Penguins Report Card: Blomqvist Rescues Pens for 1st Win; Malkin Dances

DETROIT — So, the Penguins remembered they indeed know how to play hockey, at least for stretches, anyway. The Penguins survived a sluggish start and more than a handful of first-period defensive mistakes.

It’s amazing what some good goaltending can do for a team. The Penguins gave Joel Blomqvist his first NHL start, and he promptly inverted, standing on his head in the first period. He kept his team in the game until Anthony Beauvllier scored a pair of goals, and Evgeni Malkin weaved around defensemen on multiple occasions to set up more.

Goaltending, star players being stars—it was the magic Penguins’ elixir for a 6-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday.

Penguins Recap: Blomqvist Stands Tall, Penguins Fill the Net in Win Over Detroit

Anthony Beauvillier scored two goals, while Sidney Crosby and Malkin had two assists. Defenseman Erik Karlson split the difference with a power play goal and an assist.

But the primary story of the game was Blomqvist and the saves that kept the Penguins in the game, even when Detroit badly outplayed them in the first period. Adding to the special night, Blomqvist’s parents arrived from Finland and were in the arena.

“It feels good. Maybe a little bit weird,” said Blomqvist. “I guess it’s something you’ve always been dreaming about and looking forward to. Yeah, I’m happy you ended up like this way.”

He’s not yet a man of many words. The language barrier, being just 22 in the Penguins veteran locker room, and being a goalie keep his word count low. Not that the Penguins mind, so long as he stops pucks at that rate.

Make no mistake, the Penguins were teetering in the first 20 minutes. The first period was more of the same lackluster slop they submitted the night before against the New York Rangers. It looked like the Penguins season was about to head south faster than geese in October. However, unlike the night before when starting goalie Tristan Jarry was leaky in the first period, Blomqvist was stellar, if not spectacular.

The Penguins found their stride in the second period, and Detroit adopted the Penguins’ carelessness with the puck and defensive disorganization.

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“(Blomqvist) made some key saves early in the game that gave us a chance to stay in it. And then we were able to get the tying goal,” said coach Mike Sullivan. “And then I thought we settled in after that. So, I thought he had a big impact on our ability to settle into the game.”

Penguins Report Card

Blomqvist: A+

If you haven’t already gathered, Blomqvist was exceptional. He looked like the game-changing goalie we saw last January on a scouting trip to Wilkes-Barre. Blomqvist had a bruising preseason with a couple of sketchy performances, but Thursday was showtime, and he delivered.

Blomqvist is quick to the posts, athletic, and puts himself in a good position to make saves.

Evgeni Malkin: A+

It was a vintage performance, like a Nirvana T-shirt and Docs that never went out of style. Malkin backed off the Detroit defensemen and took the space they gave. He was up on his toes and aggressive. Noticeably absent from his game Thursday were turnovers or defensive mistakes. It wasn’t quite 2009, but Malkin jumpstarted the Penguins onslaught in the second period with a few individual plays.

When you ask Malkin a question, you usually get a straight answer.

“I had great speed in the neutral zone. It’s my game, you know? I (got) the puck deeper, the D gave me a little bit in the (offensive) zone, and I had speed from the neutral zone. It paces my game. I like it,” Malkin said. “I faked the shot, and the (defense) tried blocking shot and I saw like (Drew O’Connor) with an open net, I just tried to give it to him, you know?”

Anthony Beauvillier: A+

OK, it’s still jarring to see No. 72 on Crosby’s right wing. It’s further fitting to see him fish out pucks on the wall and score goals near the net. He’s been far better than expected since the beginning of training camp, and he’s developing some chemistry with Crosby.

He doesn’t get an A for scoring two goals; he gets high marks for where he scored them—within feet of the net on second-chance plays.

Penguins Defense: D

The first period was a disaster. Kris Letang was chasing Kris Letang. Marcus Pettersson made a ghastly turnover and was on the wrong side of a rush, yielding a good scoring chance. Ryan Graves lost puck battles with alarming ease, and even Jack St. Ivany had a few head-scratching moments with loose gaps and poor puck management.

As a group, they did not have anything close to their best game, but they were able to hold firm in the second and third periods.

If you seek to make any of them scapegoats, Thursday provided a few examples, but the reality was they were all pretty bad until the second period.

The Penguins’ forwards were also chasing their tails. Their track-back in the first period was little more than chaos.