PIT-NYR Takeaways: Sullivan harsh assessment spot on?

Takeaways from Penguins 4-2 loss to the Rangers Friday Night

‘Worst game in a month?’ Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan was livid after the Penguins loss. A bit of a stretch from Sullivan to call it the Penguins worst performance in a month, he must have a short memory, but it was a second straight game where the scoreboard was a lot closer than the level of play actually was between the Penguins and their opposition. “Probably the worst game we played in a month, maybe,” Sullivan said. “Everything we talked about before the game; we did the complete opposite. We talked about managing the puck, we gave six 2-on-1’s and a breakaway….We talked about bringing physicality, we didn’t touch anybody. You know it’s hard to win when you do things like that.”

With this particular club Sullivan’s message after the game has become a tougher stance he’s tried to take in public and behind the scenes than past seasons where he’s very rarely been critical of players or the team overall. Despite the four-game winning streak and the team having some life you could see Sullivan’s frustration from the standpoint the Penguins were facing a vulnerable Rangers team and the attention to details and wanting to do the basic little things well remains wildly inconsistent with this group that saw a very winnable game go to the Rangers Friday night.

Among the troubling signs:

Blake Lizotte opens the scoring @ 6:18 of the second period, Artemi Panarin scores a 1:09 later…….Waning moments of the second period, the Penguins are lazy on a line change, Pararin goes the length of the ice and buries one past Alex Nedeljkovic with 0.6 remaining………Third period same old story. Philip Tomasino scores and rips one past Igor Shesterkin to tie the game at 2-2; Riley Smith then scores off a 2-on-1 a 1:24 later to put the Rangers up 3-2. Smith winning a puck battle off Matt Gzelcyk who remains a major problem in the role he plays was the story of the goal against.

“We didn’t manage the puck, we were on the wrong side of the puck all night long,” Sullivan said. “We didn’t win a puck battle, there wasn’t a collective effort, our intentions weren’t in the right spot from the drop of the puck.”

The lack of offensive push from the Penguins could be translated by Sullivan as a lack of effort from his team.

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#’s

Blake Lizotte | 5 Goals in 12 games this season

Philip Tomasino | Unlike Cody Glass, Tomasino actually shoots the puck like a first-round talent should. He’s on quite the heater with 3 goals in five games as a member of the Penguins.

68 CF%: Philip Tomasino was Pittsburgh’s top rated possession player 5 vs 5 vs Rangers

35% Penguins were 35% in the faceoff circles, winning just 18 of 51 faceoffs. At one point Pittsburgh won just six of the first 36 faceoffs in the game. Sidney Crosby was lone bright spot winning 10 of 19 draws (53%, including 7 of 11 in O-zone). Rest of the team 8 of 32.

.875%: Alex Nedeljkovic posted an,.875 SV% in the loss, allowing 4 goals on 32 shots. That makes 10 of 13 games Nedeljkovic has appeared in this season where he’s posted a save percentage sub .900.

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Rumblings

Cap Space Galore? The New York Rangers are regarded as having an even better trade in place with the Columbus Blue Jackets for Jacob Trouba that would have netted them a higher return and still unloaded the entire $8 Million cap hit. The media and fans are on different levels when it comes to actual trade value for players like Jacob Trouba. New York had close to four legit trades on the table. Even with the Igor Shesterkin $92 Million extension, New York has over $20 million in cap space next season. That’s Mitch Marner’s Music………

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Pettersson to NYR chatter remains loud? To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”! They have him very high on their list and could the two sides line up for a bigger deal? Whispers To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!

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Riley Smith Revenge Game: Recently a healthy scratch, Smith scored the go-ahead goal had 6 shots on goal, 9 attempts and a breakaway opportunity. As poor of a player he has been the last year in a half @ a $5 Million cap hit, the Rangers will still have a market him to unload his cap hit, that’s why they remain a very dangerous team on the trade market to get better between now and the deadline. To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!