Penguins/NHL
Penguins are coming at the opposition in waves
When the regular season ends on April 6th, the Metropolitan Division will likely have a similar look as the past two seasons.
The Washington Capitals finishing in first place and the Pittsburgh Penguins finishing in second place.
For the rest of the NHL here come the Penguins.
That debacle vs the Carolina Hurricanes less than two weeks ago did something in that it woke up the Penguins high-end talent and what we have now is that the high-flying Penguins from Sidney Crosby on down.
Pittsburgh followed up a 4-1 win against the Detroit Red Wings Saturday with a dominating 5-2 win over the Rangers Sunday night and it was vintage Penguins of the past two seasons.
Fast, electric offensive brand of hockey where the Penguins kept pressing offensively at every moment.
Pittsburgh peppered the Rangers with 47 shots and this game felt more like it was an 8-2 game than 4-2 with an empty net marker from Carl Hagelin that sealed a 5-2 victory.
Scoring chances at 5-on-5 were 27-12 Pittsburgh.
Whether Dominik Simon and Daniel Sprong are long-term fixtures this season as top-line players remains to be seen, but in the short-term, it’s made the Penguins lineup so much deeper in that Pittsburgh can space their talent around with Jake Guentzel and Phil Kessel now on the third line.
And why Jake Guentzel can work anywhere was highlighted on Phil Kessel’s second period goal where Guentzel makes a soft dump-in and forces Kevin Shattenkirk on his backhand, Pittsburgh creates turnover off the forecheck and Kessel snipes one past Lundqvist for a 3-2 lead.
Guentzel didn’t get an assist on the play but the high-hockey IQ was on display where he continues to make things happen offensively whether he’s playing wing or center.
— Crosby and Simon were great in the win vs the Rangers and the waves Pittsburgh’s first, second and third lines came at the Rangers was just on another level.
Mike Sullivan and Mark Recchi did an excellent job of also mixing and matching the lines in certain spots.
People say Sidney Crosby and Phil Kessel can’t play together?
A couple shifts a game might not be the worst thing.
The two were on the ice for 2:55 together at even strength and the results:
Sidney Crosby scored a third period goal off a primary assist from Kessel and the Penguins were 6-0 in scoring chances and 3-0 in high danger chances
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Last four games for the @penguins: 4️⃣ straight Ws.
Last four games for Sid and @PKessel81: 10 and eight points respectively.Oh, and Sid is one shy of 400 goals in his career. pic.twitter.com/1WkOhAAyVD
— NHL (@NHL) January 15, 2018
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— The Penguins suddenly look like the Penguins again and another big development in recent games is that for one of the rare times over the last year and a half, Carl Hagelin is looking like the Carl Hagelin from the 2015-2016 season.
He was tremendous in the weekend wins over the Rangers and Red Wings in his ability to hunt loose pucks. He created that chaos dynamic his game is built on in pressuring the opposition.
The coaching staff has constantly defended Hagelin to Penguin management To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
Dea called up any one know why?
Yes
Sam thinks Evander Kane is sexy.
It’s a hockey night in Anaheim!
Sorry cap bar stuck i meant $ 19 million in salary… Diego
DIEGO REALLY DUMB TRADE…..MONTREAL ISN’T GIVING THEIR THREE BEST PLAYERS FOR A BRITTLE GOALIE A DEFENCE MAN WHO HAS BEEN TERRIBLE UNTIL THE LAST TWO WEEKS…AND PITTSBURGH ISNT TAKING ON 419 million in salary..
Ok Yoda. You convinced me. I’ll be back tomorrow with another dumb trade idea.
Murray, Letang and second round pick for Price, Pacioretty and Galchenyuk.
Phil Kessel is 3rd star of the week and 2 points out of second in the NHL in production this year. Really wish we had Paul Byron or even Shane Doan instead tho, amirite sammich?
Have you looked into Marty St.Louis’s numbers this season? Sam may have been on to something back then…
How’s Sheary doing ?
Better than Shane Doan, Paul Byron and JP Pageau. He’s still pacing around 20 goals, not sure why you hate 20 goal guys!
Was Ladd Hudler on the team with Jordan Staal when he won back-to-back Stanley Cups. I wasnt a fan during this period of an alternate reality so any knowledge of this shared would be greatly appreciated.
I am not sure but I do know McDavid had yet to have a sniff of playing time with Vancouver because he was barley able to tie his own skates at the time.
That mustard around the time Malkin moved back to Russia I believe
This column feels a lot like Dejan’s Promise of victory over the jaguars. It’s been three wins in a row, that’s all. This team is going nowhere in the playoffs as currently constructed. Need a legit third line center. I’d give up Maatta and move Oleksiak to the left side. Pair him with Ruhwedel. Put Cole back with Schultz and make Hunwick the 7th dman
I imagine Cole will be gone by the deadline based on the constant sitting of the guy.
Dont disagree, but it’s the wrong move. he’s one of their top 6 for better or worse.
I agree but right now he is riding the bench and it seems that the rumours of him and the coach not being fans of one another predicates a move. I would absolutely dangle him as a carrot in return for a Dman better than Hunwick… IF we have to move Cole.
Personally I think the guys a warrior and would love to see the Pens retain him
Not sure why there is a narrative that Sid and Kessel cannot play together. We got 7 games of this experiment while Mike Johnston was working at fucken the team up bad. We have not seen it much with a far more competent bench boss that gets what this team needs to go. That said… I prefer the depth but when they need one we can now load up Kessel, a natural winger, with Sid as opposed to try and force Geno into that position… or even put the 3 together if offence is needed bad enough
I see sam is really upset that I called Johnston out for being fucke trash again