Penguins/NHL
Premium Post-Game Player Reports
Game 13 Sunday, February 10, 2013
Devils 3 @ Penguins 1
Centers
Sidney Crosby| 0 Points, even rating, 4 SOG, 21:40 TOI 19 FW – 5 FL, 79%
Pointless for the second straight game but the Kunitz – Crosby – Dupuis line led the Penguins in even strength scoring chances and Crosby was tremendous in the faceoff circle, winning 19 draws. In the offensive zone, Crosby won 14 of 16 draws, 88%, as he’s playing the best overall hockey of his career. | Grade: B- | Season Stats: 5 G – 12 A – 17 Pts – +7
Evgeni Malkin | 1 Assist, -2 rating, 5 SOG, 2 BS, 2 TK, 24:01 TOI, 7 FW – 7 FL, 50%
Was very active in the offensive zone and had a team-high 5 SOG and picked up an assist on James Neal’s third period power play goal but Malkin was a minus-2 in the loss. | Grade: B- | Season Stats: 3 G – 13 A – 16 Pts – -2
Brandon Sutter | 0 Points, even rating, 2 SOG, 1 BS, 3 Hits, 16:10 TOI, 8 FW – 7 FL, 53.3%.
Five game points streak came to an end. Had a few prime scoring chances in the first period but was unable to get one by Hedberg. He’s carrying the third line. Grade: C+ | Season Stats: 3 G – 3 A – 6 Pts – +1
Dustin Jeffrey | 0 Points, even rating, 1 SOG, 8:30 TOI, 0 FW – 2 FL, 0%
Returned to the lineup for the first time in five games, replacing Joe Vitale. Had some good moments drawing a penalty late in the second period with good wall play. | Grade: C| Season Stats: 0 G – 0 A – 0 Pts – +2
Wingers
James Neal | 1 Goal -2 rating, 2 SOG, 2 BS, 2 PIM, 1 Hit, 20:29 TOI
Picked up his 8th goal of the season to give the Penguins some life but his bad penalty after the Kovalchuk goal was just a killer for the Penguins as Clarkson would make it 3-0 and Neal was on the ice for two goals against. Neal had just 1 even strength shot in the game and is now a minus-6 on the season. Grade: C+ | Season Stats: 8 G – 2 A – 10 Pts – -6
Zach Boychuk | 0 Points, -2 rating, 1 SOG, 1 BS, 1 GV, 13:07 TOI
Boychuk had two impressive plays in the second period showing great vision and setting up Evgeni Malkin in the slot, but he continues to show no ability to finish plays in around the net and I don’t think he’s just snake bitten. I have no confidence that he’s suddenly going to start burying some goals. Boychuk has no goals in his last 28 NHL games and just 1 goal in his last 38 NHL games.| Grade: C| Season Stats: 0 G – 0 A – 0 Pts – -2
Chris Kunitz | 1 Assist, even rating, 1 SOG, 2 Hits, 1 GV, 20:00 TOI
Made a beautiful feed on James Neal’s goal and the Crosby line was buzzing for most of the night. Kunitz has 12 points in his last six games Grade: C+| Season Stats: 6 G – 9 A – 15 Pts – +7
Pascal Dupuis |0 Points, even rating, 4 SOG, 1 BS, 3 Hits, 17:23 TOI
Just 6th time this season he’s been held pointless. Grade: C+ | Season Stats: 4 G – 4 A – 8 Pts – +6
Matt Cooke | 0 Points, even rating, 1 BS, , 3 Hits, 13:20 TOI
Playing in his 900th game, Cooke has been as invisible for a bulk of games this year but had a solid game. He delivered two hard hits in the neutral zone in the first period that stood out as the Penguins dictated the tempo in the first period. Something though is missing on the third line. | Grade: C | Season Stats: 2 G – 2 A – 4 Pts – +1
Tyler Kennedy | 0 Points, even rating, 1 SOG, 1 Hits, 13:00 TOI
What’s missing is the play of Tyler Kennedy as he continues to be non-existent. Just 1 even strength point on the season.| Grade: D+ | Season Stats: 1 G – 1 A – 2 Pts – -2
Tanner Glass | 0 Points, even rating, 3 Hits, 9:25 TOI
A Dustin Jeffrey/Tanner Glass tandem on the 4th line isn’t as effective as a Joe Vitale/Tanner Glass tandem. Glass is pointless through 13 games and the Penguins are going to need the 4th line to produce a little secondary scoring at somepoint.| Grade: C | Season Stats: 0 G – 0 A – 0 Pts – -3
Craig Adams | 0 Points, even rating, 6:59 TOI
With little penalty kill time, Saw least amount of ice time among all Penguin players. Grade: C | Season Stats: 0 G – 1 A – 1 Pts – -1
Defensemen
Dylan Reese| 0 Points, even rating, 1 SOG, 2 BS, 1 TK, 18:15 TOI
Has been a bright spot and held his own through three games. Played a season high 18:15 of ice time. I thought Reese was very strong in the transition game early on, getting pucks up quickly but the Devils size advantage gave the Reese-Despres pairing some troubles as the game wore on.| Grade: C+ | Season Stats: 0 G – 0 A – 0 Pts – 0
Robert Bortuzzo| 0 Points, -1 rating, 5 PIM, 14:12 TOI
It was clear the Devils would be coming after Bortuzzo as he was getting under their skin Saturday afternoon. Seconds into the game, Bortuzzo dropped the gloves with Ryan Carter in a staged fight, getting the best of Carter. On Clarkson’s first period goal, I thought Bortuzzo was too passive in defending the 2-on-1 rush.| Grade: C | Season Stats: 1 G – 1 A – 2 Pts – +5
Simon Despres | 0 Points, even rating, 1 SOG, 1 BS, 17:46 TOI
A really rocky game for Despres. The Devils forecheck seem to get to him as he never seemed comfortable in moving the puck up and got caught too many times, holding the puck too long.| Grade: D+ | Season Stats: 2 G – 3 A – 5 Pts – +4
Paul Martin | 0 Points, -1 rating, 1 SOG, 1 Hit, 2 TK, 28:52
One of the weaker games this season from Martin. He wasn’t quick enough at getting the puck up and had a turnover at the Devils blueline, leading to Kovalchuk’s goal.| Grade: C- | Season Stats: 1 G – 5 A – 6 Pts – -4
Brooks Orpik | 0 Points, -1 rating, 1 BS, 2 hits, 23:31 TOI
Orpik told me the other day that “hits” is a “garbage stat” when I asked him about averaging under 2 hits a game, but it’s been clear he’s playing less aggressive which could be a good thing come playoff time as he body has taken a beating over the years. Orpik had just 2 hits in the loss and this season has been credited with just 19 hits in 13 games. Last season Orpik led the team with 259 hits in 73 games. Grade: C+ | Season Stats: 0 G – 0 A – 0 Pts – 0
Deryk Engelland| 0 Points, -1 rating, 3 BS, 1 Hit, 13:41 TOI
We’ve seen a couple situations this season where Engelland makes a bad read on a puck coming around the boards at the top of the point at the oppositions blueline. He has to get into reading the situation better and realizing what type of players are on the ice, as Clarkson made him pay for his miscue.| Grade: C-| Season Stats: 0 G – 1 A – 1 Pts – +5
Goaltenders
Tomas Vokoun | 3-2-0, 20 Saves on 23 Shots, 19 Even Strength Saves, 1 Power Play Saves,|
Vokoun didn’t have his best night. He said afterwards he wanted that first one back where Clarkson made a great a shot to beat him. | Grade: C | Season Stats: 3-2-0, 2.27 GAA, .918 sv%
