Goal Assessment: Game 36 - Pens 2 Isles 0

Link to Game 36 Thoughts: The PensNation



+/- Assessment

1st Goal For (Cooke): + for

• Kennedy – wins the faceoff back to Engelland
• Engelland – takes a shot that goes off of Nabokov and gets tangled up in Cooke’s jersey
• Cooke – shoots the puck past Nabokov after it drops at his skates

2nd Goal For (Neal): + for

• Murray – digs the puck out of the defensive corner and chips it to Malkin
• Malkin – makes a pass to Neal in the neutral zone so he can skate up with it
• Niskanen – jumps into the play on the other side of the offensive zone, causing the defenseman (Streit) to watch the pass and give Neal room to get a better shooting angle
• Neal – rips a shot past Nabokov

Season +/-:  Click here for the Season +/- Spreadsheet

Goal Assessment: Game 32 - Pens 4 Isles 2

Link for Game 32 Thoughts:  The PensNation

+/- Assessment

1st Goal Against (Streit): - for

• Jeffrey – clean faceoff loss
• (everyone goes where they are supposed to go, Vokoun looks off of his angle a bit)

1st Goal For (Vitale): + for

• Adams – takeaway at the offensive blue line
• Glass – makes it a 2 on 1 with Vitale and pulls Hamonic a little bit out of position away from Vitale
• Vitale – snipes the corner on Nabokov

2nd Goal Against (Bailey): - for

• Dupuis – failed clear with the puck sitting in front of him
• Crosby – failed clear, then doesn’t skate out to Hamonic at the point OR shadow Bailey (lack of attention to what Kunitz is doing)
• Kunitz – gets caught wandering in the zone, too far away from Hamonic at the point OR Bailey skating to the crease (lack of attention to what Crosby is doing)

2nd Goal For (Kunitz): + for

• Crosby – wins puck battle in the defensive zone to Dupuis, eventually sets up Kunitz
• Dupuis – takes puck from defensive zone and passes it along to Crosby, then drives to the net causing a 3 player screen on Nabokov
• Kunitz – beats Nabokov 5 hole as the screen clears away

3rd Goal For (Sutter): + for

• Orpik – retrieves puck in the defensive zone and clears it out to Neal
• Neal – passes the puck from the neutral zone up to Cooke heading into the offensive zone
• Cooke – patiently waits for Carkner to go down and end up out of position before passing the puck across the crease to Sutter
• Sutter – beats Nabokov from point blank

4th Goal For (Dupuis): + for

• (Vokoun – clears the puck to the blue line)
• Crosby – knocks the puck to the offensive blue line where Dupuis picks it up
• Dupuis – smacks the puck into an empty net

Season +/-:  Click here for the Season +/- Spreadsheet

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

Pens Get Revenge on Isles, Push Winning Streak to 4

Main Storylines:

• A week ago, the Isles made the Pens look like were in serious trouble early this season.  After putting together 3 straight wins, the Pens have a chance to show something different to the Isles.
• No lineup changes despite rumors of Lovejoy playing.  Fleury gets the start.

Result:

Pens 4  Islanders 2

Goals:  Neal (6) (PP) from Crosby

            Despres (2) from Kunitz, Letang

            Sutter (2) from Cooke

            Dupuis (3) (EN) from Martin

ESPN Recap:  http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/recap?gameId=400442603

Stats:

• Brooks Orpik led the team with 5 blocked shots
• Evgeni Malkin had 3 recorded giveaways (a very high number for how the NHL records giveaways)
• Joe Vitale was the only center to win more than 50% of his faceoffs (5/7)
• Paul Martin and Brooks Orpik each had 8:36 on the penalty kill, they played 25:13 and 22:43 respectively
• No forward played more than 17:15 (Malkin was the leader) or less than 10:18 (Kennedy at the low end)

The Good:

This, all day.

• Penalty Kill:  After getting torched twice by the Isles PP a week ago, the Penguins MADE ADJUSTMENTS and switched to a more aggressive style.  Over the past week it has been pretty successful and was perfect last night.  The key to the Pens PK now is aggressive forwards covering the points and then everyone collapsing in the slot when the puck is deep in the zone.  There were numerous scrambles last night in front of the crease and the Pens outmanned and outworked the Isles every single time (with help from Fleury) to stay perfect on the night.
• Brandon Sutter:  Sutter played his best game of the year by far in my opinion.  His penalty killing and defensive coverage were better than most of the actual defensemen, he drew a penalty in the defensive zone, and he added a goal to boot.  The third line is starting to come around as they get more time together and Sutter is beginning to show some chemistry with Cooke.  Sutter is trending up big time right now.
• Marc-Andre Fleury:  “Start Vokoun!” “Start Fleury!” Who cares who starts if they both play as well as they have the last 4 games.  Fleury was the main reason the PK was a huge success last night and he made a ridiculous glove save on Matt Martin point blank.  He didn’t allow a bad goal and he did a fantastic job of staying patient/calm when there were puck scrambles in the slot and on the edge of the crease. 
• Tanner Glass:  Not only was his penalty kill work great, but he drew yet another penalty in the offensive zone by cycling the puck in the corner with Vitale and Adams.  Glass has done a great job of using his big frame to his advantage to protect the puck in the offensive zone and really does put his limited TOI to use.  This was a fantastic signing by Shero that isn't getting enough attention.  I also like how he tried to fight Colin McDonald (who declined) and still took on Matt Martin without question.

The Bad:

Sid? Want borscht to fix face?

• Evgeni Malkin:  Through this young season, every time Malkin improves one aspect of his game, another part suffers.  His defensive play was strong and he did a great job backchecking throughout the night.  However, his offensive zone puck possession took a dive and he turned the puck over far too much going up the ice.  Malkin was also limited to only 4 faceoffs last night (going 2 for 4).  I’m not sure whether that was planned by Bylsma or just due to the flow of the game.
• Kris Letang:  The only reason Letang ended up in this section is because he had to deal with Michael Grabner.  Yes, I realize Grabner is fast and can blow by pretty much any defenseman in the league.  However, every defenseman should know that and be prepared for it.  On Grabner’s goal, Letang was not only burned by Grabner, but was also out of position to begin with as he gave Grabner the inside lane instead of pushing him to the outside.  If he’s going to be an elite defenseman, that can’t happen.  Getting burned by Grabner will happen from time to time, but exacerbating it with bad positioning is careless.

The Ugly:

Don't look at me, I'm hideous.

• Sidney Crosby’s Face:  Raise your hand if you had a panic attack when Crosby took that puck to the face.  Luckily he came back just minutes later and appears to be fine, but that may have been the scariest point of the season for the Pens.  With the puck coming off of Brian Strait’s stick, who was of course waived by the Penguins earlier this season, #BlameShero.

+/- Assessment:

• 1st GF (Neal): + for Crosby (intercepts clear, pass), Neal (changes angle, shoots)
• 2nd GF (Despres): + for Letang (opens Despres for breakout, passes to Kunitz), Kunitz (pass to Despres), Despres (goal)
• 3rd GF (Sutter): + for Cooke (backcheck, steals puck, pass to Sutter), Sutter (goal)
• 1st GA (Grabner): – for Letang (gives Grabner the middle, loses him, then doesn’t cover him in front)
• 2nd GA (Boyes): – for Orpik (fans on bouncing puck), Dupuis (loses man on man coverage)
• 4th GF (Dupuis): + for Martin (knocks puck up), Dupuis (goal)
• Season +/-: http://www.crosbyftw.com/p/plusminus-spreadsheet.html

Thoughts:

Obligatory "Bortuzzo is awesome" pic.

• 3rd Line:  The third line as a whole had their best game since opening weekend.  Kennedy wasn’t fantastic but was much better than his previous 3 games and actually held onto the puck for once.  Cooke was great on the penalty kill and he looked energized by the additional playing time.  One thing with Cooke though, he seems to be having a lot of problems with backhanded clears this year.  Sutter was mentioned above and looked great last night.
• 2nd Line Wing:  Boychuk was okay but may have played himself out of the lineup for a game with a couple missed shots and a giveaway.  His speed is an incredible asset but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Bylsma go back to Jeffrey for the Washington game.  The Pens can afford to be fickle with that winger spot since Malkin and Neal take care of themselves and I imagine it will all depend on how much a player adds each game.  Boychuk is going to have to eventually add more than just speed to stay in the lineup.
• 3 Goal Leads:  The Penguins had another little 3rd period collapse last night.  This is the 3rd game where they have blatantly relaxed after taking a 3 goal lead (1st NYR game, Caps game, last night).  Yet again, things went awry as they looked up the middle more, tried lower percentage passes, and backed off of their aggressive nature.  Luckily with a 3 goal lead, it won’t bite them too much, but it’s a very bad habit in the long run.
• Roster Moves:  Despres had a nice bounce back game to re-solidify his spot in the lineup and neither Bortuzzo nor Engelland has done anything to jeopardize their spots.  Niskanen’s return will force a very interesting decision but I still lean towards sitting Engelland.  Hopefully with Despres bouncing back, the organization is preparing to move Lovejoy, whether it is via trade or on waivers.
• Who Starts Thursday:  Do you start Vokoun or Fleury against the Caps? Vokoun has played *better* than Fleury this season and had a strong game against the Caps on Sunday.  Fleury is coming off of a strong start and is the *#1* starter on this team.  The Pens do have upcoming back to back games this weekend.  I personally say start Fleury, then split the weekend games, and work from there.

Pens Record: 7-3-0, 14 pts

Next Game:  2/7 vs Was, 7pm

Record Crowd at Consol Still Waiting for Penguins to Show Up vs. Isles

This is a long one, sorry in advance, thanks for reading!!

Main Storylines:

It's okay Lovejoy, I'm sure you can keep up with Grabner.

• Matt Niskanen will be out 2-4 weeks with an ankle injury.  Simon Despres will take his place in the lineup for now. #FreeBortuzzo
• Last time we saw the Islanders, they won 5-3 in back to back games against the Pens and proliferated a defensive slide that derailed the Pens season and postseason.
• Brian Strait will make his return to Pittsburgh after leaving the team on waivers

Result:

Islanders 4  Pens 1

Goals:  Dupuis (2) from Kunitz, Crosby

ESPN Recap:  http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/recap?gameId=400442557

Stats:

TK's 4 shots may have come with 4 different lines.

• All 4 Penguins’ centers (Crosby, Malkin, Sutter, Vitale) were above 50% on faceoffs
• TOI leader – Kris Letang with 23:46, least for Craig Adams with 8:12
• James Neal was one of two players to record no shots (Vitale was the other)
• Ben Lovejoy, Tyler Kennedy, and Sidney Crosby led the team with 4 shots each
• Lovejoy and Letang led with 3 blocked shots each
• Simon Despres led the team with 4 hits
• The team had 11 recorded giveaways and 4 takeaways (Isles had 2 and 6 respectively)
• The Pens went 0% on the PK and 0% on the PP, converse to the Isles 100% on each.
• Pittsburgh failed to score first for the first time this season

The Good:

• Simon Despres:  The kid deserves credit – after being a healthy scratch for 2 games he re-entered the lineup with a very solid effort. He had strong shots on net and played a good (not great) positional and physical game.  Despres will easily stay in the lineup if he can continue to play like that.
• Craig Adams:  Despite playing on 3 or 4 different line combinations (including filling in at the point for a significant portion of a shift), Adams had his strongest 5 on 5 game of the season. He added a very strong forecheck and was smart with the puck when he had it.  For his strong shifts, he was rewarded with only 8 minutes of playing time though.

The Bad:

Gotta be a little quicker Fleury, not that you had help.

• Marc-Andre Fleury:  While I don’t think the loss was on Fleury at all, his awareness was awful compared to usual.  He was slow to extend his leg on the wraparound goal and actually missed the post when trying to get his skate to it initially.  Additionally, he dove in the wrong direction on the 2nd powerplay goal, leaving him out of position on the left side when the puck was never on that side.  It was just a little bump in the road for Fleury.

The Ugly:

• Forwards:  Don’t let the Penguins’ 38 shots fool you, they were pass happy, showed poor puck control, and couldn’t break into the offensive zone for the life of them.  19 of those 38 came in the 3rd period when the Isles safely had the game and backed into a shell.  The forwards as a whole look dismal and flat-footed next to the Islanders.  Here are a few of my issues with the group as a whole right now:
• Breakout support.  The forwards are not coming back into their own end at all to give defenders or a rushing forward help to break out of the zone.  When a turnover occurs, it’s a mad scramble because forwards are already too far up.
• Turnovers. Players are not taking the safe play the majority of the time. There are too many cross ice passes instead of just banking a puck up the boards.  Also, there seems to be a lack of saucer passes or at least getting air under passes to avoid opposing sticks.
• Decision making. Wide open shooting lanes are ignored, passes are forced, and players simply aren’t protecting the puck.  After a morning when Sidney Crosby was interviewed and told reporters the team was “forcing the issue” too much, I counted at least 5 turnovers in the first 2 periods by Crosby alone for trying to force passes.  Sometimes the simple play is the best, but the Pens certainly won’t use it.  I called out Malkin a couple games ago for having issues with quick decisions after his KHL stint…what’s everyone else’s excuse? (Don't tell me a short camp, last I checked, all 30 teams had those.)
• Puck Management:  It’s alluded to above with the forwards, but the Penguins as a team are demonstrating 0 anticipation and foresight in their passing and shooting decisions.  Instead of taking what they see ahead of them, they appear to have a specific play or outcome in mind and will do anything to complete it.  Guess what, they aren't completing it.  The team can’t keep pushing their style on teams that are set up perfectly for it, there needs to be adjustments by the individual players to make the right decision.
• Powerplay:  The first powerplay looked indecisive and lost.  For the third straight game, a team utilized a very aggressive PK strategy and it crushed the Pens PP.  The 1st line focuses on player movement and puck movement. They were successful against NYR, who played a passive PK and let them do their thing.  Aggressive PKs are dictating where the Pens can move and who they can pass to though.  Forced passes turn into turnovers, quick decisions go awry, the 1st PP line is not mentally prepared/able to handle playing this style when they can’t set up like they want to.  The perfect example last night was a one-time pass from Malkin at the right boards to Neal at the point.  The problem was, Neal was no longer at the point because he skated into the zone as the puck was getting to Malkin.  Meanwhile, Malkin had to make the one-time pass because he was already being pursued.
• Conversely, the 2nd powerplay is very stationary, simple, and looks more effective.  The problem is they simply lack the firepower of the first PP and will always be less effective.  Over the past two games though, the 2nd PP has looked much more in control of their game than the 1st.  More on this in the thoughts.
• Penalty Kill:  The last time I saw a PK as passive as the Pens last night, it was NYR’s when the Pens PP torched them.  The forwards are playing fine, they stretch to the points but they don’t full out attack; I’m comfortable with that.  The defensemen are too passive for my liking through.  No jostling in front of the net, opposing forwards get to screen Fleury as they wish and have room to operate if the puck ends up near them.  The complete lack of contact at all bothers me.
• Line Changes:  How many different line combinations did we see last night, 80 or 90?  For all of those different combinations (including Neal-Vitale-Jeffrey, what?), I don’t believe we really saw Kunitz-Malkin-Neal reunited either.  For a team that demonstrates passing and turnover problems, I’m not sure juggling the lines every shift is going to help exactly.  Sutter and Cooke have looked dismal since Kennedy left their line. So what happens to TK?  He starts on the 2nd line and then gets dropped to the 4th, bypassing a line that looked good opening weekend.  Having a short camp causes all kinds of problems that every team is dealing with already, juggling every single line every shift is going to hurt more than help right now.

+/- Assessment:

Fleury, never turn that way.  Orpik, do something.

• 1st GA (Cizikas): - for Martin (failed clear/turnover), Orpik (leaves position for covered guy)…Fleury should get one too for the delayed reaction
• 2nd GA (Granber) - for Engelland (can’t keep puck), Lovejoy (not supporting Engelland, not aware of who Grabner is)
• 3rd GA (Tavares) - for Neal (penalty), Martin (slid too far to a harmless player)
• 4th GA (Moulson) - for Kennedy (penalty), Cooke (peels off puck retrieval), Orpik (slides off guy on crease)…Fleury should get one here as well for his awkward dive the wrong way
• 1st GF (Dupuis) + for Engelland (dump in), Martin (pass down into zone), Crosby (pass), Kunitz (initial shot), Dupuis (goal)
• Season +/-: http://www.crosbyftw.com/p/plusminus-spreadsheet.html

Thoughts:

Brian Strait wins Round 1.

• Team Mentality:  The Penguins were outworked, outhustled, and unprepared for last night’s game.  It’s slightly alarming to see them play up to Phi, NYR, Ott, and look lost against Tor, Wpg, NYI.  The opposite would be much more acceptable.  Are the players taking these teams lightly?  Is the staff?  I don’t know what the issue here is, but the team certainly lacks focus and awareness in these losses.
• Isles Coaching:  Give Jack Capuano a lot of credit, after the two 5-3 victories to end the season series last year, he knew what to do in this game again.  He clearly scouted out both powerplay lines and had a different method employed to defend each one.  His PK aggressively attacked the top PP unit and sat back in a passive box against the 2nd unit.  I can't recall the last time I saw an opposing PK play such opposite strategies against different lines.  Give credit to Brian Strait too.  Not only did he play a great game, especially keeping up with Malkin in 1 on 1 situations, but I’m sure he was also a great help to Capuano in dissecting the Penguins.  No one will question who the more talented team was last night, but Capuano and his team put together the perfect method and adjustments to attack and destroy the Pens.
• Bortuzzo/Lovejoy:  Lovejoy didn’t play an *awful* game, but showed a disappointing lack of awareness and support on the Grabner breakaway.  He should have been closer to center to protect Engelland defensively and ideally I’d like him to know that one of the fastest players in hockey is out on the points looking for a turnover.  I’m still waiting for Bortuzzo to get his chance as I wrote about yesterday. It’s overdue.  Based on my +/- system for this season, Lovejoy is averaging a goal against that’s at least partially his fault per game.  #FreeBortuzzo.
• Tangradi/Jeffrey:  I was surprised to see this move after Tangradi played a solid 4th liner game against Ottawa.  I thought that was his best game of the season and I’m sure it didn’t help his confidence to get scratched after that.  Jeffrey was okay last night, much better in the defensive zone than offensive zone in my opinion.  I have no problem with Jeffrey playing, but that was an odd time to make this switch and I’m sure it hurts Tangradi’s progress with the timing.  If you’re going to give Tangradi the best chance to succeed, scratching him last night was the worst way to go about it.
• Adjustments I Would Make:  Personally, playing Wednesday afternoon coach from my desk, here is how I would trot the team out. 
• Forwards: Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis, Glass-Malkin-Neal, Cooke-Sutter-Kennedy, Tangradi-Vitale-Adams.  
• I would fully consider Jeffrey on the 2nd, Glass on the 4th, with Tangardi as a scratch as well.  Also wouldn’t mind trying Jeffrey on the 1st, Kunitz on the 2nd, and Glass on the 4th.  The third line would be unbreakable though.  
• On defense: Letang-Despres, Orpik-Martin, Engelland-Bortuzzo.  
• Despres played well, it's time to give Bortuzzo a chance.
• Fleury in net for you crazy psychos that want to hate him.
• My top powerplay would be Kunitz in front, Neal hovering left boards to slot, Malkin on the right boards, Letang and Despres on the points.  My 2nd PP line would be Tangradi (if in the lineup) in front, otherwise Dupuis in front, Kennedy hovering left boards to slot, Crosby on the right boards, Martin and Bortuzzo on the points (til Niskanen is back of course).  Yes, I say split the two centers up, give them one minute each, and keep everyone in a comfortable position.  A powerplay should never have a player in a situation he’s uncomfortable with, that removes the advantage of having an extra man to begin with.
• I would keep the penalty kill lines the same, though consider a shift to a diamond formation and have the defenseman on the crease actually clear out the crease instead of standing next to guys (looking at you Orpik).
• Bylsma on the Hot Seat?:  Of course, a 3-3 start for a team expected to compete for the Cup will bring out the #FireBylsma sentiment.  I’m not there yet, I’ll give him 16 games this season before I judge.  I do think he needs to adjust to the talent he has on this roster though and he has to accept change when certain things he wants to accomplish aren’t working.  If the team isn’t succeeding with stretch passes, the system doesn’t need to change, but perhaps a period of focusing on short passes and strong puck support would be good.  My biggest disappointment with this team right now is not the 3-3 record.  It’s losing the exact same ways they lost down the stretch last season.  The team doesn’t look like it has learned muchfrom last year and that is a red flag.  Not a reason to fire Bylsma yet, but certainly a red flag.  It’s cliché to say the next 10 games will be important, but I do think they determine how much longer Bylsma gets in Pittsburgh.
• If I had to replace him, who would I replace him with?  After watching Magnitogorsk for 4 months, I’d be stupid not to say Paul Maurice.  But let’s not go there quite yet.
• Finally, food for thought:  

• "Any call-up I had the last couple of years, I was playing sparingly -- 12 minutes, 10 minutes ... I'm getting a good opportunity here ... It's nice when you have a coaching staff that shows trust in you. It was a different situation the last couple of years, only playing for 10 minutes and not knowing if I was going to go back out for another shift after I made a mistake." - Brian Strait from the PG (credit to @HF_Steve for that)

Pens Record: 3-3-0, 6 pts

Next Game:  1/31 @ NYR, 7pm

Maybe Panic a Little, Pens Lose to Isles AGAIN

Main Storylines:

- Well, the Pens are coming off an ugly loss – if you want the reminder, check out my recap of that: http://crosbyftw.blogspot.com/2012/03/dont-panic-yet-pens-lose.html

- Fleury gets the start tonight after getting pulled on Tuesday.  Fleury is pretty much unbeatable in games after he’s pulled, so this bodes very well for the Pens.  On the backup goalie side, Thiessen has been sent down and Brent Johnson returns to normal backup duties.

- Tangradi is in the lineup, Park is out.  Vitale, Niskanen, and Letang all remain out.  Bylsma appears to be reuniting last year’s lines, going with Dupuis-Crosby-Kunitz, Neal-Malkin-Sullivan, Cooke-Staal-Kennedy, and Tangradi-Adams-Asham.

- The PK has been downright awful lately, allowing 5 goals on their last 18 tries.  I don’t even have a clue what has changed to make that happen.

Result:

Isles 5  Pens  3

Goals:  Dupuis (24) (SH) from Adams, Martin

            Staal (24) from Michalek, Martin

            Malkin (47) from Kennedy, Cooke

Stats/Milestones:

- Pascal Dupuis extended his career high scoring streak to 12 games with his short-handed goal and added to his career high point total, making it 52

I think Dupuis would inspire an awesome muppet character.

- Malkin tied his career high in goals at 47 and reached the 100 pt mark for the 3^rd time.  He is only the 4^th Penguin to do so (Lemieux, Jagr, Crosby, no surprises).  He’s the first this year to hit 100 pts and remains 9 points ahead of Stamkos in the Art Ross race.

The Good:

Eric Tangradi – As much as I’m glad to put Tangradi on this list, it also demonstrates how bad the rest of the team was that he starts it off.  Tangradi was one of the rare defensively responsible forwards on the ice against the Isles.  He introduced a physical presence and did a great job on keeping his stick in passing lanes.  He only had 8 shifts, and was still on for a goal against, but I daresay this was one of his better showings in the NHL.  I’m starting to wonder if his offensive game is disappearing bit by bit with his commitment to defense though.

Pascal Dupuis – Easily the hottest player on the team, if not the NHL right now, Dupuis is now on a 12 game point streak.  The only player in the NHL to have a longer streak in the past 2 seasons is that Crosby person everyone talks about.  Dupuis came out full of energy and had a big short-handed goal that brought the Pens back into the game.  My question is, with Dupuis playing lights out hockey, why has he not touched the powerplay?  Not even the first PP line necessarily (thoughts on that later), but the 2^nd PP is Cooke-Staal-Kennedy.  Are you telling me Dupuis can’t supplant Kennedy on there??  It’s asinine that Dupuis isn’t receiving time with the man advantage when the PP is cold and he’s red hot.

He can score down a man, why not up a man?

Tyler Kennedy – I felt Kennedy had one of his better games as well tonight.  He was strong with the puck and looked to pass more than we’ve usually seen him do.  The biggest thing that caught my attention was his speed and effort in the corners; he acted as both gritty TK and skilled TK.  Watching him miss a wide open net on the PP (though it was from like a 10 degree angle) was very frustrating though.  He at least had the right idea in his play even if the scoring results weren’t there.

The Bad:

- In a very disturbing trend, the Pens got dominated in puck possession again.  The Isles knew where to be, won the puck battles, intercepted passes, and made life miserable for the Pens in the neutral zone.  Once the Isles had the puck in the Pens D zone, they had very little trouble keeping it and passing it around.  The first goal was simply pathetic as Mark Streit skated behind the net unfollowed and untouched.  While no Pens followed him, everyone watched him so he could pass the puck to an uncovered Marty Reasoner.  That type of play was one that did not exist when the Pens dominated puck possession, but they seem completely lost when they don’t have the puck.

Chris Kunitz – Kunitz had the worst game I’ve seen him play in a while.  I have to admit, I was very excited to see him reunited with Crosby before the game, but he looked completely off.  He kept misplaying the puck, was missing his hits, and just seemed generally out of position.  Kuni may have been trying a little too hard with Sid.

Martin/Michalek – Just a short blurb.  I saw them paired up once.  A goal was scored seconds later as they both left the front of the net (though Staal was to blame too for leaving his guy in the slot).  Bylsma’s defense is setup to work where the dmen basically are connected by an invisible rubberband.  One defenseman stays in the slot, the other goes to the right.  If the slot guy moves to the left, the guy on the right move back to the slot.  The slot should always be covered.  These 2 have no communication when it comes to that and seem to always abandon the front of the net when paired together.

I guess covering the slot doesn't matter if you won't do anything there anyways.

Evgeni Malkin – Malkin had a nice goal, and played hard in the offensive zone, but I’m going to get on his case for his defensive work here.  I was immensely disappointed with him on the short-handed goal.  I have no problem with him turning the puck over at the point, or that there was a short-handed goal.  The thing that pissed me off was that Malkin stood there after the turnover and just watched as he expected Neal to get the puck.  He didn’t even start to move until the Isles had the puck and a breakaway.  If he starts skating as soon as he sees where the puck is, that play might turn out completely differently. If Geno is going to end up on the point, he has to sprint back to the net immediately on turnovers, he knows that, he’ll tell you himself.

The Ugly:

- Seeing Sidney Crosby take a puck to the face was easily the scariest part of the game.  Luckily he just suffered a bloody nose which didn’t require stitches and he’s okay.  It’s somewhat reassuring that he could take a puck to the face and not be re-concussed.  It’d be nice to have a game where we don’t have to worry about Crosby, that’s for sure.  Maybe when he faces old nemesis Ryan Miller in Buffalo.

Pics I never want to see ever.

- Special Teams pretty much went awry in all facets in this game.  The PP was 0 for 4 and let up a goal.  The PK let up a goal on a fluke bounce off of Engelland’s skate, though at least they did score.  Both units have been struggling lately which is putting the Pens in tough situations no matter how good or bad they are playing.  This was the same formula for losing to Tampa in 7 last year, so brace yourselves if this doesn’t change.

Thoughts:

- A couple thoughts on the lines that Bylsma has used.  First off, the lines change so much in a game that I’m not sure the starting lineup matters anymore, pretty much every possible combination is used, so don’t get too worked up with what the starting lines are.  One thing I was disappointed in though is that Cooke-Crosby-Dupuis has not been used as a line.  Cooke and Crosby clearly have worked well together since Sid’s return.  Add Dupuis as the hottest player on the team and it could be a great spark plug line.  Just my 2 cents on a combination I’d like to see have a few shifts. 

- I’m over the powerplay experiment by now.  There apparently is such a thing as too much talent on one line because the top PP loves to set each other up and defers on far too many shots.  It is almost as if psychologically, the Pens know there is so much talent on the ice that they take less responsibility on themselves individually.  I would rather see 2 very strong lines each playing about a minute, so there is a time factor to press them harder and the talented players on the ice feel more responsible to create things.  My next issue on the PP is WHY IS DUPUIS NOT ON THERE.  Seriously, I’m not crazy enough to put him on the first line, but I can’t comprehend how he hasn’t earned some PP time lately.

Neal watches as the Isles score shorthanded.

- When all is said and done, the Pens don’t deserve to win games in which they play about 15 minutes of good hockey and that’s all they came up with in this game.  There isn’t a single game left this season where playing anything less than 60 minutes will suffice, so the Pens better pick it up immediately.  I was very disappointed with the complete lack of fire they showed to start the game.

- On a happier sidenote, Malkin and Fleury are up for the NHL 13 cover.  You have to vote for one or the other at www.nhl.com/covervote.  My 2 cents here:  Vote for Fleury!!  Malkin gets his trophies: Art Ross, Conn Smythe, soon a Hart probably.  Fleury gets nothing!  So give Fleury the cover!!

- Finally, I need to give credit to the Isles Matt Martin.  Last year, he was trying to beat the crap out of every Penguin on the ice.  This year, though he boarded Brian Strait, he made a very conscious effort to hold Strait up and try to protect him.  I was very impressed with the sportsmanship on the play and it's something that doesn't receive nearly enough attention.  Props to you Matt Martin.

Cooke isn't the only guy to change this year.

Pens Record: 47-24-6, 100 pts, 2^nd in the Atlantic, 4^th in the East

Next Game:  3/30 @ Buf, 7:30pm

Don't Panic Yet, Pens Lose.

Main Storylines:

- The Pens took a physical beating against NJ over the weekend and will be without Ben Lovejoy (out 3-4 weeks, arthroscopic surgery on his knee) and Kris Letang (day to day w/ lower body injury).  Brian Strait and Simon Despres have been called up and enter the lineup tonight.  Steve Sullivan also returns at the expense of Dustin Jeffrey’s spot.

- The Pens have beaten the Isles 13 straight times at home, their longest streak against any team.  This game is the first in a home and home series where the Pens will be on Long Island on Thursday. 

- First place will be potentially and perhaps temporarily available for the Pens.  The Rangers are in action against the Wild tonight and the Pens are just 1 point behind New York.

Result:

Isles 5  Pens  3

Goals:  Kennedy (10) from Dupuis, Strait

            Neal (36) from Kunitz, Malkin

            Neal (37) (PP) from Malkin, Sullivan

Stats/Milestones:

- Pascal Dupuis extended his career high scoring streak to 11 games with the assist on TK’s goal and added to his career high point total, making it 51

- Brain Strait recorded his first point in the NHL on the TK goal as well

- Neal continues to add to his career high point total, which is now at 78.

The Good:

- Well…James Neal is still awesome…and Thiessen didn’t allow any goals in his only period of action…

Even Neal can't smile during losses to the Isles.

James Neal – The real deal piled up 12 shots on net to get his 2 goals, 1 of those being on the powerplay.  He really loves that spot at the bottom of the faceoff circle to a goaltender’s left side, and I’m starting to wonder if anyone will ever actually defend it.  While no one does though, Neal shall continue to play like a stud and put up goals for the Pens.  He’s just 3 shy of 40 now.

The Bad:

- The Pens put up a season high 54 shots but only managed 3 goals…not quite the shooting percentage you want to see. 

- The defense had yet another lackluster game, and in all honesty it was probably their 5^th subpar showing in a row for their talent.  Even with Letang, Niskanen, and Lovejoy hurt, this team runs a better system and has better defensive forwards than it would appear right now.  More on this in the thoughts.

- This will sound rather crazy, but I actually think Bylsma got outcoached in some ways this game.  The Islanders were looking to intercept stretch passes from the defense from the first minute of the game and the Pens never adjusted to it.  90% of the time, the Pens will dictate the play with how Bylsma wants to run the game, but they seemed very reactionary in this game, even when it was tied at 2.

The Ugly:

- The goaltenders got rocked tonight, mostly in a physical sense.  Both Fleury and Nabokov were pulled after 2 periods for various reasons.  Fleury got run over twice – once by Nielsen and once by Paul Martin, and he also took a slapshot off of the mask.  Meanwhile, Nabokov also got run over twice and looked uncomfortable through much of the 2^nd period.  Montoya did not fare much better in Nabokov’s relief as he got run into twice as well.  Hopefully everyone escaped healthy.

Great play was rewarded with a physical beating.

Thoughts:

- First off, give both Isles goalies a tremendous amount of credit for how well they played.  Nabokov looked extremely confident and challenged shooters incredibly well.  Honestly, he looked more fearless than any goalie the Pens have faced in over a month.  He made a ton of great saves in the first 2 periods and then Montoya came in to rob Malkin and Dupuis from making a game of it.  The Isles definitely came ready to play.

- On that note, the Pens, much like their fans, seem to have gotten caught up in the hype of being an offensive juggernaut that will rarely if ever be stopped.  The team’s play as a whole has turned from safe and sounds to high risk/high reward.  With a team this talented, reward will be the likely outcome as we have seen over the past month.  However, it has led to a complete loss of fundamentals.  That loss of fundamentals has in turn led to less puck possession and lackluster coverage in the defensive zone.  Guess what, you can’t make those high risk / high reward plays if you don’t have the puck to begin with.  Forwards are missing their defensive assignments, defenders are getting caught moving towards the puck instead of staying in position; this team has basically taken the mentality of go take the puck, skate it up, make pretty plays, and score.  They have to get back to their defensive fundamentals, especially in terms of positioning and patience, because that is the key to causing turnovers and getting odd man breaks the other way.  If I’m Dan Bylsma, I’m livid with how this team has been leaning on its skill more than its hockey IQ to win games.  This needs to change immediately.

- With that being said, I felt that one of the best dmen tonight was actually Brian Strait.  He looked physically outmatched and a half step slow at times, but he was definitely sticking to the system and keeping everything simple.  It’s a lesson the veteran defensemen could use right now.

- One thing to keep an eye on as we hit the postseason, the PK has been fantastic, but it is a very different creature when Michalek is not on the ice.  He makes a huge difference in coverage down low around the crease.  It was Martin and Engelland on when the Isles scored their powerplay goal tonight.

I realize we're a man down, but this should never happen on the PK.

- Looking at the standings, the Pens are now 3 points behind the Rangers, who are clearly in the driver’s seat to win the Conference.  Both teams have played the same amount of games, as have the Flyers who are 4 points behind the Pens.  The Pens would not win a tie-breaker with either team, so tonight’s loss basically shifted the importance of the Rangers game towards the 2 matchups left with the Flyers instead.  Of course, all of this can change on any given night where all 3 teams play, but the focus right now is definitely keep 4^th at least.

- The Pens have an interesting stretch of games coming up this weekend – at the Isles on Thurs, at Buffalo on Fri and then back home for Philly.  Fleury is pretty much unbeatable after getting pulled, so I am guessing he gets to start on Thursday.  That means Thiessen or Johnson will likely get Friday against a very hot Buffalo team trying to make the playoffs so that Fleury is fresh for Sunday against the Flyers.  Looking ahead, I will not be shocked with a Friday night loss.

Pens Record: 47-23-6, 100 pts, 2^nd in the Atlantic, 4^th in the East

Next Game:  3/29 @ NYI, 7pm