A Scathing Penguins Recap; Lifeless Pens Stomped Again
BUFFALO, NY. — And the bottom dropped out.
The Pittsburgh Penguins’ run of wins and hot goaltending withered in the Florida sun this week. It was officially buried Thursday when the worst team in the Eastern Conference, the Buffalo Sabres, destroyed the Penguins 7-3 at Key Bank Center.
Or rather, the Penguins destroyed the Penguins. And maybe Buffalo isn’t the worst team in the East.
First, the tidbit of good news. Penguins center Sidney Crosby set the NHL mark with his 20th season of at least a point per game, breaking Wayne Gretzky’s mark of 19 set in 1998. Crosby (26) snapped a wrist shot over Buffalo goalie James Reimer at 11:11 of the first period to pull the Penguins to within 2-1.
Read More:Â 20 Years Greatness: Crosby Takes Gretzky Record!
That was the first and last bit of good vibes for the Penguins, who otherwise looked like a moping, sad bunch unhappy that the NHL’s regular season still has nine, now eight, more games to go.
The Penguins’ troubles began immediately. Just 27 seconds into the game, defenseman Matt Grzelcyk misplayed a puck at the offensive blue line, and defense partner Kris Letang jumped forward in an attempt to stifle the odd-man rush, but his missed attempt only exacerbated the situation.
Tage Thompson (36) was uncontested in the left circle and whistled a wrister past Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry. The goal also marked the 14th time this season the Penguins have given up a goal on the first shot against.
The NHL record is 16, set by the 2000-01 Colorado Avalanche. One can only hope for more history this season, eh?
Not long afterward, the Penguins’ defensive zone coverage again showed the care and attention of High School seniors watching movies on their last day of school. Peyton Krebs (7) had space between four … FOUR … Penguins near the net and was able to snap a quick forehand past Jarry at 4:44 for a 2-0 lead.
Should we keep going?
Hey, if I have to drive to Buffalo to cover this, you’re going to read every darned word that I have to write.
After Crosby broke Gretzky’s record, the Penguins stabilized the game for a little while. It was a false oasis of safety.
At 3:36 of the second period, the Penguins suffered no less than three breakdowns, from Noel Acciari and Blake Lizotte failing to switch coverage at the top of the zone, Letang’s far too soft defense on Bo Byram cutting through the slot, and Joona Koppanen getting beat by Kulich to the slot. Kulich (14) whipped another point-blank chance past Jarry for goal No. 3.
Less than two minutes later, Mattias Samuelsson was uncovered in the right circle. Hey, why break the no-show now? Samuellson (4) beat Jarry on the short side at 5:20 of the second for the 4-1 lead.
The Penguins’ bodies remained on the ice, but their interest clearly did not. The fourth goal signaled the end of Jarry’s game, the second game in a row coach Mike Sullivan pulled him after the defense abandoned him and the opponents hung four on him.
Alex Nedeljkovic wasn’t treated much better by the team in front of him. Buffalo needed a moment to catch their breath but regrouped for a few more goals in the second period.
Moments after a Buffalo power play ended, but before Blake Lizotte could rejoin the play, Kulich scored his second goal of the game at 11:33 of the second period. With plenty of space at the top of the zone, Kulich (14) unleashed a heavy wrister from the top of the left circle past Nedeljkovic for a 5-1 Buffalo lead.
A few other Buffalo players needed to pad their stats at the expense of the helpless Penguins goalies and disinterested skaters. Later in the second period, as the teams generated the drama of a PBS telethon, Buffalo scored twice more.
They did not get a free tote bag. Nor any chili for their seventh goal.
Just 28 seconds after Kulich’s marker, and moments after a Sidney Crosby turnover at center ice Buffalo scored No. 6. A chaotic chase into the defensive zone followed the turnover, and Tyler Kozak (3) was alone to fan on a loose puck in the crease, but the wind and momentum carried the puck across the line at 12:02 of the second.
The Penguins were not so rude as to impede Buffalo forward Alex Tuch (28), allowing him to race toward the net from the right wall and snap another glorious scoring chance past a Penguins goalie. 7-1.
The Penguins did get a little love from the hockey gods. At 2:16 of the third, Rasmus Dahlin kicked a loose puck into his own net. Blake Lizotte (10) got credit for the goal.
Buffalo defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker crumpled Connor Dewar with a heavy hit along the right-wing wall. After a quick moment, Dewar popped up and fought Bernard-Docker.
In garbage time, Kevin Hayes scored on a little chip shot near the net at 13:54 of the third. Hayes led the Penguins with six shots on goal.
Jarry allowed four goals on 12 shots. Nedeljkovic allowed three goals on 18 shots. Reimer barely broke a sweat, stopping 22 of 25.
Penguins Notes
Penguins forward Boko Imama was out with an upper-body injury. The Penguins opted for an 11 forwards and seven defensemen lineup. Ryan Shea returned to the lineup, but Ryan Graves and Vladislav Kolyachonok also remained in the lineup.
Evgeni Malkin did not play. He is out day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
The Penguins’ tragic number is down to 11.
Categorized:Penguins Penguins Postgame
Jarry back to being the most inconsistent goalie in history
Congrats to Crosby. Dubas has a lot of work to do the next couple of years.
Timmons is about the only defenseman who should be on this current team come September
Ned is not any better. How about the defensive mistakes. The whole team is at fault
#waxedagain
#freesullivan
#hiretocchet
And, yes Dan, I read every word even if I dared not watch. Kudos to you.
I read every word as well, and I took the dog out for a walk the last 5 minutes of the game.
Ditto…
This whole Defense SUCKS. Goaltending Sucks. We could use a couple wings. Lets see other than that the Pens don’t look to bad. Also the coaching Sucks!!!!!
I would love for some sports writer to go back to the date Sully was hired and find out what his record is when he chooses to go with 7 defenseman. (Would also love to be able to insert a GIF of George Costanza screaming “Seven! Seven!”)
Boko is injured. Upper body. Was a late announcement.
If Jarry and Graves EVER put on a Pens sweater after this season, and if Sully is still coach, KD should be fired.
(1) Dan, we voted for you to go follow the WBS team. You should have listened. (2) I don’t care if the first four goals were on breakaways. Jarry cannot be on this team next year. (3) #EmbraceTheTank. The team clearly has as they are playing like any lousy team late in the season with no hope of making the playoffs.
I was told on good authority that unless we win meaningless games and tank our draft position, we will….lose more? Because culture, I think?
We keep doing this, and we might be fortunate enough to get back into the Porter Martone sweepstakes again. 8 more slides boys!
Love Letang, but he’s way past due to hang them up.
If he does, his 35+ contract means the Penguins get no salary cap relief.
Don’t you dare say bad things about our Tanger!
Dan, you should ask the Pens organization to reimburse your travel! I will read EVERY word. Oh and about the upcoming Jarry article…*gulp*!
Dan, starting to look forward to your articles and video reviews more than the games themselves…sad time for Penguins hockey…
But keep up the great work, my friend !
Yeah. We may hold the Jarry article for a bit. I don’t want people to hate-click read it. It’s not finished yet, but I felt like he allowed me closer for the story, which is worth telling.
I’m sorry to hear that you might hold the article – was very much looking forward to reading it – but can certainly understand your thought process for doing so after his last two performances.
Whether or not it would help in this situation, I can’t imagine that professional athletes don’t have their own Sports Psychologist. Or that teams don’t have several on staff. In a way, I see similarities between TJ and MM.
wish I could claim it, but it’s a quote I remember from a habs’ blog a few years back at the nadir of their rebuild: “plumbing news depths of suckitude.”
I only watched the highlights. Woof. I read every word Dan. Thanks for doing that drive and watching that terrible game. I hope for Sid and Geno’s sake and yours that the Penguins get some better players soon. They probably should tank in ‘26. But I bet nobody in the organization wants to eat this shit for an entire year. Sid really wants to see it through. My appreciation of him grows every year. And I don’t bet against him either. He’s smart. He knows what he’s in for. I think he’s the kind of person who just couldn’t leave… Read more »
So the goal after little got out of the box i thought was a save a NHL goalie should make. Lizotte hammered the back of the net with his stick as he went by. To me, that is out of frustration with ur goalie not making routine saves. For as hot as Jarry was for a second, he has lost his teams confidence again
No–Lizotte was angry that his man got to the net uncontested and scored. He tangled with Tage Thompson at the top of the zone–I felt Lizotte should have called for the switch with Acciari who would have switched from Thompson to take Lizotte’s man, but that’s debatable.
Embarrassing. Put the toe tag on themand bury them already
We need myrashow. Heis so good
Hey Gino stay in Fla…no need to come back for the final 8, better for your physical and mental health.
Sullivan kept them on the ice longer than usual in Tampa and they got the message. Was that message “Play bad so we can get a better draft pick”?
If only we didn’t have those 5 good games, but I think we still have a shot at the 4th pick heading into the lottery. Buffalo is obviously much more talented, Bylsma owes us that and Philly should play better now that Freud has been set free. If Sully keeps not coaching and Nashville gets hot, maybe even the 3rd? One can only hope.
I wanted to go to the game since it’s near me, but couldn’t bring myself to spend $240 per ducket for lower seats. The real story is Buffalo TV’s Rob Ray early on saying over and over that the Sabres need to go to the front of the net because nobody on the Pens will make you pay or even touch you. By the way, that’s more accurate than anything that Josh Getzoff has said all year. Last game they put up a graphic about how many Pens have points this year and he claimed it’s because all of the… Read more »
Getzoff is a clown the way he keeps pretending they are in games when they are getting blown out!
Mears > Getzoff.
Dubas should draft nothing but defensemen with his 152 draft picks.
It is the dog days of hockey…Kraken beat the Fliers a few games ago in the Flyiers worse performance of the season, imho. The bottom 10 playing each other is not much for excitement.
Although the game was a disaster, your play by play coverage, sprinkled with your humor, had me laughing out loud more than once. Totally appreciate your brillant writing and analysis, with personality plus!
Acciari is a D man playing F. He takes the body way more than any of our D guys.
EK is a F playing D.
Raise a hand if you’ve seen enough of Tristain Jarry . . . Uh, huh, thought so.
*raises hand*