Penguins Report Card: Pens Tank in Chaos; Refs Whiff on Big Goals
The Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators played hockey on Saturday. During the first 30 minutes, there were far more special teams than even strength play as the teams decided it was time to scrap, and men in ugly shirts with orange armbands attempted to wrestle control from a rotating cast of 12 angry men.
By the mid-way point of the game, only two Penguins players and two Ottawa players had played more than five minutes at even strength. Most of the grizzled combatants played between three and four minutes at 5v5 because the game was primarily a special teams contest.
The Penguins were 0-for-6. Ottawa was 2-for-4.
“We needed to score some power-play goals. That usually settles things down,” said Sidney Crosby.
Ottawa took 20 minutes in minor penalties. The Penguins took 16.
Yet it was the missed calls (or controversial if using reporter jargon) that put three of Ottawa’s first five goals on the board.
For the 10th time this season, the Penguins gave up a goal on the first shot of the game. However, replays clearly showed Tim Stutzle in the crease, and his skate made contact with Penguins goalie Alex Nedeljkovic’s skate, causing the goalie to be momentarily unbalanced as defenseman Tyler Kleven’s shot careened toward the goal.
Penguins coach Mike Sullivan requested a video review. In fairness, Penguins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk was in the neighborhood so perhaps Stutzle couldn’t leave the crease with the same desire he got there. Or any desire, really.
The refs declined Sullivan’s polite request to reconsider the goal, meaning the Penguins were shorthanded. Shane Pinto scored a pretty power-play goal to give Ottawa a 2-0 lead just 5:14 into the game.
Watch the last of the replays; you’ll see Stutzle’s skate contact Nedeljkovic’s pad. However, predicting goalie interference is always a crap shoot.
Tyler Kleven gives Ottawa the lead! #GoSensGo
Pittsburgh challenges for goalie interference; not even close. Great play by Stützle to start this one. pic.twitter.com/YhsxqHvujZ
— Everyday Sens (@EverydaySens) January 11, 2025
“I spoke to (general manager Kyle Dubas) after the game. He got some explanation (from the league). They didn’t think it interfered with (Nedeljkovic’s) ability to play his position,” Sullivan said. “And I respectfully disagree. I thought the player went into the blue paint of his own volition. He made contact with Ned’s leg. Therefore, we felt strongly that it impeded (Nedeljkovic’s) ability to play his position.”
It was a big swing, but far from the end of the fun or the end of controversy.
The Penguins’ power play was given ample opportunity in the first period. However, they were 0-for-4 in 6:25 of man-advantage time, with only six shots on goal and precious few dangerous scoring chances.
The Penguins slumbering power play was indeed the biggest cause for defeat.
Yet three of five goals that were controversial, if not incorrect, played a pretty big role, too.
The fourth Ottawa goal was a clear violation of a few NHL rules as Brady Tkachuk put his head down and bull-rushed defenseman Marcus Pettersson with the puck nowhere in the area. Tkachuk lost his helmet in a net-front scrum with Pettersson but continued playing–actually taking a step back and then charging into a two-handed shove on Pettersson. No whistle. Nedeljkovic was sprawled in the crease amidst the illegal battle, unable to get up. Drake Batherson was able to skate around the fray toward a loose puck and put it into a yawning cage.
Take your pick–no helmet and no attempt to retrieve it, interference for shoving a defenseman onto the goalie, but the goal stood. Make no mistake, Pettersson was holding his ground, but holding ground is harder when a player gets to step into a two-handed shove.
The goal was a gong show goal more fitting of the ECHL than the NHL.
Just to add insult to injury, midway through the second period, Nedeljkovic appeared to stop Claude Giroux’s wrist shot. The puck lay between Nedeljkovic’s pads as he held the butterfly, waiting for a whistle, which never arrived. Stutzle reached between Nedeljkovic’s crouched legs and poked the puck into the net.
Pettersson, who was earlier one of the recipients and givers in the punching battle with Tkachuk, stood in disbelief before shooting the puck the length of the ice. When exactly is the puck dead? That’s the 50/50 call. Replays were inconclusive on Nedeljkovic’s degree of possession.
There are bad days when every call goes the wrong way. Saturday was just such a game. Of course, the Penguins failed to score, so any result would have been against them. Ottawa is now one point behind with two games in hand.
Penguins Xs and Os
What Xs and Os? The game was played on special teams until it was out of reach.
The Penguins’ power play did not execute well. Not even a little bit. They found themselves skating around the perimeter and fighting for space instead of pressuring Ottawa’s penalty kill. Ottawa challenged the Penguins’ entries beginning at the red line, and the power play, despite significant practice during the game, didn’t solve the equation.
Conversely, the recently beleaguered Penguins penalty kill was victimized for a pair of goals against—one of which was a perfect play by Ottawa. Shane Pinto popped out of his net-front spot to the crease and was immediately rewarded with a one-timer as he fell backward.
Perfect timing, great goal. The second power-play goal was indeed the Tkachuk scrum.
Ottawa well protected their embattled goalie, Leevi Merilainen. The Penguins had 30 shots but only seven high-danger chances (at 5v5) and just one attempt off the rush.
Penguins Grades
Team: F
They lost the special teams battle. It’s almost impossible to grade them at even strength, but this team’s fight and willingness to stand up for teammates was ever present, though those characteristics were lacking in past years.
However, Sullivan wasn’t happy with his team’s overall performance.
“We get scored against. We challenged for goalie interference (because we) thought it was a really fair challenge. We don’t win the challenge. They score on the powerplay. It’s a two-goal swing,” said Sulivan. “That’s why I’ve never been a big fan of the rule, quite honestly. You know, it’s pretty punitive for something that is a difference of opinion. In other words, it’s not black and white, right? So it’s a two-goal swing, but there’s a lot of hockey left. I just I just think we get outplayed tonight. We didn’t we didn’t play well enough.”
The score will sting. Perhaps the bonding in the battle will be a boost. Or perhaps some players weren’t happy with Michael Bunting’s agitating antics. See the final quote below.
Power Play: F
Six chances should have resulted in one, if not more, goals. Surely, more than six shots on goal should have resulted. The power play lacked aggressiveness, instead scrambling in the neutral zone and offensive zone as Ottawa pressured.
Penalty Kill: D
They’re struggling. Nothing is smooth, and they’re not attacking as well as they were just two weeks ago. Either teams have figured out a seam in the strategy, or the players are slumping.
Coach Francis Anzalone dug into the struggles on our YouTube channel.
Alex Nedeljkovic: C-
Those weren’t bad goals. His skate was kicked on the first one. The second was a clean one-timer from the slot that happened in a flash. He could have made another save or three. We’ll call it a below-his-expected performance.
Michael Bunting: A
Here’s why: He stirred the pot. Double toil and trouble. Burn and caldron bubble. He dragged the Penguins into the fight, and even if Sullivan didn’t heap praise upon him, we will. It’s up to the Penguins to harness that energy, not be distracted by it.
However, here’s the quote from Karlsson.
“This sucks. Obviously, we lost control of our temper, and we focused on a lot of things, not involving playing hockey and playing our game. That’s something that shouldn’t happen no matter what happens in the game,” Karlsson said. “There are some things we can control and some we can’t. They scored two goals. It could have been zero. You know, that’s that’s obviously unfortunate for us. But, you know, it shouldn’t throw us sideways the way that it unfortunately did today.”
Categorized:Penguins Penguins Analysis
If anyone thinks Bunting is the problem…you got to be kidding me.
Wel, for once that actually jumped up and threw punches to defend teammates and got mad. That’s an improvement over the beginning of the season.
I would vote for the inexcusable Crosby penalty at the end of the first period. Which led to a goal to start the second period to secure the loss!
Yep, the captain lost his cool, and his frustrations got the best of him tonight…not to mention the childlike cross-checking battle in the corner that led to a 3-on-1 shortie…not a good leader tonight….Karlsson summed it up best
Not a good leader tonight? I really hate pens fans some time, you’re such brats, you don’t deserve Crosby
I attended the game, and they fell behind early, getting drawn into a style reminiscent of old Flyers matchups. They seemed sluggish on the ice, particularly when it came to chasing down loose pucks.
Let down games like tonight are why no matter what, Dubas needs to stick to the plan sell off as many players as he can before the deadline.
I would really like to see them in the playoffs again because if they do, anything can happen. Especially in the Eastern Conference. However, the leaders of the team pick and choose when they are going to play well. Leaders of playoff caliber teams don’t do that and don’t take nights off.
The team has been selling since FSG took over, only nobody noticed. The problem is, what we’re selling, nobody’s buying. We might have 1 or 2 players, but even those won’t fetch any returns that will speed up the rebuild.
Need to shake up the PK. This is what kept Nieto, in particular, in the lineup. If the PK’s on the fritz, scratch him. Then with Malkin out, they need someone who may be able to score a goal added to middle 6. Call someone up. Bemstrom, Broz, McGroarty. Scratch Nieto and drop Glass to the fourth line. The sample size is undeniable now. Glass’s great for possession, but he is never going to score. And if PK is floundering, the argument for Nieto shifts against him.
Great points, Steve…I like Glass alot, he needs to stay in the lineup, but Nieto is replaceable at this point…I’ve watched him closely the past few games…he’s just a step or two behind everywhere on defense, and hasn’t even thought about taking a shot…bring in the youth
I have been watching Nieto closely, too, after watching the Francis Anzalone breakdown of the PK. Several times he mentioned Nieto being a bit slow or indecisive. Glass can do what he does on the 4th line and possibly even improve their possession numbers.
Yes, please scratch Nieto and move Glass to the 4th line and what has Glass done to keep getting time on 2nd PP, 1 goal all year!!! For heaven’s sake try Lizotte, Beauvillier or Puljujarvi on that unit, the object is to score, right???
We need to create a Ned cryptocurrency. Nevermind it’s fundamentals, it’ll be shilled so hard.
This game confirmed what most of us knew years ago: This team is soft from top (coaches) to bottom (players).
Where’s the grade for the sorry coaching that has been going on? Both pens and Steelers have management, coaching, and player problems. Neither team going anywhere but down.
And both have Teflon Mike leading them, it is NEVER their fault!!! WHY???
Seems to me these birds (coaching staff included) take to the ice HOPING to win and are elated when they do and kind of flummoxed when they don’t, and if I’m right about this I say there may be too much emotion involved in the process. (just a thought) Playing “not to lose” adds so much weight to the outcome of the game. Coach Sullivan appears to be extremely frustrated (and why wouldn’t he be ?) as noted by his response to “bad calls” by refs which may indicate desperation entering into the team psyche (not good). Attitude counts in… Read more »
They got the outcome they deserved based on the effort on display.
Ned outdid Jarry last night, he let in the first 2 shots!!!
So the Sens bully the Pens and our “tough” guys to respond are Bunting and P.O.
This is further explanation on why this team will never win. You got a guy taking a cheap shot on Bunting’s head. You got a guy doing a triple cross check on your Superstar captain and they never pay a price. Why? Because the Pens don’t have an enforcer. Another failure of Mike Sullivan.
Keep Sully, keep losing.