COYOTES SPEED UP FRONT GAVE PENGUINS ISSUES
The Arizona Coyotes a projected bottom-5 team have put up two impressive wins to start the season in beating the Los Angeles Kings and Pittsburgh Penguins in back-to-back nights.
What transpired tonight was the Coyotes youth and speed giving the Penguins a lot of problems through the first forty minutes of the game.
“First 10 minutes they [Arizona Coyotes] were unbelievable,” Patric Hornqvist told reporters afterwards.
Arizona was all over the Penguins to start the game and Marc Andre Fleury stood tall or the Penguins easily could have been down a couple goals early.
“We have to be ready for the first shift to last shift,” Hornqvist said. “Something we have to correct.”
Mike Johnston after the game expressed disappointment in the Penguins poor start.
“We know that’s a staple of their game,” said Johnston of the Coyotes being a hard working team. “We lost too many puck battles. The competitive work ethic, they edged us in that category probably up until late in the second period. After that, we started to push….You don’t let your guard down in this league,” said Johnston.
Hornqvist’s theory to correcting it, — “get out the working boots” —
— Dallas and Arizona are two quick teams. The Penguins struggles to deal with teams that have lots of speed is going to be an area to watch moving forward. Has been a red flag so far.
All three goals in the game were scored in the second period, a span of 2:29.
— The Penguins were out-shot 39-28 in the game, and were -26 in shot attempts (79-53 edge Coyotes) but Pittsburgh created more scoring chances in the high percentage scoring areas, though, most of those chances didn’t come until the third period when the Coyotes looked to be running out of gas during the early portion of the third till the middle of the period.
It was a positive from one standpoint but on the other end, the Penguins were stagnant until after forty minutes when the Coyotes started to sit back in the third.
“[We] took way too long to generate those chances,” Sidney Crosby told reporters…”He [Mike Smith] played well, but I don’t think we did a whole lot those first two periods to test him,” Crosby said of the Penguins taking too long to get going.
I’m sure the bad luck narrative will be out there from some because of three to four excellent saves from Smith in the third period but it evens out as Fleury played a big role in the Coyotes not putting up a four or five goal night.
— Sidney Crosby has no shots through two games and just one shot attempt. The Crosby line spent more time in their own end than the Coyotes end.
At even strength Crosby was on the ice for just 12 shot attempts and 23 against. Phil Kessel near [hide] identical numbers, on the ice for 13 shot attempts, 23 against 5 v 5.
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The disturbing thing for me is the slow starts in both of the first two games. You’d think heading into a new season, the players would be amped to go out and show what they can do with the new lineup, but the focus and effort level simply hasn’t been there to start the game. It’s like the urgency only hits in the third period – and we all know by now their record for coming behind in the 3rd period (which is completely nuts in its own right). A coach’s job in a nutshell is to get the best… Read more »
i think the pens proved you can’t give out lifetime 100 million dollar contracts to guys in their mid 20’s. malkin and sid are so bored it’s pathetic. just wait until they are 35. the next 10 seasons are going to be brutal.
i noticed that jagr scored 2 the other night. that dude is 43 and still goes hard to the net. it is such a shame that geno and sid turned into 2 women and won’t go within 15 feet of the cage.
Geno goes to the net hard. Just watch last two games. Sid on the other hand refuses to try to score
Jay this may be your best post.
It’s clearly his shortest
For all those who are calling for a coaching change, it would be a pointless move. While I agree there are things about MJ I don’t care for, there isn’t a coach in the world that is going to get Sid to shot the if he doesn’t want to or to play his best position on the powerplay(not the half wall). The biggest issue this team has and has had for years is that it’s run by the stars, until they are willing to commit to being coachable the actual person on the bench means nothing.
And it really is that simple folks, no conspiracy theories, just the facts. I’ll add that I’m learning towards Sid and Geno’s primes came and went.
In one word this team is a circus
Jay, so does that mean one or more “stars” need to go? While I agree with you I think the problem starts at the top with Mario and the country club atmosphere. It seems the demise of the team can also be tied to the move to the posh new arena.
RIP Maggie
The press can only use the “they ran into a hot goaltender” excuse for just another 2 to 3 games. I’m sure the excuse on their home opener will be the same “well they ran into last year’s Hart Vezina winner”. Somehow every goalie they’re up against turns on god mode just for the Pens. It’s defiantly not too early to sour on the Pens, they’ve been half assing it for several years now. Also if you’re going to see what Sprong has maybe you should f’ing play him, we only have 7 games to find out what he can… Read more »
Pens should sign Maatta to long term deal now before value increases.
i think you’re nuts for a myriad of reasons.
does anyone still think i’m nuts for the suggestion i made last year? get rid of every single 2009 player on the roster. you can’t say that it’s exciting and fun to watch this group any longer.
I’d settle for trading Sid and Fleury. Return could remake team for next decade.
coaching change has to happen asap or gonna be a long ugly year
How about the supposed 2 best centers in the game being paid $8+ M each start winning this team some games?
This MJ system makes letang and fleury good. DB system made sid geno good. MT system made all cor players look good
I remember in February of 2009, how everyone looked good – because of MT’s system.
For the record, SIDS shot attempt was when he was covering for a pinched in blue liner. He took a slapper from the point. It went down as a shot attempt but we all know it was actually a slap pass looking for a deflection. Zero shot attempts.
By the way, they lose that game 5-1 if it isn’t for Fleury.
MAF is the only core player to improve his game in the last several years. Sid and Geno have been regressing in every facet.
Midget was sharp. You can always tell with him from the drop of the puck
st.blurry is st.blurry. some nights he’s good, but in the long run, he isn’t going to win you a playoff round.
Kinda like how, in the long run, sid chokes in every game that matters, including the playoffs. And does so in far more grandiose fasion than “St. Blurry.”
You’re such a fuck… MAF has been better then anyone not named Letang through two games… flip the fucking record over already.
Show me a person that thinks 87 is even a shell of who he once was and I’ll show you a person who doesn’t have a clue
He can’t even be counted on to win faceoffs.
Remember when he used to work on that type of shit over the summer or whatever. That was before he signed a lifetime co tract, I guess.
Hard to argue with it as the sample size increases every day.
This is a coaching problem sorry team on power play looks awful milkin and Crosby not on same unit. He needs to go.
I want to see Malkin with Kessel. It’s coming at some point.
don’t worry. as soon as dupuis is back it’s going to be kunitz, crosby, and dupuis again.
I feel bad for dupuis having that anchor around his ankle
I want to see malkin gone it’s coming at some point
Yes – it’s coming. As in, nobody plays the game forever.
Crosby is the cancer killin this team. No one wants to say it. Blasphemy in the Burgh. Dude’s not a game changer any more but the team is built around him.
I say it. Ad nauseum.
Kessel wants to go back to Toronto.
Our $8+ million dollar centers have no excuse with the wingers they’ve been provided not to find time and space to take over a game. Its very embarrassing that both of them continue to look uninspired and flat night after night. But then again I’m sure the AHL defense doesn’t help in transition, still no excuse for 1 measly goal in two games.
Agreed… all this talk about getting these guy wingers and right now they are doing nothing with them. Sids a shadow of himself. 1st half of his career us HoF worthy but if he continues this way the 2nd half will make him an after thought. That said, OV 180ed himself… have Sid and Geno watch tape of Ovechkin.
Shane Doan, quietly one of the dirtiest players in the league.
If there’s two things I know, it’s the same always eats the last ho ho, and Sid is a shell of his former self, who is currently stealing a paycheck.
Sprong had the best jump in the 1st. Why can’t he skate with Sid or geno? How many more rushes do we have to watch Kunitz screw up?
I don’t want to saddle the poor kid playing with an anchor like Sid.
In fairness Kunitz played well… that said, as much as I hate agreeing with anything you have to say, the kid did have jump and it would be nice to see him get a shot in the top 6.
Who remembers when sid and geno went to the net like hornqvist? We haven’t seen that In a very long time. This team needed broken up after the 2012 season. I keep saying it. They’ve underachieved since the cup win. Why would anyone think it’s going to all of a sudden get awesome again? Pens are finishing 12th.
I’ll stick with my it’s never to early to panic. They began where they left off last season. That d core will not improve above a lottery team no matter how long you give them to gel. What an unmotivated group of players, what was supposed to be the deepest offense in the league only mustered 1 goal in 2 games.
Didn’t someone on here defend the 2 pp units idea by saying the players liked it and supported it? According to DK neither Sid nor Geno is in favor of being split and both have been saying so, he even posted a video where Malkin clearly(well clearly for him) says that if he was the coach it would be 1 unit.
Yes jay, maybe if the Pens keep employing the same pp personnel year after year things will change.
What does that have to do with you trying to fabricate that the players were in favor of 2 units? Regardless of how the power play performs Sid and Geno didn’t support 2 units.
I wouldnt even dignified that with a response. Much of that PP unit has had success in the past… what is a glaring difference that DipshitPittFan missed is Kessel. It is a huge difference from what we have had in the past
Malkin and Crosby are the best perimeter players the nhl. I’m so pumped that we get to see this core until 2021!
Jaydog’s long posts
Stay tuned
It’s tough trying to educate you morons in just a few words.