Penguins Grades: Inside Another Wasted Chance and Blown Lead
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A friendly scoreboard with results across the league inviting the Penguins back into the playoff race, the Pittsburgh Penguins claimed a two-goal third period lead then tossed it away like hot garbage.
Just nine seconds after the Penguins claimed a 3-1 lead with only 11:01 to play, the Columbus Blue Jackets scored. And pressured. And scored again. Eventually, Columbus rallied to beat the Penguins 4-3 in a shootout at Nationwide Arena.
The Penguins have points in four straight games, but it should have been the fourth straight win instead of posting a 2-0-2 record. Twice in the last four games, the Penguins have upchucked a multi-goal third period lead. Those losses in extra play, first to the Colorado Avalanche in OT on Sunday, then to Columbus in the shootout, bookended the Penguins’ week with a clarifying insight into the team that’s impossible to ignore.
Dropkicking a third period lead seemingly with malice for success happens a couple or few times per season to good teams. It happens with regularity for the Penguins. And they absolutely wasted a beautiful chance to reinsert themselves into the playoff chase.
One point was OK, but again, squandering a multi-goal third-period lead was unacceptable.
“We need to defend harder,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “That’s what we can learn.”
It was yet another soft start and a softer ending for the Penguins. Despite a window to re-enter the fight for a playoff spot, the Penguins were flatter than a Sunday morning at nearby Ohio State after a loss to Michigan.
The collapse at the end merely underscored the debilitating deficiencies which defy explanation.
Speaking in hushed tones, defenseman Marcus Petterson tried to explain.
“We’ve got to do a better job of staying aggressive but playing smart at the same time. I think too many times this year when we gave up leads, we’re kind of giving momentum away and just allowing them to play with the puck,” said Pettersson. “They’re going to get looks. This league’s too good to just give the puck away and let teams come at you. So, (we need to) stay aggressive, but staying smart is something we have to do a way better job of.”
Ohio native Alex Nedeljkovic was the difference between a multi-goal deficit and only trailing 1-0 after the first period.
Nedeljkovic was a running storyline throughout the game. The Penguins goalie, who made his fourth straight start and fifth straight appearance, made a litany of important stops, including a glove save against Johnny Gaudreau on a two-on-one.
Penguins Analysis
However, the Penguins began to generate a few offensive chances in the second half of the first period, though they did it through some unconventional means. The Penguins flew the zone on several occasions. Bryan Rust, Sidney Crosby, and Reilly Smith had contested breakaways after bolting the defensive zone behind the Columbus defensemen.
It was about taking advantage of the activating Columbus defensemen. However, the Penguins didn’t convert, and it was for naught when Columbus adjusted.
What the Penguins lacked — again — was net front traffic. They lacked second chances and chaos and momentum.
The Penguins could have trailed by several goals at any point but instead hit the second intermission with a 2-1 lead.
That’s right. Despite generally failing to put forth a quality game in multiple phases, Eller and Crosby lifted the Penguins to a lead. At 13:29 of the second period, Drew O’Connor one-timed a pass from Bryan Rust. However, it was Eller who chased down a cleared puck into the Blue Jackets’ zone and held it one against four, setting up the Penguins’ offensive zone possession.
With 65 seconds remaining in the second period, Columbus swarmed the Penguins zone but failed to get a good shot on goal. In the Penguins transition, Crosby froze everyone. As Columbus goalie Elvis Merzlikins and seemingly every Columbus player focused on Crosby, he slipped a pass across the slot to a wide-open Rust, who snapped the pass into the yawning cage.
Rickard Rakell crashed the net and backhanded the puck past Merzlinkins for a 3-1 lead.
Surely, this time, the team would get hot. Surely, this would be the step forward they’ve waited months for. Absolutely, this time, right?
Nope.
Penguins Report Card
Team: F
Taking too many penalties, an abysmal power play, and allowing odd-man rushes. Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?
The Penguins again showed up in the third period. Then they vanished. Unacceptable against a terrible team.
Kris Letang: Ouch
The Penguins defenseman has seen better days. And the bottom dropped out. Letang was not only on the hook for the shorthanded goal in the first, but he was undressed in the first period by Kirill Marchenko and was visibly not on his game.
Marchenko undressed him again in the third period, this time for the game-turning goal, just nine seconds after the Penguins claimed a 3-1 lead. A No. 1 defenseman can’t get roasted as many times as he did Saturday.
Alex Nedeljkovic: A
The Penguins have back-to-back games coming up against the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers, so Jarry will most likely play one of those games, but we’ll bet on seeing Nedeljkovic against the Capitals on April 4.
Barring a meltdown in his next game, we’re betting on it. He was darned good behind a team that clearly was not.
Drew O’Connor: B+
O’Connor is playing with energy and a nose for the puck. He has goals in three straight games and is a worthy addition to the Crosby line, though he could get to the net more.
Rest?
There were plenty of other performances to pan, downgrade, and hammer. It seemed few parts of the Penguins lineup were cohesive.
Lars Eller played well.
The fourth line did not. Sam Poulin looked out of his element and was quickly riding pine. Jack St. Ivany and John Ludvig had good moments but were also burned for the tying goal with the help of terrible support from the forwards.
A better team would have embarrassed the Penguins.
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“playoff race”, he mentioned. “Coach Mora, your thoughts?”
Not sure at this point why we’re expecting them to win and mad when they don’t. Inconsistent and flawed is who they are right now, despite some hopeful signs.
Just explain in the last 4 yrs what the hell is hopeful signs? This team is a mess. Old, soft, slow and no character or leadership. Horrible Coaching Staff. A joke for a GM that Toronto is excited to see in Pittsburgh. All these stars and look at this power play. Horrible soft defenseman. I love this sport and the team. But I’m a real fan that knows the game and athletes. This team is done. Serious issues that need complete overhaul.
Letang was already “well done” after playing 31 minutes last game. Sully uses the same guys too much. They aren’t 25 anymore Sully.
This team has some players to build on which is why they are in most games. They also have some to replace which is why they lose the games they were winning or should win. More roster reconstruction is in order. Need to find players to play hard at both nets. Also a vocal leader who holds others accountable.
Excuses, Excuses, Excuses, It is Not Letang fault? He gave that effort yesterday or in practice. Didn’t you see that, before?
Letang has had a great season defensively but the last two weeks or so he has been very mistake prone. I can’t help but think he is being ground down. Next year he and Malkin should be complementary players instead of being expected to shoulder the load for 82 games. There definitely needs to be a transition of many things including roles and expectations for certain players.
MS post game comments are a broken record,
Every game it’s something different and the shootout performance was just terrible..
If Poulin isn’t given a chance to adjust to this level of play in these games then why play out the string.
As a coach or a manager, if you see the same mistakes happen – say in the playoffs (remember them…lost the last 2 games of the series to Montreal in 20, the last 3 to the Isles in 21 after getting swept by them in 19 and the last 3 to the Rangers in 22) you need to try something different. They don’t know how to play from ahead in a game or a series. A Penguins 2 goal lead is a death trap. It’s almost like they get too confident or excited and definitely don’t act like they are… Read more »