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

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