Penguins – Panthers What We Learned
The Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night escaped with a 3-2 win over the Florida Panthers.
Best way to put it is that it was a fortunate two points for the Penguins.
No player came up bigger than Tristan Jarry in goal.
Jarry was sensational with 33 saves, making a number a number of side to side athletic saves. His quickness on side to side puck movement is prime Fleury-esque.
Pittsburgh was atrocious for several long stretches in giving the Panthers the middle of the ice. From just a couple minutes into the game to the waning, Jarry was bailing his teammates out.
The Penguins did little well in all three zones, including struggles in the faceoff circle, winning just 38% of their draws.
For the Penguins what stood out again in a negative way was how the opposition controlled the play 5 vs 5. The underlying numbers over their last seven gamesunderlying numbers over their last seven gamesunderlying numbers over their last seven games against playoff level teams to top contenders has been very poor and the biggest thing to look for is whether the numbers meet the eye test. It doesn’t always which is why you can’t always give significant weight to poor possession or scoring chance numbers, ect. Those who sit behind a computer and come to conclusions without watching a minute of games continues to be a crazy phenomenon in hockey over the years.
But, what’s been the case of late is that the eye test continues to match the numbers and it’s starting to become concerning.
5 vs 5 #'s
Shot Attempts: FLA 51 – PIT 31
Shots on Goal: FLA 29 – PIT 16
Scoring Chances: FLA 16 – PIT 10
Pittsburgh being at 37% in shot attempt differential and 38% in Scoring Chance For percentage sounds just about right from the hockey game I watched.
Special Teams
Despite the poor 5 v 5 numbers, Pittsburgh came out of this even (2 GF- 2GA), thanks to some fortunate bounces in Kris Letang being handed a breakaway on a platter out of the box and Teddy Blueger getting a fluke bounce land right on his stick.
With limited power play opportunities, Pittsburgh won the special teams game, going 1-for-1 on the power play and 3-for-3 on the penalty kill.
Crosby’s power play goal off a feed from Jared McCann was Crosby providing a great read down low in creating a 2-on-1 opportunity in numbers for McCann with Panthers defenseman Mark Pysyk having no clue Crosby was creeping right behind him. McCann had two high percentages plays to make there.
Player Spotlight
Defenseman Kris Letang
25:41 TOI, Goal, Assist, 5 SOG
Kris Letang had such a Kris Letang game in the Penguins 3-2 win. Played 25+ minutes, had a goal, assist, team-high 5 shots and was named the games No. 2 star by the media.
Letang’s first period goal came on a breakaway right out of the box as few defenseman are as special as Letang is with the puck when it doesn’t have to think.
Letang then played a part on the Teddy Blueger goal just 4:14 later as he makes a heads up play in reading the Panthers are changing and opens himself up to gain the zone. This is what Letang often does so well in Pittsburgh’s possession game.
But, what made it such a Kris Letang game was the maddening mental mistakes defensively that at this point in his career, are never going away
#1. Mike Hoffman Goal
Pittsburgh holds a 2-0 lead late in the first period, a game they probably shouldn’t be leading. Late in period when leading, you have to have the mindset to tighten things up, lets to the period with a lead. What Letang is doing here, I have no clue. He completely takes himself out of position on the play as Vantro who is pulling up, hits a trailing Mike Hoffman, a lethal shooter. This was just in-excusable defense and a lack of awareness by Letang that Hoffman was ever there as an option.
#2. Late 2nd Period
Letang has free rein in the Penguins system. Coaches have come to the point where you live with the good and live with the bad. Letting him play a risky style is best for the team they believe.
When the Penguins are cycling up high near the point and Pittsburgh D’ crisscross, Letang will often try to find an open spot around the left faceoff dot.
Here’s an example in the first period. It’s something you want from a skilled defenseman like Letang and it provides spacing against the opposition.
However, thinking this way for 100% of the game is just problematic and it almost caught the Penguins late in the second period. Jack Johnson, not a good puck handler, has the puck at the point with around 25 seconds left and Letang is all the way over at the left wall on the faceoff circle.
It put him in no mans land to defend what happened — a blocked shot and a scoring opportunity the other way by a dangerous goal scorer. In the waning seconds of a period with a one goal lead, you just can’t have mental mistakes like that. And of course this isn’t some one game thing. That’s always been the problem for a player who gets almost 30 minutes a night when you have situational awareness mistakes Letang continues to have.
#3. Final Seconds
More positional awareness issues as Letang was again caught in no mans landing on Pittsburgh’s defensive gaffe in allowing a breakaway in the final seconds of the game. Evgeni Malkin completely botched his defensive alignment as the F3 on the weakside by puck watching and leaving his lane by gliding towards the puck carrier, but again, it’s something to wonder what Letang is thinking here with his spacing.
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Anyone else hearing done deal on Zucker?
Wow… gave up a lot… so much for Addison being off the table
Galchenyuk, Addison and a first? I mean yes I’m high on dude but holy shit
Kessel is going mad talking to him self hitting his stick to the bench
Some fat democRAT tried to kill Trump with a knife
Miserable sad fuckks
Npl suckss so does his kind
Crazy, an hour since this post and this is nowhere to find on any news site… you gotta source Sammich?
Sounded serious lol
https://www.businessinsider.com/man-arrested-white-house-knife-threat-trump-2020-2?amp
If Pens have any thought of trading Murray before the deadline then they should start him Tuesday. Otherwise go with Jarry.
Going into the playoffs with untested Jarry and DeSmith (also untested) as your back up is just lunacy. And no one wants Miller.
Penguins already went into the season with untested Murray
Trade Murray, galchenyuk and carramrod get quick and retain half his salary
Ya I’m not sure what’s with the desire for these well past their prime guys… I mean quicks been crap for a few years, as bad as Murray was for a spell it was still better than Quicks last two seasons.
Miller? Been better in Anaheim than at in Vancouver, seems to be doin okay as a back up… in a defensive structure out west. Can’t see that old body holding up with a lot of the odd man run and gun play too common I the burgh!
Marino diagnosed with three broken bones in his cheek that would require surgery.
Time table is 2 to 3 weeks per reports from the Penguins.
They say he is going under today. If this team stays afloat they will have plenty of rested players come the playoffs.
*six
Fucken BRUTAL luck this year. Hopefully they can avoid anything major down the stretch and get healthy for the post season or its going to be a short one.
LOL https://public.tableau.com/profile/bill.comeau#!/vizhome/SKATR2019-2020/SKATR
SimplyDusty11, you’d get your ass kicked at a Seger concert
They should trade Schultz if they are not going to resign him for whatever they need..
They also are already looking at defense man out west to bring in to Pittsburgh
Once thats taling care of then you can move Schultz if needed,,better for youBLO job233..
Schultz ain’t resigning..we can get defense man elsewhere douche…
If you want to improve the defense trade Pettersson. He has term now and long term value. I’d rather forfeit Pettersson’s long term upside for a legit LH top 4 guy with a short term window.
Sorry FOR THE misunderstanding. I just generally FIGURE THAT IF YOU NEED a specific position, you SHOULDN’T TRADE AWAY that position. I guess in your world, it’s a good idea to trade away guys at a position that you’re already thin at. And keep the middle school name calling coming. You’re quickly catching Sam, both in dumb comments and terrible grammar. Should be interesting to see you two battle heading down the stretch of the season.
bLO JOB 233 For god sakes dumb ass of course you don’t trade one before the other.
2+ 2 = 4
Figure it out dim wit.
of course Rutherford getS The D he is looking at out west!
then you move Schultz after that cmon dude
I think the Penguins need defense. They should trade Shultz for a bottom-six forward.
All you talk about Sam’s multiple accounts! What’s the fuck does that have to do with anything?
Not a second goes by that you don’t think or talk about Sam’s multiple accounts.
At least I’m sticking to hockey!!
Carramrod or stans Hockey is
NHL = National Hockey Letang. Thats all he watches that fat donut boy
It is very hard to miss Letang’s fuckk ups. They are almost as atrocious as your grammar. The Canadian school system must have very very low standards.
BC he has multiple accounts. This is not rocket science.
Who fucking cares why would that bother you??…..let him have 100 accounts !
Talk hockey and not Sam..
He only accuses me to have multiple accounts because he and npl have been caught owning a few. Npl having 4 accounts and rod 2 accounts
Marcus Foligno or Nick Ritchie can replace coat tails Zack Aston Reese….
Either playerwould look good with Blueger and Tanev..
Is there a second that goes by in your day where you aren’t thinking about a trade?
Isn’t it the season? I mean the trade deadline is what a little over two weeks away? it beats talking about politics like so many do on this site…which is useless don’t get that.
This is a hockey site not CNN MSNBC FOX
what are we supposed to talk about B job 233
At least I’m staying on task bro…
I’ve been talking about Foligno for several months. He makes about $2.5M I believe but if you could get him and dump Galchenyuk at the same time.
Agreed 100% Foligno or Nick Ritchie of Anaheim would be a perfect 3rd /4th line ad!!!
They both can get the garbage goals, play physical, and stick up to any non sense from other teams!!
Ritchie 23/24 $1.5 UFA next season
Foligno 31 $2.5 not sure if he is a UFA??
Both could add intensity for playoff series!
We are pushing our AHL luck with Agostino Lefferty they aren’t quite there….but playing a lot more than they should
I know Guerin likes Bjugstad!
The injury status is messy and clouding things
Im not ZARs biggest fan but that line is still getting it done with him on it and he is a PK guy. Basically I have other moves I would like to see 1st and if there is something that can still be done here under the cap so be it. Ideally, with the cash invested into a line that barely exists, I would hope the Pens find away to put together an L3 consisting of McCann, a piece picked up in the move of Bjudstad and whatever else fits already on the team, this is considering when Kahun gets… Read more »
Watching the Minnesota – Avs game and the three platers the Penguins should be interested in are playing well.
Kevin Fiala 22 goal and a assist!
Jason Zucker flying around three good scoring chances
Marcus Foligno 2 good chances and roughing it up backing his teammates.
Either Marcus Foligno or Nick Ritchie of Anaheim would look really good on our 4th line. Both can score and play a physical game….come playoff time invaluable
Wait, Kris Letang made more metal defensive mistakes? D… stop with your Letang Agenda… Sam(e) will cry.
Go drool over karlsson or subban. It’s clear you don’t watch Hockey and only watch letang on ice. You are sad just like your old account Stan
Actually, It proves I can be objective and talk about the Penguins short comings and openly admit they have problems, especially Letang. Your head is so far up his ass you can taste what he has for breakfast. He can do no wrong to you just like Crosby and MAF. You think the sun shines out of their french Canadian ass’s and it shines on your face. As for me being Stan, I can assure you, beyond a shadow of a doubt I am not him. You just want me to be him bc I call you out on all… Read more »
Black community and women are mad for Oscars because they are not majority
Typical dumb democRATS
sid is a minus 5 and simple simon a minus 8… yet all we hear is how awesome they are together. i can’t wait until the pens get swept in the 1st round again so rutherford and sullivan can get fired
And who will be their replacements?
He doesn’t have answers. He’s a dweeb that needs to cry through a message board to help convince himself he matters.
If this team was actually fully healthy and they kept playing at an underperforming pace I would start calling for heads but it is hard to fully judge what is wrong when all the parts are not performing at once. You can only put on the ice what is on the bench.
The team has overachieved and are in the top 4 in the east.. we need to load up with some players
What’s wrong right now YOU ASK
– The power play sucks and they pass on too many shots (letang being the most guilty)
– The 4th line has been invisible and sucking lately
– The defense (who everyone said was great is failing- partly due to injury/but also stupid decisions, coverages and bad pinches by the D)
– The 5 on 5 hasn’t been that good
Getting healthy an adding a couple players we should be really good.
– Oh yeah I forgot we need some toughness and grit
– Also a top 6 winger (to replace jake)
And we are still in the top 4 in the east which is the good thing..
Can I please get a Simply Dusty update? Where has the simplest of minds been hiding?
hockey11 is a suspect
I think so too
The way stan is carramrod
The way Sam(e) has multiple accounts.
I dint have multiple accounts why would anyone do that spend twice the money…asinine…
Thought you were cool Sam the man fat eggs green eggs and ham
suspect for what you retard clown face?
Glad to hear from the arrow! Don’t be a stranger.
Florida sucksss
So does npl and the rest of the Fat DemocRATS
What we learned is a Power Play goal was the difference between winning and losing.
Penguins gutted out a 3-2 win! Hornqvist out again…hearing longer term Jesus fuck this team is so cursed now Marino and Hornqvist.!!!! Sullivan benched the 4th line the last 30 minutes letang and Johnson sucked as usual defensively! -The penguins up 3-2 a Florida forward split them down the middle with 3 seconds left and walked in all alone…fortunately the guy didn’t get a good shot off. I said all along we need defensive help even before the Marino injury…not maybe I wont get roasted. Rutherford looking out west Anaheim’s Josh Manson is big, physical, has a good shot and… Read more »
Correction. Letang sucked. Johnson did not
Johnson bailed out Letang, and so did Jarry, yet again.
Everyone bails out letang!
.This off season bye bye- bye birdie….he needs to go Montreal loves him take him.