Penguins – Blues Fallout
The Penguins 3-0 shutout loss to the Blues Tuesday night has brought up talk of whether the Penguins Achilles heel will eventually be running into a heavy team built like the Blues.
The Penguins have struggled this season against the heaviest teams and have been lights out against the lightest teams. Per Jonathan Bombulie of the Trib, the Penguins are 7-0-0 against the five lightest teams.
St. Louis did a great job in taking away the center of the ice in the neutral zone and defensive zone, similar to how the Rangers would stifle the Penguins prior to last season. Against the Blues size on the backend, Pittsburgh didn’t have the same type of success below the dots like the they did in previous games of late where they overwhelmed the likes of Montreal and Carolina.
The Penguins are the lightest team in the NHL but this is not a real concern for now because their personnel is more built for the East than the West.
You get to the Stanley Cup Final by having to win three rounds in the East, not the West. Teams built like the Blues, Kings, just don’t exist in the East.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are the 8th heaviest team in the NHL and the closest thing to a high level team in the East that is built similar to Western Conference teams. Washington after being the 3rd heaviest team in the NHL two seasons ago, has become a smaller team over the last year, now 10th.
Pittsburgh’s concern with these type of teams, should be more from a defensive standpoint in defending physical forwards below the circles and in the net-front than a blueprint being out there in how to slow down the Penguins offensively.
“I don’t think we have to change anything,” Sidney Crosby said. “It’s something you have to be aware of. Our speed is our biggest strength. When we use that, it’s hard for guys to finish checks if you’re getting by them and moving the puck quickly. We can’t change anything based on who we play, but we have to know what we’re in for.”
— The Penguins were 0-6 on the power play vs the Blues and the inability to gain possession off faceoffs was a factor.
Sidney Crosby was 2-9 (22%) on offensive zone faceoffs during 5-on-4 play.
Crosby was 4 of 13 on draws against Paul Stastny.
— A talking point for the Penguins today is Sidney Crosby’s possession numbers dipping with Bryan Rust on his line. The Crosby line was on the ice for 7 shot attempts, 9 against vs the Blues.
Among wingers Crosby has played with for over 100 minutes this season, Crosby’s possession numbers when on the ice with Rust is hovering around 50%.
Carl Hagelin – 62 CF%
Patric Hornqvist – 54.2 CF%
Conor Sheary – 53.7 CF%
Bryan Rust – 51 CF%.
Last season the Kunitz – Crosby – Hornqvist line was 57%.
— Jake Guentzel pointless in his last three games continues to do the little things well by creating offense with controlled entries and patience in waiting for the play to develop.
Where Guentzel has to get more active is putting the puck on net. After recording 5 shots in NHL debut, Guentzel has 5 shots over his last nine NHL games.
Since his latest recall, he has just 2 shots in 5 games, one of those recorded shots was a deflection goal against the Canadiens.
Guentzel averaged 3 shots per game in the AHL.
— Chris Kunitz to the fourth line has accomplished one feat for the Penguins coaching staff. Without Matt Cullen, Kunitz has improved the ability of the line in driving possession and getting controlled entries. Pittsburgh controlled 65% of their shot attempts when Kunitz – Fehr – Wilson were on the ice together last night.
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Roster News
Evgeni Malkin (LBI) and Patric Hornqvist (day-to-day) are out with injuries. How long Malkin will be sidelined is not yet known but will be at least a week to 10 days, per a source.
Hornqvist is expected back Tuesday night. He’s dealing with just a bruise.
Tom Kuhnhackl will draw into the lineup while the Penguins will make at least one forward callup.
Down a center, Oskar Sundqvist would have been the easy callup to get an NHL game in but has been dealing with a lower body injury and did not practice for Wilkes Barre on Tuesday.
Other top candidates for a recall are Dominik Simon, Carter Rowney and Kevin Porter, a favorite of the coaching staff.
*Steve Oleksy has been placed on waivers. [/hide]
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Went to my first Pens home game in nearly 2 seasons on Tuesday. Felt like I was at Montreal s Bell Mausoleum watching shlt hockey with a boring crowd of deaf mutes.
Hey Sammich… you may wanna read Matt Gajtka’s write up on Murray lol! It also dispels the myth that they “simply love the cult of blurry” that some profound idiot keeps talking about.
…you may (want to learn how to read) and check out Matt Gajtka’s…
“Penguins are 7-0-0 vs the leagues 5 lightest teams”
http://mirtle.blogspot.ca/2016/10/2016-17-nhl-teams-by-height-weight-and.html
You tell me if that statement holds water… or is at least meaningful…
“You hearing anything, king?”
Yeah that buckeye donuts will no longer provide free WI-FI to chubby employees like you
You’d know – I don’t know what buckeye donuts are, but you’re giving me day to day updates on the news there? I mean, something tells me your fat asss has got stuck in a booth there more than once.
D said smallish.
The French are asshoIes
Go back to your Fat Lives matter protest
Exhibit A
Lol x 2
They also don’t bathe, and are completely creepy.
Creepy? Which stupid nation ha hot dog contest o. 4th of July
Could you please retype that in english, chubbster? I do like you not contesting the “no bathing” part.
Montreal suckss how is Tampax doing this season heard they were last in East I guess Johnson can’t carry the team on his back they need Stamkos. Because your American fellow is too busy stealing paychecks .just like you and your lazy fat Democrat friends instead of working
Too busy with black lives matter BS
Nice Cherry pick… they are about 3 points out of a playoff spot fuckboy. What’s worse is the Habsburg seem to be feasting off a piece of shit division overall. Means the suck more than the numbers suggest
Oh and the French are huge fucken gaping goatse assholes
Just score on the PP and the size disparity is moot.
The Pens also hit three posts last night.
Did same said it’s January and malkin is due to his typical vacation
Guess we will see the game after the break fuckhead
He always extends it and happens always around this time. He comes back then take another mini vacation in March
It’s not like crosby and Letang missed hundreds of games or anything. And you were referring to him not producing anyway. Once again, you prove to everyone why French Canada is nothing more than a third world country.
Are we really talking about Malkin’s vacation when disgusting french slob Letang never even plays? Really?
Another backup goalie pens couldn’t beat this year
“Blue Print” – This is exactly how the Sharks are built… how well did that work out for them. It’s amazing how quick we freak out after a loss. Poor execution and not a lot of finish yes… a blueprint? really? 34 shots tossed at the net… 0 for 6 on the PP… they hardly shut the Penguins completely down. I would show concern for this team turning every back up they see into a superstar for the night but I doubt it will follow them into the post season. It is amazing the details we see about what is… Read more »
Oh… and the commentary around Rust bringing down Sids possession numbers? How has his face off numbers been over this stretch? While I get that wingers have to help Sid has been off in the circle for a bit and this will factor into these numbers.