Penguins/NHL
Penguins lose out on getting 2 pts, Rust-Brassard-Kessel show early chemistry
PIT GAME LEADERS
Bryan Rust | Goal (11), 5 SOG, 62 CF%
Carl Hagelin | Goal (9), 2 SOG
Riley Sheahan | Goal (10), 55 CF%
Derrick Brassard | Assist, 3 SOG, 61 CF%
The Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 overtime loss to the New York Rangers Wednesday night that saw the Rangers outscore Pittsburgh 4-1 over the final 14 minutes of the game, was nothing more than Pittsburgh letting their foot off the gas and playing down to their competition in the third period.
Pittsburgh blew leads of 2-0 and 3-2 in the third period.
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In the big picture when it comes to which opponents are the best matchups, it doesn’t really matter for the Penguins on where they finish in the Metropolitan Division as there’s no real separation between Philadelphia, Columbus or New Jersey, Pittsburgh’s most likely first round opponents at this point, but you always want home-ice, regardless of whether the statistics show home-ice isn’t that important in the NHL playoffs.
That was a game the Penguins had in the bag against a lowly opponent that tore down their roster at the deadline.
METROPOLITAN DIVISION
1. Washington Capitals | 69 GP – 85 Pts
2. Pittsburgh Penguins | 71 GP – 85 Pts
3. Philadelphia Flyers | 70 GP – 81 Pts
4. New Jersey Devils | 70 GP – 80 Pts (1st WC)
5. Columbus Blue Jackets | 70 GP – 79 Pts (2nd WC)
MORE BUZZ
— A bright spot for the Penguins in the loss was the immediate chemistry of the Bryan Rust – Derrick Brassard – Phil Kessel line.
The line produced a goal in the second period, Rust scoring from the slot 1:53 into the period off a feed from Brassard and the line as a whole was at 60% in possession and the Penguins had an 11-3 edge in shots during 5-on-5 play when Rust-Brassard-Kessel were on the ice together.
From the very first shift the line was on the ice, Rust provided some of the little things Pittsburgh’s third line had been missing.
His speed/angles on the forecheck to pressure the puck made an immediate impact leading to a turnover from Kevin Hayes and a high danger chance from Rust minutes into the game.
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The Rust goal saw Pittsburgh establish possession down low with Brassard setting Rust up in the slot for a goal.
— Carl Hagelin scored his 9th goal of the season and aside from the goal, his transformation over the last two months continues to be something else with the speed/offensive game he’s providing.
He was really good in the loss to the Rangers.
— Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel were flying early on in the game, had some highlight reel plays to setup scoring opportunities, but as the game progressed the Penguins top line spent a lot of time in their own end.
Crosby and Conor Sheary were at 27% in possession when on the ice together vs the Rangers.
It’s becoming more and more evident Pittsburgh could have used another competent top-9 type winger at the deadline, especially with the organization having no plans to introduce Daniel Sprong into an NHL role down the stretch.
Can Zach Aston-Reese when healthy be the viable option to plug next to Crosby when Sheary isn’t going well to allow Pittsburgh to keep their second and third lines together?
As well as Aston-Reese was playing prior to getting injured, he’s still an unknown when the adrenaline rush starts to wear off on young players who just come up.
The 4th line had a second straight positive game but that isn’t going to last.
Murray, Penguins targeting a return next week
Penguins goaltender Matt Murray is progressing really well and the player, team are targeting a return for the upcoming three game homestand next week.
Pittsburgh plays tonight vs Montreal and are then off until Tuesday when they play the Islanders on the road.
Pittsburgh is then home Wednesday night (3/21) vs Montreal which appears to be the primary target date at this point. [/hide]
What a good game. By fleury he stole the match on its own even tho box score showed 4-0
And reeves big hit was the game changer
1. Habs
2. Las Vegas…
3. Are the Penguins at least here for you?
No one cares, frog. It’ll be interesting to see who you drool over when he gets lit up in the playoffs, again.
MacKinnon with another 3 points, Colorado is in the first wild card spot but should be slotted over LA but are not bc of this stupid wild card system. The MVP is his to lose. Sorry Geno.
Sam’s bff Nathan.
Yea same Nathan that same wanted few years ago in a package deal.with malkin. Your build a team around a Canadian. Not a Russian or American.
Man that’s rich… Colorado isnt even a shoe in to make it and this fucken tard makes this statement lol. Remember all, he is French Canadian… the rest of us actual Canadians are not this stupid
Sam wanted the guy who watched the playoffs from his living room the last two years instead of the guy who finished near the top in scoring in each of the last 2 cup runs… leading last year lol
Put your so called mr MVP malkin with avalanche let’s see how many of these awards he would or would’ve win/won
Remember you can always build a team around a Canadian but. Not around American or a Russian and you know that unless you are a fake Canadian
2 Cups vs no playoffs asshoIe Call me when McKinnon goes to the finalsor any Canadians without that stupid French last name
It’s still Kucherovs to lose.
Tampa is so staked they would still be in the playoff race without him. Take NM out of Colorado and they would be a non playoff team. Just bc you win the scoring title it does not make you the MVP of the league. If that was the case there would be no need for it.
I agree, but they always seem to favor points. They also don’t give it to players who don’t make the playoffs and playoff teams are bound to have at least a couple stars. Raantanen is having a really nice year and Landeskog is playing really well. I’d give it to MacKinnon, but if NK runs away with the scoring title (2 more goals tonight), it’d be hard for MacKinnon to get it.
Tough to say, Goals is actually the favoured marker. If McKinnon helps drag his team into the post season and has more goals than Kucherov there is a very good chance the NHL could look his way… however… the one thing that no one has mentioned yet… the politics involved. The voters are often prone to going with the guys they know, ones who have been on the ballot before. With the exception of runaway cases if it is close the guys that have been voted on before generally get a bit of an advantage. From that POV I think… Read more »
Is hockey season over ?
Habs fans tossing jerseys on the ice tonight! What a bunch of fucken bandwagons 😉
Explains why -5am is here
-5am is in shambles. His Canadians are a laughingstock and the second account he paid for has been rendered useless.
Murray returns to practice, gets hit by Zamboni.
Sam thinks the Penguins make Kessel a healthy scratch.
Sam said this is Malkins best season since 09. I guess he thinks Geno’s 2012 season when he was only the MVP of the league was subpar. #YepSamStillSucks
Still think Pens are better off coming in second and playing flyers in first round. Any one of those wildcard teams is going to come into the playoffs on a roll.
I don’t even think the flyers get in. Looking at the standings, all the teams they are competing against are trending up and they lost their points lead. Florida is on fire and have 3 games in hand and I think CBJ and NJ are both playing better. Will be interesting to see which of those 4 is left out. I do know that Montreal is completely out of contention, though.
If pens don’t play tight game and don’t fix goalie problem they will be out first round . This is when they miss niemi
Watching jarry last night was a nightmare. If pens go in playoffs with #35 and #1. They will be out first round unless they play a Jacques Martin style hockey
Yup, would be better off with the goalie that fucken lost last night and every game as a Penguin.
If it was up to this stupid fuck we’d have Byron instead of Kessel, Neimi instead of Jarry and DeSmith, Malkin would be gone for godknows what, probably St Louis and Letang would play 48 minutes a night…. oh and likely Rick Nash would be eating most of the salary saved on the missing key components from the last two cups.
By all means, let’s over analyze the Crosby conversation for this fucken retard to have a voice…
Wait…. Neimi May have been left out to dry but Jarry an DeSmith have out performed him ffs.
Christ this is the genius that some mothafuckers feel they need to defend lol
Anyone who seriously is critical of Crosby is a bonehead. The guy just captained back to back cups. Expecting him to come out with his A game throughout a meaningless 82 game regular season is unrealistic. Judge him come playoff time.
Those are the same clowns that wanted him traded last year in December. When the guy played most games from the team world champion ship Olympics, all stars. Then the wc in September going all the way to the finals also with pens and being face of team while the others hide behind the camera when things don’t go well
Yet you clamour for moving both Malkin and Kessel biweekly…
Actually, he’s been predicting Malkin would be back in Russia for the better part of a decade. And a point per game guy with a cap hit of 6.8 is a fraud, when Chicago is paying a third liner 10.5.
Yeah. Oh get brainwashed with that 6.8 number. Thanks to Toronto sending him paychecks until end of contract and playing on 3rd line must be one expensive 3rd lines investment only reason pens keep him. Because they have a lot of cheap labor players if other players take more kessel on 3rd like would be exposed more as expensive and him playing top 2 lines won’t produce as much and yet he well be exposed as fraud now he is covered as average bandwagon don’t see it. It’s like USA Americans think they are all that but reality they are… Read more »
How anyone could think of chiming in on your behalf on all this with the above train of thought is fucking beyond me…
Truth be told, Crosby’s line is our third best line right now.
Agreed and you can’t simply pin that on the wingers. I mean that’s what’s being sad by some local writers. Before someone fuckks this up… not saying it’s anything negative outside that A he needs to be there for them come playoffs and B we are lucky to have Malkin and Kessel helping to keep them going
Prove your point… go back through league history and find me a single example of a “third line” guy that finished in the top 20 in scoring… one that hit 30+ goals or was a full PPG over 80 games. You won’t find this and for good reason. Fucken idiot
So let’s use the full 8.1. Any team in the NHL would happily pay a top 10 scorer 8.1 million. You’re just crying like the festering pu$$y you are because: A. Crosby is being outplayed by both the guys you cry about. B. Montreal (your team) is miserable and just got smoked by a team of “frauds”. C. Americans and Europeans are carrying the Pens. D. You wasted the last $20 the public has given you watching your favorite team get manhandled like the soft, pusssyboys their garbage city is comprised of. Keep crying though. Solid entertainment.
Yes any team would pay 8.1 to play on first line not 3rd line. Same goes about Bobby Ryan. He was even healthy scratched at some point. Now eat your hot dog and chant USA USA like an arrogant fat fuckk
When waa Kessel a healthy scratch? How is it possible for someone to be this stupid?
Ya I bet teams are laughing at the two time cup champion that is able to deploy Kessel as a 3W (ignoring of course that he played most of last year as a top 6) that creates insane matchup issues. Only this incredible dumb fuckk and the bizarre legion of followers that don’t realize that they are bigger idiots would subscribe to this fucken nonsense
Who is being seriously critical? I literally pointing out that he has lulls in his game like anyone else. That holding Malkin and Kessel to a different standard vs Crosby is absurd. Lets not forget they both played significant roles in those cups. A strong case could be made for Kessel getting robbed of that Conn Smythe in 2016.
Like you said, meaningless game and he will have his ups and downs, not denying that but the percent of idiots down playing Malkin and Kessel vs absolving Sid even on quiet nights is the entire point of what was said
The all time greats that people like to compare Sid to always took it easy in the regular season like he does.
Here is a good story for the intellectually dishonest. The ones that cannot admit that Crosby is human and goes through rough patches. During some of those nights he looks absolutely disengaged. This isn’t a sam reply either. As I have tried to explain to the board newest halfwit the Crosby chatter on here, more times than not, is a direct response to a bandwagon fans apologetics on the subject. https://www.nhl.com/news/penguins-sidney-crosby-not-bothered-by-goal-scoring-drought/c-292942250 The article discusses the couple points in the last few years where we have seen his coldest moments. You wanna simply chalk it up to line mates so be… Read more »
So it was an ok effort vs a piece of shitt garbage franchise… That said some positives as Geno and Horny are clicking and it would seem Rust has helped spark Brassard. Now once Sid returns from whatever it is that has kept him out the last 3 or 4 games this team could be a real threat again. I mean that is if Letang doesnt single handedly attempt to derail them like he had the past couple games with some insanely pisspoor decisions. Just as he started to play at a level that started to make him look like… Read more »
What about your drooling buddy sheary. Funny how habs had 3 goals on 10 shots. Imagine they would’ve beat pens all Star team with ahl team. I bet youd be hiding under your bed today
HAHAHA, yet Sid did fuckk all vs that AHL team… AGAIN. Like he did vs NY. You can blame it all on Sheary or Guentzel all you like but Crosby is supposed to make other better remember? You have been preaching this and as soon as he goes cold you blame his wingers. Crosby needs to change his tampon and start playing again. Guentzel and Sheary are capable of doing their job when Crosby does his but when the most important player on the line, in part due to him being the centre, goes cold it hurts the line. I… Read more »
Ok so question of the night. If we won cup last year without Letang can we win it again with him?
When do you think Sid hands over the C to Geno?
Proof -5ammich don’t even read these things lol
Never Malkin isn’t a leader… he is a extremely talented world class player who is streaky.. When is in on like now no one better but he doesn’t go full tilt all the time… hence not being in the 100 top player of all time…..
Funny how clowns here drool based he is having one good season yet they forgot when other years he had tendency to disappear for many games and have his annual vacation for few weeks by faking injuries. Now I don’t care if your clowns agree or not. This is malkin best season since 09 yes 09 its sad a player at his calibre plays with fire once every 10 years or so now let’s strip the C from sid and give it to malkin
You mean like Crosby is right now during one of the more important stretches of the year? Or like he has the past 2 before this prompting questions as to whether or not he was done? Do you not remember this dip shitt?
Since leaders don’t win Conn Smyths….
Montreal lost.
Good to see Brassard starting to look more like an asset!
Is there ever a lot of empty seats…. real quiet too
Wow, Penguins score with Malkin on the ice a fucken gain
Flyers lost in relation. If we can pull tonight out, we’ll have a solid hold on one of the top two spots.
Jarry sucks tonight he has hard time tracking the puck brassard line not bad overall. Sheary suckks as usual
If Sid showed up it might help everyone on that line. As for Jarry, can’t blame him for Letangs monumental fuckk up
Hey npl give me your email so I send you live picks. Since I’m here I can also send your Bell museum that is full
He wants you to see those dickk pics bad NPL… don’t do it
Post them on your Facebook. I’ll take a look there.
Not sure Zuckerberg wants to see those
What’s your email fatslob@hotmail.com ?
Anyone else surprised -5ammich still uses hotmail?
Malkin is currently 4th in even strength points. Not bad for a PP specialist.
What a play Letang… gorgeous… what do you think of that one -5ammich?
Malkin and Kessel with two points each so far… Crosby with a -1 and phantom assist according to announcers
Geno and Kessel dominating Montreal. Again.
Thank got we have our pp specialist vs ahl team
You think Sid will show up? Power play or otherwise?
Sid always shows up you A hole……. He is still doing a point a game with revolving young inexperienced wingers…. He has had to play with Sprong, Simon ashton Reese all which he has made better dont forget who created Sheary and Guentzal…mmmmhh wonder why Sullivan never puts these guys with Malkin..because it would be a disaSter.. MALKIN GETS THE GOOD WINGERS ones that know what they are doing
Don’t forget other then sid playing with undrafted players he also plays vs top lines while chubby having his years of his career thanks to sid he can play on 3rd line and first pp unit. Put chubby on first line and except him to carry the team we well see now many points he will do and have a lot of minus –
^Case in point… always has to be an excuse. Because this dumb shit simply figures that lines are changed like clockwork like it was a video game. So instead of giving Kessel the credit where it is due he downplays the accomplishment and comes up with excuses for the other. This is classic sam… and now the idiot has a fucken clone he can bounce this overly simplistic claims off of!
BAHAHAHAHAHA this has to be -5ams second account. Sid isnt infalible first off. All BS aside he, like any other player goes through stretches where he goes cold. That’s actually fine, I only give a shit because of the stupidity that is pushed by the moron whose side you just took. I have explained this to you once already but apparently you dropped out of the same middle school sam did. Most of the shit talked on this board is a direct result of that idiots inability to give credit to players like Malkin, Murray and Kessel while consistently apologizing… Read more »
I’m just hoping Letang doesn’t sam his pants in the third this game.
Sam will be between the benches next period with Pierre to talk about how be banged Tim Robbins in the 90s.
Is it more pathetic to go to a game and be on a message board the entire time, or to pretend like you are even at the game?
Give me your email now you fat fuck so I can send your live pics
Live dick pics maybe…
DM me on Twitter. @NPL10 aka Thomas Steen
I know why -5ammich hates Malkin and Kessel while apologizing for Letang and Sid at every turn. Anyone else see that stat? The most productive players vs the Habs since 06? The two -5am hates were on the list lol
First KESSEL HAS BEEN THE PENGUINS BEST PLAYER ALL YEAR AND MALKIN IS ON FIRE..SID IS STILL DOING A POINT A GAME WITH YOUNG WINGERS LIKE SIMON ASHTON REESE SPRONG…DONT FORGET WHO MADE GUENTZAL AND SHEARY WITH SLICK PLAYS AND PASSES.. SID IS STILL THE BEST AND SMARTEST PLAYER IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW HE IS THE PENGUINS 3RD BEST PLAYER..LETANG JUST SUCKS DEFENSIVELY HARD TO WATCH BRUTAL IN MONTREAL LAST NIGHT
You’re caps button is broken…
Just in case npl ,tbj,stain closed their TV when game was 2-0. The game is 2-2 now
Brassard nice play
I wanted to throw hot dog but don’t eat that junk
Npl blows hard
Another goal blame letang fools
Letang -1. He sucks boxscores it was his fault right
I thumbs upped this one… it’s the only correct thing you said all year
Agreed Letang has been god awful in his own zone…If he does that spinna ramma move going back in to our own zone and coughs up the puck i’m gonna shoot him LOL plus the guy has no shot from the point..
I’m going to habs game if pens lose now can I turn off my TV there
Same, where are you sitting, we’ll look for you on TV. Wear somethung that will let us all know it’s you.
Make a samtheman sign and create a distraction.
I can hold a sign saying npl sucks
YES!
Sheary’s struggles are gonna hurt the Guentzel and Rust contracts… I hope they retain both but that 3.5 is gonna be a ballpark starting point for both
Rust will get $4-4.2 per and Jake will get $5m-$5.5 per year. Minimum 4 year deals. And neither will have anything to do with Sheary.
If they get that much it has everything to do with Sheary… Guentzel has had a decent year, likely won’t hit 50 points. If they give him a contract in the area of Hornqvist already it best be 6 or 7 years. I’d wager between 4-5 unless they bridge over a couple years. Rust has never touched 20 goals or 40 points… he might hit one of those this year. He’s a terrific utility guy that can be used throughout the top 9 but if he hits 4 I’d be surprised… unless Sheary! When Sheary got the 3.5 he was… Read more »
Jake isn’t a $5 million dollar player and rust isn’t a $4 million player. both are still young and inconsistent and Rust is brittle like Letang and Matta
Maybe they will have Same between the benches? He can heckle Malkin and do ball hockey tricks!
He’d be wearing a Dale Weise Canadians jersey with printed numbers.
I will say go back to russia
Hopefully they will remember there are 60 mins in a game and not 40 mins.
Hopefully last game gets that third line started. On paper, it has the potential to be really successful. Love what Rust brings to the game and he can complimentthe other two very nicely.