Crosby moved into 3rd place all-time on the Penguins’ franchise points list.
• Beau Bennett recorded his 1st NHL point and 1st NHL goal.
• Crosby led the team with 5 shots; Cooke was next with 3.
• Brooks Orpik led the team with 4 blocks.
• Everyone had at least 10 minutes of ice time except for Joe Vitale.
• Vitale was the only positive faceoff guy, going 8 for 9 (Crosby 13/27, Sutter 5/14, Jeffrey 5/13)

The Good:

The first of many trips down the bench for Beau.

• Beau Bennett:  Bennett was on this list before his goal and he shot to the top after it.  He has already demonstrated in just a few games that he can handle himself anywhere on the ice and with anyone.  He looked very good with Sutter and made several smart defensive plays including a diving poke check to get the puck out of the zone.  Add in his first NHL goal and things are looking great for Bennett.  It shouldn’t be long before Bylsma is giving him more than 11 minutes a game.
• Matt Cooke:  Cooke’s two points were nice but it was his ability to create chances in the offensive zone and take away chances in the defensive zone that earned him praise.  He probably played his most well-rounded game of the season with a strong forecheck and doing a great job clogging up the neutral and defensive zones.  He played more than usual, over 18 minutes, and earned every single shift he had.
• Sidney Crosby:  Sid stepped up in Geno’s absence (no he didn’t, he just played his regular game) and led the team with 5 shots and 3 points in only 19:59 of ice time.  Sid’s TOI was relatively low with few powerplay attempts and Bylsma using his checking lines against the Stamkos line, but Crosby was productive nonetheless.  He was much more careful with his passes in this game and I only had him marked down for one errant pass (a season low, I believe).
• Marc-Andre Fleury:  Even when he’s allowing 3 goals, Fleury is still looking good.  He stopped 27 of 30 shots and tried to add a goal of his own but was stopped short.  He was clutch in stopping breakaways by Nate Thompson and Jeff Panik and put on another performance where he didn’t allow a bad goal.  Fleury has easily put to rest any “goalie controversy.”

Noteworthy:

• Entire Defense:  The defense as a whole played well, limiting the Lightning to goals on 2 crazy bounces and a 5 on 3 chance, but still showed some red flags.  They received a LOT of help from the forwards in this game and it was quite necessary.  Every single defenseman struggled to judge or keep up with the speed of Tampa Bay’s forwards which led to numerous odd man breaks and breakaways.  When the Pens score 5, it’s not an issue.  However, the defensive core will need to adapt better against well-rounded teams with speed.

The Bad:

• Engelland-Despres Pair:  I thought this pair struggled through much of the night, making quite a few ill-advised passes and failing to clear the defensive zone a few times.  They each had some very nice step ups and stretch passes, but as a whole it was a sub-par game.  This pairing definitely had the most problems with the speed of Tampa Bay.  Quick, forced decisions were frequently bad decisions.  Luckily, with only 13 minutes each on the ice, nothing bad came of it.

+/- Assessment:

"All hail Sidney Crosby!!  Oh wait, I'm Sidney Crosby."

• 1st GF (Crosby): + for Kunitz (picks off neutral zone pass, passes up to Crosby), Crosby (picks the corner on Lindback for the goal)
• 2nd GF (Crosby): + for Neal (picks off puck in D zone), Kunitz (brings puck into the zone, passes to Martin), Martin (takes shot from the point), Crosby (gets goal after it hits off of him)
• 3rd GF (Martin): + for Cooke (picks off pass in D zone, takes shot on net), Dupuis (keeps TB dman honest and from going to Martin), Martin (scores on rebound)
• 1st GA (Brewer): - for Orpik (turns it over trying to exit the zone), Neal (2 strides slow in following Brewer)
• 2nd GA (Stamkos): - for Despres (penalty), Adams (penalty)
• 4th GF (Bennett): + for Letang (rushes over to keep puck in the zone, passes to Crosby), Crosby (passes to Bennett), Bennett (one-timer goal)
• 3rd GA (Conacher): - for no one, unlucky bounce
• 5th GF (Cooke): + for Letang (retrieves puck in defensive corner, moves it up to Sutter), Sutter (cross-ice pass to Cooke), Cooke (empty net goal)
• Season +/-:  Click here for the Season +/- Spreadsheet
• **In an effort to make this a more valuable statistic, I’m going to work in TOI in the next couple days for the season totals**

Thoughts:

Am I the only one that sees him as
very replaceable?

• New Lines:  The new lines were simply fantastic top to bottom.  Kunitz-Crosby-Neal worked great together right off the first shift and Neal demonstrated he can play with anyone.  His defensive prowess is also up there with that of Pascal Dupuis, so the line didn’t miss a beat.  Bennett-Sutter-Dupuis had the wingers rotated around a bit, but worked very well as a unit.  It was an incredibly strong defensive unit that showed good quickness to the puck.  Cooke-Jeffrey-Kennedy played strong as a 3rd line and had a great forecheck going through many shifts.  It was a strong balance of grit, speed, and skill for a 3rd line.  The 4th line was the same as usual (Glass-Vitale-Adams) and performed mostly well as usual.  No changes necessary with any of this.
• Neal Play:  One thing to note is how frequently the Pens will set up the Neal faceoff play with Malkin out of the lineup.  Crosby is a better faceoff guy and won 2 pucks cleanly back to Neal for shots against Tampa Bay.  We will probably see a lot more of it in the next week at least.
• Eaton Signing:  As I’m writing this a night after the Lightning game, it’s also after the Pens have signed Mark Eaton to a 1 year, $725,000 deal.  Personally, I do not like this deal but I also understand where it’s coming from.  Bylsma and Shero have always placed a significant value on depth veterans and they clearly prefer to have one instead of Bortuzzo/Despres logging big minutes in the lineup.  Bortuzzo cannot be sent down without going on waivers (he WILL be claimed), so expect him to stick around barring a trade.  Despres can be sent down, though I don’t believe he should be.  Bortuzzo and Despres are ready to log NHL minutes.  Despres has a higher upside, Bortuzzo is the steadier guy.  Eaton to me is a smarter version of Engelland without the big size/fighting ability.  I would rather have Eaton in than Engelland though.  I would also rather have Bortuzzo and/or Despres in over either of them.  My depth chart: Bortuzzo, Despres, Eaton, Engelland.  The Pens surely do not see it this way, but that is the reason that I will be up in arms over the Eaton signing.  I don’t think he should be in over the 2 younger guys who have earned their spots in the NHL already.  I also don’t like the message this continues to send to younger defensemen in the lineup.  It already appeared to be Despres vs. Bortuzzo, now that situation will likely get worse.
• Future Moves:  Since Malkin was placed on the IR, that created room for Eaton.  When Malkin comes back, something will have to give.  Many people are suggesting Boychuk will go, but I’m still curious to see if he gets another chance while Malkin is out.  I also (personally) think it’s better to have 2 forwards and 1 defenseman in the press box than the other way around.  Based solely on how I would build a roster, my move would be send Despres down, perhaps trade him if the right deal comes along, or honestly – trade Engelland for a pick.  The most likely solution will be to send Despres down unless Shero finds the right deal for him though.

Pens Record: 13-6-0, 26 pts

Next Game:  2/26 @ Fla, 7:30pm

Pens Pregame Thoughts & Death of the Podcast

Just a few thoughts heading into the Panthers game tonight:

Lines at the Gameday Skate:

Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis 
Cooke-Malkin-Neal 
Bennett-Sutter-Kennedy 
Glass-Jeffrey-Adams 
(Boychuk, Vitale)

Orpik-Martin 
Niskanen-Letang 
Engelland-Despres 
Eaton-Bortuzzo

Ummm, what?  What did Vitale do to get bumped off the 4th line?  What did Bortuzzo do to get bumped off the 3rd pair? Is there a coaching handbook that says "Following a loss - change one 4th line forward and one 3rd pair defenseman?" I guess for this team, it would say the 4th line center.

Sorry Joe, maybe if you put in less effort.

Vitale should be a staple in the lineup by now. He brings more energy to this team than any other player and has been dominant in the faceoff circle.  Moreover, he's a great fit on the 4th line.  Inserting Jeffrey on the 4th line does no favors to the team or DJ.  I love Jeffrey's defensive prowess and puck skills, but most of that won't be on display on the 4th line.  It does give Bylsma the option of juggling lines though and we all know how awesome that is....

As for the defensive side, I firmly believe Bortuzzo and Despres should both be in over Engelland.  Both have higher upside, and both have brought more to the table this season as well.  This is turning into a game of Survivor between Despres and Bortuzzo.  There is no quicker way to slow their development and ruin any confidence each of them has.  Remember the comments Strait made about essentially being terrified of making a mistake because he would get benched?  Despres and Bortuzzo are living that world right now.  That's a great way to risk ruining one, if not both prospects.  

Admittedly, there is a small part of me starting to wonder if Bylsma and Shero's true developmental styles, techniques, and skills aren't being masked by the greatness that is Crosby and Malkin (which spills over to their linemates) right now.  Take note that I did not include Letang there because for all the natural skill he has, I'm not sure what to say about him developing into a better player than he was.  One day in the future, I'm going to sit down and take a long look at who exactly has developed well under this regime.

Please don't ruin him.

As for Beau Bennett, as I mentioned in my Flyers recap - I'm okay with him on the 3rd line.  I don't think he's being used enough or properly, but I would rather see him gain confidence on the 3rd line than watch him get thrown from 2nd line to healthy scratch because of a bad game.  All I ask with Bennett is that he is used steadily to help him grow his game.  I want to see him on the 2nd line wing, but that position has been anything but steady and this just might be safer for his development right now.

Last thought on the lineup...HOW HAS KENNEDY NOT EVEN BEEN BENCHED FOR ONE GAME YET?!?

Last Night: Panthers 5  Flyers 2

While the result appeared lopsided and the Panthers got off to a very quick start against the Flyers, don't let the score fool you.  The Panthers were by no means dominant against Philly; they pretty much capitalized on 3 huge mistakes by the Flyers in the 1st period.  This should be a win if the Penguins just play smart, focused hockey.  I don't believe that'll be an issue after that Flyers loss.

Weird Stat for the Panthers, here are their goal outputs for the last 6 games (record of 1-2-3): 0, 5, 0, 5, 0, 5.  Fleury shutout on the horizon?

Death of the Podcast

As you may have noticed, we have not done a podcast in two weeks now.  I'll throw Adam under the bus for having a life and a busy schedule.  In the wake of such factors, I am joining the crew at The PensNation and will eventually start doing posts on their site.  I have already been joining them on some of their radio shows, so make sure you check out their site.  Here is an iTunes podcast link for their shows.  Thanks for listening to the CrosbyFTW podcast while it lasted and I hope you join me and my new colleagues over at The PensNation!  I'll still post to this site for a while though, fyi.

Can't Win Them All, Penguins Lose Another

Main Storylines:

Pictured: Immeasurable goaltending wisdom

• A little self-plug to start: My thoughts on the Fleury-Vokoun debate and goaltending statistics in general:  http://thehockeywriters.com/fleury-vs-vokoun-how-much-do-goalie-statistics-matter
• Kris Letang was placed on the IR and Joe Morrow was called up as insurance for the defense.  Letang is eligible to return on Wednesday though.
• Tomas Vokoun and Johan Hedberg get the start in a battle of the backups
• The Penguins are wearing their dark blue jerseys to the chagrin of everyone
• Joe Vitale is a healthy scratch (after taking 2 boarding penalties on Saturday) and Dustin Jeffrey returns to the lineup on the 4th line
• Matt Cooke is playing in his 900th career game

Result:

Devils 3  Pens 1

Goals:  Neal (8) (PP) from Kunitz, Malkin

ESPN Recap:  http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/recap?gameId=400442644

Stats:

• Sidney Crosby went 19 for 24 in faceoffs (Malkin 7 for 14, Sutter 8 for 15, Jeffrey 0 for 2)
• Tyler Kennedy received a boost in play, getting 13 minutes of ice time
• Evgeni Malkin led the team with 5 shots

The Good:

Winning puck battles, that's what Pascal Dupuis does

• Evgeni Malkin:  After getting a little too involved in Saturday’s loss, Malkin played a steady game and helped set up the Penguins’ only goal.  He had a few great scoring chances but was stymied all night by Johan Hedberg who made some fantastic saves.  It was a good bounce-back game for Malkin even if there wasn’t a ton of offensive production with it.
• Pascal Dupuis:  Dupuis continued his strong series of games with great defensive work as usual.  He also drew two penalties: one on Gionta for interference and one by forcing Volchenkov into a delay of game with a hard forecheck.  He may not be adding a ton to the scoresheet right now, but Dupuis is a big reason that the top line has a strong +/- and he’s giving the team opportunities to score.

The Bad:

• Simon Despres:  As the rollercoaster that is Simon Despres continues, he went a little downhill in the second game against the Devils.  Puck handling was the root of his problem as he lost it in the defensive zone at least three times.  To his credit though, his recovery efforts after he makes a mistake are improving.  Keep learning Simon, you’ll get there.
• Paul Martin:  The first appearance by Martin in the bad section this season will likely be a short stay.  Martin looked a little sluggish, tired, and like he was trying to do a little too much for the Penguins.  He had some sweeping poke checks that were missing their mark badly and he was at fault for losing the puck at the offensive blue line as Kovalchuk took it to score the Devils’ 2nd goal.  Martin definitely looks like he could use a day off right now.

The Ugly:

Pictured: The Penalty Kill.

• Penalty Kill:  The PK went 0 for 1 but that isn’t necessarily why they are on here.  It’s because of the manner they went 0 for 1.  After killing off 8 out of 10 penalties on Saturday, one would think the Pens would have had the book on the Devils’ PP.  Instead, the Penguins reverted back to the passive box they used in the Islanders loss (which seems forever ago).  Stuck in the passive box, there was no resistance to the original shot on Vokoun and no one to tie up Clarkson on the crease when he went after the rebound.  I will never understand giving an opposing forward the whole crease and slot to work with uncontested, especially when it’s David Clarkson.

+/- Assessment:

• 1st GA (Clarkson): - for Engelland (pinches in zone, gets caught too far)
• 2nd GA (Kovalchuk): - for Martin (giveaway at offensive blue line)
• 3rd GA (Clarkson): - for Neal (penalty), Orpik (miles away from the crease)
• 1st GF (Neal): + for Martin (breakout pass), Malkin (finds Kunitz in slot), Kunitz (passes over to Neal), Neal (goal)
• Season +/-:  Click here for the Season +/- Spreadsheet

Thoughts:

Good work Boychuk, infiltrate their bench.

• New Jersey Devils:  While I generally just pick apart what the Penguins do in every post-game analysis, I have to give New Jersey credit for an impressive game. The Devils took advantage of the few opportunities they had, and were absolutely dominant at times in the offensive zone as they cycled the puck.  This is one of those losses where there is no point in being mad; the other team just played a very well-executed game.  They also did a wonderful job of attacking the points on the ice where the Penguins usually run their breakouts.  People may want to complain about the trap since it’s New Jersey, but with their pursuit and puck possession, the Devils did a hell of a lot more than trap. Also give Johan "Moose" Hedberg a lot of credit for showing some amazing anticipation and playing great.
• Vitale Scratched:  This move was likely because Vitale took two boarding penalties on Saturday, but I found it to be a misguided switch.  Vitale has provided so much energy to this team and has worked so well with Glass and Adams that I thought he was a fixture in this lineup by now.  The Pens certainly could have used that energy and speed as the Devils took the game over for large amounts of time.  I’m glad Jeffrey got back in the lineup, but I’m not sure Vitale was the right scratch.
• 2nd Line Wing:  Give Boychuk credit, he is developing chemistry with Malkin and the two had some very nice passing plays.  If it wasn’t for Hedberg’s excellent work, Boychuk would probably have had an assist or two.  However, Hedberg did play excellent and Boychuk still isn’t producing quite as much as I would like to see.  I’m still onboard with putting Jeffrey back on the 2nd line for a game or two.  I’m not saying give up on Boychuk by any means, but someone has to earn that spot eventually, right?
• Defenseman Injury Report:  Niskanen has been skating and said he was still a couple days away.  While he might be ready for Wed, it’s far from a sure thing yet.  Letang was placed on the IR retroactive to Tuesday, so he will be eligible to return on for Wed if he is ready.  I have seen reports ranging from “lower body injury” to “groin injury”.  If it’s a groin injury, give Letang extra days to rest because that type of nagging injury can derail his whole season with how he plays.  The young guys are playing well enough for the Pens to take their time right now.

Pens Record: 8-5-0, 16 pts

Next Game:  2/13 vs Ott, 7pm

Illness Gives Kunitz Superpowers, Pens Win

Main Storylines:

• Tomas Vokoun starts against his former team.  He was perfect in his last start, making 28 saves to shut out NYR.
• The lineup remains the same with Dustin Jeffrey, Eric Tangradi, and Ben Lovejoy as healthy scratches.  Matt Niskanen is still out of the lineup with an ankle injury.
• Ovechkin before the game: “I'm standing here, I have only 3 points.  It kind of embarrasses me, but it is what it is.”

Result:

Pens 6  Caps 3

Goals:  Kunitz (3) from Martin, Crosby

            Cooke (1) from Engelland, Bortuzzo

            Letang (3) from Sutter, Cooke

            Kunitz (4) from Crosby, Malkin

            Kunitz (5) (PP) from Malkin, Neal

            Kunitz (6) (PP) from Crosby, Letang

ESPN Recap:  http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/recap?gameId=400442593

Stats:

• Chris Kunitz had the first 4 goal game of his career
• PP was 2 for 3, PK was 3 for 4
• The Pens won only 33% of faceoffs in the 1st but were at almost 50% (34/71) by the end of the game
• Evgeni Malkin was a team worst 5/14 (35.7%) on faceoffs
• Paul Martin and Robert Bortuzzo led with 4 blocked shots each (Pascal Dupuis next with 3)
• Tyler Kennedy was the only player under 10 minutes played with 9:51.  He only played 2:02 in the 3rd.
• Brooks Orpik led with 28:11 of playing time

The Good:

I want whatever Kunitz has.

• Chris Kunitz:  Do I even need to explain this one?  Kunitz added another 4 goals while “ill”, had solid puck control, and was a forechecking machine.  Obviously his 4 goals take the cake, but the biggest change in his game has simply been a massive decrease in turnovers.  Just an unreal performance by Kunitz, his first 4 goal game of his career.
• Sidney Crosby:  There is no question in my mind that Crosby played his best game of the year on Sunday.  The Pens’ captain had 3 assists and put his name back in the hat for “most-skilled grinder” in the world.  His defensive effort was superb and he displayed a plethora of creativity and hard work in the offensive zone.  Crosby was a force in all 3 zones against the Caps.
• James Neal:  Neal only had 1 assist and was a little lost on the Mike Green goal against, but he had a very strong defensive game overall.  I had him marked down 4 times for great poke checks or backchecks in the defensive zone and another 2 times for strong puck support going into the offensive zone.  It won’t show up on the scoresheet, but Neal played a very strong and responsible game to help out his linemates more than himself.

The Bad:

• Kris Letang:  Letang looked great in the offensive zone and showed two things that will elevate his game even further: patience and a wrist shot.  His defensive game was inconsistent though as he demonstrated awareness issues and committed multiple turnovers.  When the Pens started using Bortuzzo and Despres less, it looked like it hurt Letang’s game more than anything.  He doesn’t appear to have good chemistry with Engelland when they are on the ice together.

The Ugly:

Vokoun had a great game, don't let Edzo say otherwise.

• Simon Despres:  As a young defenseman in the league, Despres will face many ups and downs.  Sunday’s game was certainly a down as he took two penalties, was manhandled in the defensive zone and saw his TOI decrease as the game went on.  Here are my notes on Despres from the game: “bad pass, misses a check, gets out of position, can’t clear, getting manhandled, loses puck in neutral zone, high stick penalty, delay of game penalty.”  I’ll just leave it at that; he’ll work through it (as long as Bylsma doesn’t switch him for Lovejoy next game).
• Fluke Goals:  Though Eddie Olcyzk wanted to blast Tomas Vokoun for the Capitals’ second goal, it’s hard to blame a goalie when the puck shoots out at a 60 degree angle from the glass.  The Pens have seen their fair share of both good and bad bounces like that, so while it was ugly, I wouldn’t want Vokoun to play any different.
• Third Period:  With a 5-2 lead, the team reverted back to some bad habits like they did in the first Rangers win of the year on opening weekend.  There were more passes up the middle, more players skating away from passes, and team as a whole got a little cocky about their abilities.  With a team this talented, Dan Bylsma’s biggest challenge all season is going to be keeping everyone focused and in control for 60 minutes every game.  It’ll be something to watch all year and it's my biggest determining factor on if he's the right coach to win another Cup with this team.

+/- Assessment:

Green scores one for Mother Earth.

• 1st GF (Kunitz): + for Crosby (faceoff win), Martin (shot), Kunitz (deflection)
• 1st GA (Green): – for Neal (drifts from slot), Cooke (lets point guy go free), Letang (doesn’t pay attention to Green)
• 2nd GF (Cooke): + for Sutter (puck retrieval), Bortuzzo (pass), Engelland (shot), Cooke (deflection)
• 2nd GA (Carlson): - for no one, skaters played it right, bad bounce for Vokoun
• 3rd GF (Letang): + for Boychuk (brings in puck, gets it to the net), Cooke (puck retrieval), Sutter (pass), Letang (patience, goal)
• 4th GF (Kunitz): + for Malkin (outlet pass), Crosby (pass back to Kunitz), Kunitz (goal)
• 5th GF (Kunitz): + for Malkin (starts play, primary pass), Letang (returns puck to Malkin), Neal (pass to Malkin, creates room in slot), Kunitz (goal)
• 3rd GA (Ribeiro): - for Despres (penalty), Letang (fans on clear), Sutter (fans on poke check)
• 6th GF (Kunitz): + for Malkin (knocks puck to Neal), Neal (sends puck to Letang on point), Letang (passes to Crosby), Crosby (rotates and feeds Kunitz), Kunitz (goal)
• Season +/-: http://www.crosbyftw.com/p/plusminus-spreadsheet.html

Thoughts:

2 game assessment: waiver wire success

• Powerplay Setup:  The powerplay FINALLY made some sense (and produced 2 goals) as Letang was at the point, Malkin on the right boards, Neal in the slot, Kunitz drifting between the crease and the left faceoff circle, and Crosby moving as he pleases around the lower half of the zone.  There will still be plenty of scares with only Letang at the point, but at least now every player is in a position that is comfortable for him.  I’ll be the first one to call myself an idiot for considering moving Kunitz off the top PP now that he looks competent with the puck again.  I have a feeling this will continue to trend up and down though because the Caps didn’t look all that well-prepared for the Pens on special teams yesterday.
• Trade Thoughts:  Credit to Alex R (@Alb4619) for sparking this thought, but could we maybe see Kennedy traded this season?  He’s a restricted free agent after this season and is quickly losing playing time and Bylsma’s confidence it looks like.  Kennedy has proven himself as an NHL player, is still young, and could actually bring something back in a trade (unlike Tangradi or Lovejoy right now).  It’s something to ponder and Shero may even be able to throw one of those other two players into the mix with TK.  Again, just a thought.
• Who Gets Benched:  This section will stay in until Niskanen returns because either Despres, Bortuzzo, or Engelland will inevitably get benched when Nisky is healthy again (and there’s still Lovejoy there too).  Sunday’s game was bad for Despres but I’m still a firm believer that he has to play through everything to solidify himself in the NHL.  We all know my thoughts on Bortuzzo, I had him listed above Engelland coming out of camp.  Engelland has played well though and Bylsma clearly trusts him.  I’m sure it will turn into a “play well and you stay, play poorly and you sit” situation, so right now Despres is the leading candidate to sit in my mind, for better or worse.
• 2nd Line Wing Watch:  Boychuk has solidified himself as the 2nd line winger for now and his speed is an incredible asset with Malkin and Neal.  I can’t imagine Jeffrey or Tangradi getting into the lineup without an injury right now.  Ray Shero should send a bottle of champagne to Jim Rutherford and some wine to the 12 or so other GMs that passed on Boychuk.

Pens Record: 6-3-0, 12 pts

Next Game:  2/5 @ NYI, 7pm

Penguins Shut Out Rangers, Fans Back Away from Ledges

Main Storylines:

• The Penguins claimed Zach Boychuk (will wear #17) off of waivers from Carolina.  Boychuk has 18 points in 73 games.  They also placed Matt Niskanen on IR to make room for the move.
• Robert Bortuzzo will get into the lineup for the first time this season.  Ben Lovejoy is a healthy scratch.
• Tomas Vokoun starts in net.
• The Pens will be using an old new look on the powerplay, shifting Evgeni Malkin back to the point and James Neal up to the slot.
• Former Penguin watch: The Rangers will have Rupp, Asham, and, though you never saw him in Pittsburgh, Benn Ferriero in the lineup
• The 3rd line of Cooke-Sutter-Kennedy is reunited and Dustin Jeffrey joins Malkin’s wing.

Result:

Pens 3  Rangers 0

Goals:  Malkin (2) from Despres, Letang

            Neal (5) (PP) from Crosby, Malkin

            Despres (1) from Dupuis, Adams

ESPN Recap:  http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/recap?gameId=400442569

Stats:

Vokoun says no for 1 of 28 times.

• Tomas Vokoun recorded his 49th career shutout, recording 28 saves.  Per ESPN, Vokoun is the only goalie entering this season with at least 4 shutouts in every season since the ’05-’06 season
• Sidney Crosby led the team with 6 shots
• Robert Bortuzzo played 12:11 in his debut.  Paul Martin was the leader at 26:23, Craig Adams had only 9:33 (6:57 at even strength, the rest on PK)
• Evgeni Malkin continued his faceoff problems by going 2 for 8.  Meanwhile, Crosby went 16 for 28.

The Good:

Hard work and pure effort from Glass

• Tomas Vokoun:  The number one star of the night made his 28 saves look easy as he recorded his 49th career shutout.  Anyone watching Vokoun through 3 starts has to admit he brings about a calming veteran presence and poise to the crease.  Just as in his previous 2 starts, Vokoun demonstrated perfect positioning and simply dealt with the game as it came to him.  Can’t argue with perfection on the night!
• Tanner Glass:  Glass only played roughly 10 minutes, with 3 of that on the penalty kill, but his limited TOI was quite possibly the most productive minutes of the night for the Penguins.  Glass was a force on the PK as he pressured the Rangers blue liners and he also managed to draw two penalties as well.  It was a perfect 4th liner game for Glass and then some.
• Simon Despres:  Despres certainly suffered through some growing pains in this game with a hooking penalty, a couple turnovers, and some weak clears, but he made up for it with offensive poise that left everyone’s jaw dropping.  It began with his set up of Malkin on the 1st goal of the game and ended with a beautiful backhand goal on a breakaway to ice the game at 3-0.  Overall Despres was still a little inconsistent but showed tremendous change as the game continued on.  He became a completely different player as his confidence grew with each shift and demonstrated significant potential to handle the puck and also separate opposing forwards from the puck.
• James Neal:  Aside from the beautiful deflection Neal had for a powerplay goal, he really earned this spot through superb backchecking and forechecking.  I didn’t have Neal marked for a single negative thing all game as he simply skated hard at both ends of the ice and was careful with the puck.  The interference penalty he drew didn’t hurt his cause either.  One thing to note is that Neal played 18:41 in the game, with 8:14 of that on the powerplay to help his case.
• Penalty Kill:  The PK went 4 for 4 and looked much more active and aggressive than they did against the Islanders.  Orpik and Engelland worked to clear out the crease and the forwards chased the Rangers to the blue line…and by that I mean the Rangers’ blue line.  Puck pursuit and support was excellent as the Rangers never had a chance to fully set up their powerplay. 

The Bad:

• Kris Letang:  Letang played a solid defensive game in his own end.  However, that’s not his only talent on the ice and he was quite disappointing on the offensive side of the rink.  He had multiple turnovers on the powerplay and seemed to struggle with pass/shoot decision in general.  Two of his giveaways occurred when he had an open shooting lane but opted to pass.  Meanwhile, two of his shots were blocked easily by Rangers.  Letang’s pass/shoot decisions will have to improve for the powerplay to truly improve.

The Ugly:

• Boarding Penalties:  There is still much confusion on what is considered boarding this year and Crosby getting hit directly in the numbers did not help matters.  We have seen boarding called for everything from clean shoulder hits to players actually drilling someone in the back into the boards.  If the NHL is serious about making this a safer game, they may want to get everyone on the same page.
• Powerplay:  It was nice to see the powerplay get a goal but the unit still struggled as a whole, mostly with puck management and decision making.  A change in personnel setup is not going to be enough to erase turnovers at the points and forced passes.  Even Neal’s PP goal wasn’t a true setup of the powerplay – it was great awareness and skill from Malkin, Crosby, and Neal.  The Pens looked ripe for a shorthanded goal against vs the Rangers and I can’t say I was impressed with Malkin at the point.  As usual, the team needs to just simplify and get the puck on net to get this unit going.

+/- Assessment:

Pictured: Joy, confidence, and the rising stock
of Simon Despres

• 1st GF (Malkin): + for Letang (puck retrieval, pass), Despres (pass), Malkin (goal)
• 2nd GF (Neal): + for Malkin (carried puck up, pass to Sid), Crosby (pass), Neal (deflection goal)
• 3rd GF (Despres): + for Adams (flicks puck up), Dupuis (races to puck, pass), Despres (goal)
• Season +/-: http://www.crosbyftw.com/p/plusminus-spreadsheet.html

Thoughts:

Bortuzzo survived his season debut with flying colors

• Powerplay:  The PP went 1 for 6 but I’m not sold on this setup still.  If there is one man at the point, it should be Letang instead of Geno.  If there are two players on the blue line, make it Martin and Letang with Crosby, Neal, and Malkin up front.  Is there anything Kunitz can do that Crosby can’t?  Martin has shown fantastic puck movement so far this season and might be a much safer and steadying option on the powerplay.
• Lines:  Dustin Jeffrey looked much better than anyone else has on the 2nd line and even had some nifty passing plays with Malkin.  The two clearly had more chemistry than Tangradi or Kennedy had on that line.  The third line remained quiet, though much better defensively with TK on the line and there were a couple offensive chances for them.  The 4th line was pretty much perfect all around with Glass, Vitale, and Adams.  There is really no reason to change the lineup for Saturday, but it will be interesting to see when newcomer Boychuk gets his chance.
• Defensive Pairings:  Orpik-Martin was solid as usual (as of this season) and Letang provided great support for Despres.  The third pair of Engelland - Bortuzzo had some issues clearing the puck at times but received enough support from the forwards to succeed.  Bortuzzo looked more comfortable than I was expecting after sitting the first 6 games and certainly played well enough for another game.  It appeared that the Rangers were targeting him heavily with their physical game, but he stayed the course and never looked rattled throughout.
• Goalie “Controversy”:  There is no goalie controversy.  Vokoun is a superb backup and will start at least a third of the games.  He’s a great calming influence and I imagine he will also mentor Fleury quite well.  Make no mistake though, Fleury has more potential, more talent, and is the unquestioned starter of this team.  Vokoun may play more right now since he’s hot, but this is still Fleury’s team, as it should be.  If Fleury learns a bit of Vokoun’s poise and positioning, his athleticism will put him over the top to be a Top 5 goalie in the league. (That is still a big if though.)
• Difference from the Isles Game:  The biggest difference I noticed immediately was the amount of support the forwards gave the defensemen to clear the puck and for breakouts.  Instead of having one forward lingering at the blue line and two further into the neutral zone, there was usually 1 forward in the D zone, 1 at the blue line, and 1 at the red line.  This gave the defense additional help in their zone and also provided for a natural progression of chipping the puck up to get to the offensive zone.  When puck management is a problem, additional forward support can be the rescue option.  This theory worked to perfection against the Rangers.  As you noticed, once the giveaways and turnovers decrease, this team is very difficult to play against.  Credit to Bylsma and the coaching staff for making that adjustment, even if it’s temporary.

Pens Record: 4-3-0, 8 pts

Next Game:  2/2 vs NJ, 1pm