Penguins Report Card: More Sloppiness, No More Excuses After Loss to Blues
The Pittsburgh Penguins are approaching the moment when they can no longer blame the early season or jelling for absent-minded mistakes. The issues that have haunted the Penguins for a year, such as inconsistent effort and yielding odd-man rushes, were intensely displayed Saturday.
They finally got a noticeably strong game from their third line, including recall Radim Zohorna, but it was the top players who tried too hard to create offense and were on the wrong end of three-on-two and two-on-one breaks. Pittsburgh native Brandon Saad ripped a couple of goals and could have had more. Penguins castoff Kasperi Kapanen was motivated, and the St. Louis Blues converted their chances for a 4-2 win at Enterprise Center.
St. Louis got a lot of odd-man rushes.
Way too many.
The Penguins sloppiness was a foodbank for the underfed St. Louis forwards, who have struggled to score this season. Despite coach Mike Sullivan calling a timeout after a pair of quick goals against earlier in the second period, St. Louis again had numbers on the rush and almost scored against the Penguins’ top line with Sidney Crosby on the subsequent shift.
That was the Penguins game in a nutshell.
The energy was not lacking, but once again, what Sullivan would call attention to detail and defensive responsibility were conspicuous by their absence. For the second straight game, the Penguins attempted to overcome a 4-1 deficit with a furious comeback, but only Zohorna scored in the third period.
It’s a new team. Many new faces. But they’re quickly running out of excuses for those types of games.
“We gave them way too many chances off the rush because we didn’t play with the purpose that we need to play with in the offensive zone, with the puck or without it,” Sullivan said.
New players are not why the team is losing. Erik Karlsson and Reilly Smith are not the culprits. Nay, they’re both playing quite well. It’s a team-wide breakdown of experienced players not covering their duties and depth players failing to fulfill their roles.
As much as the new players want to say the Penguins system is nothing new, one player admitted this week it’s quite different, and he was still learning it. While true, that doesn’t excuse the Penguins veterans’ continued mistakes.
The forwards and defensemen are not in sync. As Karlsson charged the offensive zone on nearly every shift, the Penguins forwards were not covering. The F3 is supposed to cycle high, but that wasn’t always the case. The typically responsible Crosby was not innocent, either. Or, when F3s stayed high, St. Louis attacked the lonely forward at the top of the zone.
According to Pittsburgh Sportsnet, the Blues had seven odd-man rushes in the first two periods. It sure seemed like more. St. Louis was able to counterattack, and the Penguins were chasing them up the ice after overcommitting.
Pittsburgh Penguins Report Card
Team: F
Odd-man rushes. Penalties. Lost assignments on the backcheck. Lack of urgency.
Coach Mike Sullivan ripped his team afterward, “We got what we deserved.”
It was a sloppy effort that Sullivan admitted lacked urgency.
Penguins Third Line (O’Connor-Eller-Zohorna): A+
The bright spot.
Lars Eller’s line has been ineffective, but they dominated the puck Saturday. They had 14 shot attempts and allowed just two. They got nine shots on goal and allowed just one. The line also had seven scoring chances compared to just one against. Most importantly, Radim Zohorna scored at the net front.
Zohorna was an upgrade to the recently waived Jansen Harkins, and it seemed to make a significant difference, especially in the offensive zone. Zohorna retrieved the puck, moved the puck, and kept moving when away from the puck.
Zohorna’s xGF (expected goals for %) was an astounding 93%.
Guentzel-Crosby-Rust: D
I don’t think you’ll see Crosby’s line play a worse game all year. The line struggled to cover for Erik Karlsson, instead crashing the low zone. The line was a minus-2, and that tracks with the obvious defensive breakdown.
If Crosby has a bad game, the team can’t crumble as it did. They generated four high-danger chances but didn’t convert. The line gave up six high-danger chances against, according to NaturalStatTrick.com.
Erik Karlsson: C
He pinched and roamed on every shift (if not EVERY shift, then it seemed like most). Sometimes, discretion is the better part of valor. Things were going sideways, and instead of simplifying, Karlsson pressed.
That was Karlsson doing too much.
Ryan Shea-Chad Ruhwedel:
Shea was just fine. He made a couple of solid plays on the puck in the offensive zone.
Ruhwedel was skipped for a shift or two in the first period after Jakub Vrana undressed him on the rush. Ruhwedel isn’t playing great hockey to start the season, and he’s been exposed one-on-one. Ruhwedel might get a passing grade, but not a good one.
Nieto-Acciari-Carter: D-
They attempted eight shots, avoiding an F. However, they were scored on and gave up a couple of odd-man rushes. That cannot happen to a fourth line.
The Penguins continue to lack a fourth line that can contribute the things most essential that a bottom trio can consistently give: energy and momentum.
After five games, there are no signs of life. I’ll stick by my column earlier this week. It’s time to carry only seven defensemen, recall Sam Poulin to be the fourth-line center, move Jeff Carter to the press box, and move Accaiari to the wing.
As Sullivan said, “We got what we deserved.” If additional changes are not forthcoming, the Penguins will continue to have the same issues, and that sentiment will apply in a much broader context.
Tristan Jarry: A
The Penguins goalie was brilliant, and the vexing result shouldn’t overshadow that the game could have been lopsided if not for a handful of great saves. He was hung out to dry but kept his team close.
Categorized:Penguins Penguins Postgame
Jarry an A? Really?4 Goals Against (GA) on 21 Shots earns an A? Hmmm. Took himself out of the play on the first 2 GA is an A?
An A feels high for sure, more like a C. Rust knocked him out of net on one of those goals. Crosby was shite, and since he “leads by example” it trickles down. We need a fiery player leader, a strong voice in the room. That’s been lacking from the team during Crosby’s entire tenure as captain, except for other leaders like Robert’s, Guerin, and Hornqvist. We need GMKD to acquire a leader in the room since Sully’s voice seems to be ringing hollow.
Jarry was no A, eh.
The first two goals, he was out of position. Once in a while, the goalie should be able to bail the team out. Jarry never does.
Jarry is an A, all right. A grossly overpaid A. #26.875M
Don’t believe what the media jamokes say. They have their own agenda if you haven’t noticed already. Trust your eyes, brah. #26.875M
Quickly running out of excuses? You mean, there are some left? 🙂
I’d like to read your grade on just Sullivan. So far this year with the talent Dubis got him he has little excuse. I’d give him a F. I wonder how long before we read his seat is getting hot?
When I hear Sullivan’s comments after a game, I think to myself, “Surely, this game can’t be THAT complicated!” Teams with much less talent come in and just dominate. They play like a team, not a group of separate stars.
Shea was fine? Looked like a minor leaguer on the second goal when he was completely turned around. Sometimes when someone has never played in the NHL at age 26 there’s a reason.
You are right Shea was beat like the proverbial rented mule but he wasn’t the only one used on that Goal, Jarry was left flopping like a fish out of water as Kappy turned him inside out before slipping that pass back in front.
Jarry was nowhere near great. And he’s allowed to steal a game every now and then which he never does. An albatross of a salary for a mediocre goalie.
“We got what we deserved.” … at some point Sully’s gonna get what he deserves
Good ole Dubas. , giving up the future while he should have started a rebuild !
What future did Dubas give up? If you’re talking about the 1st Rd. Pk. In the Karlsson trade? Well, that move got you Erik Karlsson.
Dubas was also able to rid the team of several bad contracts, which will help in the future for this team as well.
Don’t put this start on Kyle Dubas.
He is the least of the Penguins problems.
Fourth line fix needs to come sooner than later. 3rd line fix was effective as it was dominant last night.
It was clear Jarry was struggling in first 2 periods. D is hanging him out to dry too. Jarry would be great behind a trap or D first system, where he has support and can go for big saves. I think Sullivan’s system permits too much discretion for risky plays for goal seeking players. System builds behind the O net which requires players to pinch or move in to support. Deep O zone players are not available for transition D, thus odd man rushes. Game is too fast these for this system.
I agree with benching Carter and starting Sam Poulin. Except I would switch the lines slightly.
Let’s have a solid defensive line of:
Nieto-eller-Acciari, then go with a young energy line of: DOC-Poulin-and Big Z. Gives you a solid line to trust to play d and be physical while have a line of our best young players. Should help to feed energy to the other players.
Either way they have to get Carter our of there. His hands just aren’t there anymore.
oldest and most predictable team in the nhl- pens roster is not impressive lets face it. The 3rd line is not skilled or fast
Time for Duby to begin the search for his first HC here if he doesn’t have one in mind already. The indifferent play is an obvious sign that a bunch of players have tuned Sullivan out. The sooner the better. This team can’t afford to dig a hole early — it doesn’t have the legs to make up ground later in the season. The rest of the calendar year is crucial. #JustDubyDoIt
This I agree with. I don’t think it’s just the players tuning him out though. I think there’s a disconnect between what he wants the players to do, and the players he uses to do it. For instance, he leans in Carter for defensive responsibility when he’s been an offensive player his entire career. He wants did but won’t use younger players. I’ve always liked his system. But, you need 4 lines rolling to do it.
Carter shouldn’t dress again the rest of the season, but Sully absolutely loves him. Acciari is useless as a center. The hardest forechecker and hitter on the team belongs at wing. This is Sullys doing. Ruhwedal is another guy that probably wouldn’t make another NHL roster, let alone play everynight, just another Sully pet. The coach has been tuned out for 4 years now. Hopefully this is his final year here.
Poulin didn’t play in either WBS game this weekend. Facebook commenter said he is hurt. Can’t find any confirmation on that. Anyone have more info?
Sulli needs to go the core is too old. If they still stink at the trade deadline blow it up. I don’t see them getting any better this year.
Sulli needs to go they’re losing the same way as last year. If they are still stinking at the trade deadline they need to blow it up. these old farts cant hang.
Always liked Kappy.
Carter must sit and soon. Press box nachos for the rest of the year.