Penguins – Blackhawks Fallout
In a back-to-back situation, the Penguins played a good road hockey game against the Chicago Blackhawks.
“I thought we competed hard. I really liked our compete on the puck, liked our zone time,” head coach Mike Sullivan said…..”We’re not going to play a perfect game [every night]. Thought we had some heightened intensity. Our compete level was really good.”
Pittsburgh outshot Chicago 37-29, were +10 in 5 v 5 shots, +13 in 5 v 5 shot attempts (64-51) and the Penguins were +7 (17/10) in high danger scoring chances.
Pittsburgh’s top lines created chances and zone time, Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel each with four 5 v 5 shots, Crosby team-high seven attempts, Evgeni Malkin while a minus-3 in the loss, had a Shot Attempts For Percentage of 58%, Phil Kessel 70% (16/7).
An interesting development in the game, at even strength Sidney Crosby and Phil Kessel played with each for just over three minutes and were on the ice for 8 shot attempts, 1 against, creating a couple prime scoring chances when Sullivan tinkered with the lines for a shift here and there, and had Cullen – Crosby – Kessel out together.
There’s no plans to play Crosby/Kessel much more than a couple minutes but it’s something the coaches should explore a bit more in games like that.
Marc Andre Fleury was good in the loss but not good enough. Scott Darling was better and was the difference in the game.
Darling faced a heavier dose of shots and most notably more high danger opportunities.
Goal of the year? Goal of the year.
HIGHLIGHTS: https://t.co/j5wTFa2Evt pic.twitter.com/XTkE8hAfTx
— NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) March 2, 2017
Fleury was better than his .893 save percentage would say but the Blackhawks scored on three high danger opportunities, Pittsburgh scored on just one.
That’s where the game was won.
I felt like Fleury’s performance last night summed up his career. It felt like a good performance and it was, but not good enough when this is a results business and then you look at the save percentage below .900 and the high danger save percentage being below 75%.
You had a number of sparkling saves, even some wow moments, then some tricky moments, like the poor angle Fleury took from a long range Richard Panik slap shot down the left side (similar to the Connor Murphy goal a few weeks ago) that hit the post and would have put the game out of hand before Kane put the Hawks up 3-1.
For the Penguins, if there’s any disappointment it’s coming out of this two game road trip with no points as they played the percentages in a back-to-back situation, starting Murray vs Dallas, Fleury vs Chicago.
The Penguins were not good Tuesday night vs Dallas. Matt Murray was on track to steal the Penguins one until he had a rare implosion in the third period.
MORE TRADE DEADLINE FALLOUT
[Pens thought they were closer to getting Hanzal than Shattenkirk]
[Guentzel was off limits to Avs]
[NHL execs believe Pens will shop Hagelin this summer]
— IF the Penguins would have been able to pull off a trade for Martin Hanzal, how would have the lineup had shaken out? A source close to the situation says the preliminary plan To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
Hainsey + Streit might be nice lol
It sure feels like DePaoli and Yoda are the same dude., not that I disgaree with the analysis.
for the love of god please get kunitz off of sid’s line.
Sid should just elevate him – i dont’ know what the problem is. That’s what sid does…remember?
I don’t care how the season finishes myself… screw chemistry I want Sid to get his trophy. He should play with Kessel and Malkin down the stretch and we can worry about the playoffs in game one. I am sure it will workout fine.
I’m the complete opposite – I just don’t care. It’s an individual aware – I get nothing out of it – the Cup makes me feel good – not the Art Ross. So figure your line combo’s out – start building some chemistry – and whatever happens, happens on an individual level.
I am with you 1000%, I was just sending up something stupid yoda said yesterday that basically sounds just like that.
Yep – we agree. I’d rather he get the Art Ross than NOT get it – but it’s not a priority.
Sheary back? Sid has a 2 point game?
Sid… two points… 😉 lol
man, that number 1 wild card slot sure does look tempting.
It’s basically a bye to the conference finals (or a horrendous choke job)
Milo Yiannopoulos
Crooked Mike Pence used private email for state business? LOCK HIM UP! LOCK HIM UP! LOCK HIM UP!
Sounds like there might be more to this than the russian story that libs have been desperately trying to keep alive. Still, after absolutely getting their assses handed to them by Trump during the joint session, the fact that this pence story and the Sessions “story” (if you want to call it that) is the best that they can come up with, is kinda humorous. I thought they were better at spin than this.
#fakestreammedia
Still squeeing your Hillary pants suit?
squeeing?
I wouldn’t talk if I were you ms Hilary so now Mind your own people you fat Democrat and get a job already. Only reason you are back here it’s because you got finally bored playing pokemon go
You guys remember how “chubby” showed how little he cared (like sam said) by being on pace to increase his point total 50%? Sam was right again!
Trump loves him some Russia.
Blacksfortrump2020.com
Sammich4ladyboys2017.helovesthacock.pq.ca/fn/
Did I miss something? You guys finally find something? I’ve been waiting for months.
You didnt miss something then, you missed everything.
Oh what’d they find then? I clearly did.
Crosby needs to just shoot. The extra fancy passes don’t work
they especially don’t work when he is passing to kunitz
The Pens added an American and Swiss player at the deadline while shipping away Canadian paycheck thief. Jim Rutherford: GM of the Year
2mil to be a healthy scratch. I wouldn’t mind landing that gig
#FatLivesMatter
This team sucks. Blow it up.
why is it against the pens rules to never allow sid to play with the best winger on the team?
He played with Hornqvist most of last year…. Kessel and him never seemed to mesh well. It was the depth match up nightmare that helped them win as well.
Why does it matter? I mean, he elevates players – so…elevate them.
list of wingers the apparently got for sid who he never played with: petr sykora, miro satan, james neal, phil kessel. kessel and sid meshed well last night. they never skated an entire month together. the depth matchup isn’t helping right now. they can’t score at all right now. with 20 games left and a sure bet to make the playoffs, they should skate sid and kessel together. it would be way more entertaining and they may turn out to be the best duo in the NHL.
also, it would be nice for sid to win the art ross. sid won’t catch mcdavid with his current winger. if he plays with kessel he would. at this point of the season a race for the art ross is more entertaining than anything else. plus F that punk mcdavid. F him. i don’t want him to win the art ross.
Why won’t he catch them? Did he quit elevating other players? Why would he do that? Weird.
dude, kuntiz had 3 pucks roll off his stick on 2on1’s last week. it’s awful.
So you would mess with depth that is virtually unmatched in the game just to make sure Crosby wins his trophy?
yes. the pens are making the playoffs. who cares about the last 20 games. get sid the art ross.
So instead of putting together the line up that you want to gel and have any kinks worked out heading into the post season we just go get Sid his trophy then fuckk with chemistry game one round one…
Yes. It wont mess with anything
Lol
If pens want to go far in the playoffs they will need to block a lot of shots just like last year which I said it last year I doubt they will do again. If they don’t block shots chances are in 7 game series they will be out in the first round caps,rags,habs,jackets and even leafs can upset pens in a first round
They wouldn’t lose to the habs in the first round in 8 out of ten chances. The habs and their 0 center model. Even the leafs! You seriously are a giant cup or imbecile.
Habs beating pens in 2010 weren’t as deep on their centers
Habs got bigger while pens see small team, and for leafs they are a speedy team that can match up with pens all they need is play responsible hockey and good series from Anderson.
Reason why pens won last year because of the block shots and HBK line was good this year they don’t seem do go the extra mile and HBK line suckss just like I said haggy is like a bee that doesn’t produce honey his just fast for nothing bonino I don’t know where to start as for chubby he won the cup and now doesn’t care just like I said it he won’t once they win cup line won’t be same
“Chubby,” doesn’t care. “Chubby” is on his way to 75 points. Sam sure called it!
Most of his assists are secondary assist and I don’t even know how bad be is on 5v5. Sure he is worth that money to play vs 3rd defense pairings but morons like you get fooled by con artists like that based on points
#ScoreBoxMatters
If he was that effective why didn’t team USA picked him. I know all star games are rigged but must be sad he was top 10 guy in points and didint even make all star games. It’s idiots like you that ruin the hockey world making these average players look like superstars and support their overpayment paychecks malkin is another one. Now pens are stuck with that bum. When I said few years ago trade or they will be stuck. Now keep riding them the way you ride black dickks all day you chunky gayy donut boy Democrat
it’s honestly like you get dumber by the day.
It’s uncanny how sammich is so vocal until the replies include facts and figures on the related subject matter. Talk about a guy that lives and dies off of personal biases and beliefs lol
“Bum” – guy is tied for scoring with like 7 others… one point moves him into a tie for 11th in the NHL this year. You’re fucken retarded lol
Oh… I just realized you were referring to Malkin… who is actually having a better year than Kessel. Two guys that were big piece of the 2016 Stanley Cup fucken Champion Pittsburgh Penguins you stupid cunt. You know who wasn’t part… Marc Andre Fleury. He sat on the bench and watched as the team that included Malkin and Kessel won. Please reconcile… you claim Kessel and Malkin are bums, Murray is overrated yet MAF, who is having a crap year and has had his issues in goal in the past, is a great player in his own right. I don’t… Read more »
This sounds like a GWA update request…
34 assist… 19 Primary. “most”
Shit – i’m way behind on that.
Nick Bonino: 2016 63GP 9G 20A – 22Hit 67BLK
Nick Bonino: 2016 61GP 9G 14A – 50Hit 81BLK
He has been a little light on assists sure, face offs are being won a bit of a slower pace but all in all its offset by the Block and Hit stats. He is literally having a very similar year to last!
He got bigger! I bet they’re still (collectively) smaller than San Jose was last year – how did that work out for San Jose….and they actually had centers….
Really? How do you figure that – you have a 7 years younger Plekanec, a 60-65 point Scott Gomez, a Cammalleri, and Glen Metropolit, who didn’t put up half bad numbers that year, Now we compare that to an over-the-hill Plekanec, a Galchenyuk playing out of position, Philip Danault, and Andrew Shaw. Yep – pretty close. I do love how they just purged Desharnais, to make themselves worse. Did that voluntarily. That’s the french canadian way.
I know this wasn’t meant to be that humourous but I am dying… nice work “I do love how they just purged Desharnais, to make themselves worse. Did that voluntarily. That’s the french canadian way.” – well done
Smart move by leafs probably they got Fehr in order to expose him to Vegas later on
Yeah – teams are really have problems coming up with forwards to expose. Expand on that, sam. Explain to me why it’s a smart move. I’m curious.
With the emergence of Guentzel Hags may be easier to walk away from. I would miss the speed but the polish isnt consistent enough
Maatta and Guentzel – that’s hilarious – considering Guentzel is a rookie and already on pace to out-produce Duchene. These teams are so dumb. The “he was drafted 3rd overall” is like asking for someone’s GPA when they’re on their 3rd job and 43 years old. At a certain point, you are what you are. And Duchene is a nice 55 point 2nd line center. Whoopee.
According to Clowns here Crosby was bad last night based he had. 0 points .
He was fine once Kessel was on his wing…
How did malkin do last night. Did he remind you of Gonchar in the playoffs when Moen passed him with ease
Malkin looked good. As did Patrick kane. Toews, however, didn’t.
Malkin looked good are you kidding me wow. Just stop watching hockey already and start back in April along with stain and npl
It’s funny when you tell people to stop watching hockey, insinuating that they don’t know what they’re talking about, then claim the Pens would lose to the Leafs and Habs in Round 1 because they “won’t block shots this year.” More Sam! More!!!
Did Fleury bang this guy’s wife or something?
I think its safe to say the Pens need 4 to win with either goalie between the pipes.