Penguins’ Two-Goal Comeback for Naught in Ugly Loss to Blue Jackets
The Pittsburgh Penguins erased a two-goal deficit Friday night, but they could not pull ahead, had a lackluster third period and fell 6-2 to the Blue Jackets in Columbus, falling to 1-3-2 in their past six games. The Penguins have scored just five goals over their past three games.
Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry, making his first NHL start since Oct. 16 after spending two weeks on a conditioning loan to the AHL and then not playing for six days after his recall, made 34 saves.
Columbus had been 0-5-1 in its previous six games and is one of the few teams in the league with a worse record than the Penguins. The Penguins had been 11-0-2 in their previous 13 games against the Metropolitan Division foe Blue Jackets.
The Penguins played without top-pairing defenseman Kris Letang, who remained home because of illness. Forward Matt Nieto, who has been out for nearly a year because of a knee injury that required two surgeries, made his season debut.
For the second game in a row, the Penguins came back from a two-goal deficit. Wednesday, they couldn’t get the go-ahead goal and lost to Detroit 3-2 in overtime. That means they have just one point in the standings since their 7-1 debacle Monday against Dallas.
There might have been reason to hold your breath when Jarry gave up a goal 2:20 into regulation. With Columbus moving the puck well on the forecheck, former Penguins teammate Zach Aston-Reese, near the left post, deflected a Jake Christansen shot past Jarry for a 1-0 Blue Jackets lead.
At 8:39 of the first, Zach Werenski’s shot barely glanced off the Penguins’ Noel Acciari, who also was screening Jarry, and the puck went over Jarry’s glove for a power-play goal and a 2-0 Columbus lead.
The Penguins got a response goal at 11:51 of the first when Anthony Beauvillier, playing on the top line, got his third goal in three games, sixth overall. Coming from behind the net to the right post, he batted the puck behind Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merlikins to cut it to 2-1. Sidney Crosby got the lone assist. It was No. 1,016 of his career, tying Crosby with Joe Sakic for 13th all-time in the NHL.
At 7:46 of the second, Acciari got the puck behind Merzlikins, but it was immediately waved off as the officials decided that Nieto interfered with the Blue Jackets goalie.
Michael Bunting, on a power play, tied it for the Penguins at 12:06 of the second. The puck ping-ponged around the slot before Bunting scored on a turning wrist shot. Beauvillier got the primary assist for his second point of the game.
The Penguins once again could not get the go-ahead goal after coming back to tie it. Mathieu Olivier, from the right hash marks, beat Jarry short side to give Columbus a 3-2 lead at 16:27 of the second.
The Penguins were outshot 15-6 in the second.
Just 1:56 into the third, Dmitri Voronkov increased the Blue Jackets’ lead to 4-2. From in tight, he slid a rebound under Jarry’s pads.
The hole got deeper at 9:49 of the third when Damon Severson scored from the right edge of he slot to make it 5-2.
Cole Sillinger scored into an empty net just after a Penguins power play expired with 4:28 left and it was an ugly 6-2.
Categorized:Penguins
smh.
Man this team looks bad, especially in a 3rd period that they needed to pickup the pace, not just go thru the motions.
LMAO
Now I know why they keep Sully.
The plan is to lose.
Anyone that buys a ticket is a sucker.
If you live in Western PA, you are better off drive to Wheeling to see a game. At least you will be able to watch Sergei Murashov in net.
Well, this is funny. I mean, people were saying to let some players play to increase their value. The only way a Pens player would increase in value is if the scouts were banned from attendance, and games only broadcast on radio, with a heavily biased announcer. We could get something for Crosby, Malkin, Rust and maybe Rakell. From the Guentzel experiment, it would be some middling prospects and a 3rx/4th liner. But don’t despair. In 2032 we might get into the playoffs.
Told ya… play hard one game, cream puffs the next.
Tear it all down and rebuild.
This time had the greatest consecutive season playoff streak of any major sport in North America, won 4 conference titles and 3 Stanley cups since Sid’s rookie season in 2005. Maybe people can relax and go easy on the butt hurt entitlement. We were due for some down years. Support your team, people, even if it is hard to watch right now.
*team
Let’s get the young bucks in there, and enjoy watching them get better. Start Pickering and ponomarev next game. Keep Poulin in there. Third line was good, strong and refreshing. Scratch puusti, neito and shea. They are trying, but the young guys are maybe a bit better, and in any event add energy and wear other team down
The problem is the way they lose, no passion, zero hart, everybody scare of doing a mistake. That’s the coach work to do. When everybody play that way, the problem is the way they play.
Need a coach, any coach to begin to move forward. End of story.
Jarry/ what an embarrassment
Biggest embarrassment is Karlsson. Put him in the press box and let someone who (hopefully) wants to defend on the ice. But, Teflon Mike is incapable of doing what is necessary.