Penguins/NHL
PENGUINS – PREDATORS X’s & O’s
The Pittsburgh Penguins earned an impressive 5-2 win over the Nashville Predators with a lot of factors playing a part in the decisive win.
They beat the Predators with skill.
They beat the Predators with speed through the neutral zone and off the rush
They beat the Predators with special teams, going 2/4 on the power play and 4-for-4 on the penalty kill.
The Penguins ability to take their game to another level in the second period continued as a late Ryan Johansen goal in the first period did not carry over momentum for the Predators.
The NHL’s best second period team, Pittsburgh played lights out in all three zones, outscoring Nashville 3-1 in the period.
In the first 12:20 of the second period, Pittsburgh scored twice and held Nashville to one shot on goal and zero scoring chances.
The Penguins back-pressure through the middle of the ice was sensational in giving the Predators little time and space. Other than the James Neal line, Nashville had difficulty all game in having sustained offensive zone time and that started with how quick the Penguins were on them through the neutral zone. This isn’t just becoming a one game theme.
The Penguins were very disciplined with their attention to details and they were more disciplined with their puck management than past games and it still didn’t take away from their ability to create offense in out-shooting the Predators 41-24 in the game.
Anytime the Penguins needed to make a momentum changing play they got it.
Nashville ties the game late in the first period, Phil Kessel scores his second goal of the game 2:25 into the second period to put the Penguins ahead 2-1. Kris Letang then adds a power play goal to give the Penguins a 3-1 lead.
James Neal gets the Predators within one goal (3-2 Penguins) at the 14:24 mark of the second period and four minutes later Patric Hornqvist tips a shot from Trevor Daley past Pekka Rinne for a power play goal, Pittsburgh regains the two-goal lead.
The Penguins then go out in the third, out-shoot Nashville 12-7 and Nick Bonino ices the game with his 8th goal of the season at 15:49 of the third.
Pittsburgh not only dictated the play, they made Nashville chase the game for nearly all of it. The Penguins led in this game for a total of 53:27.
How the Penguins were able to dictate the play, the Kessel second period goal off the rush really illustrated how well the Penguins are beating teams on the breakout. The key to defending the Penguins is taking away the middle of the ice in the neutral zone and the only team that’s been able to do it with any success over the last handful of games was the New Jersey Devils. The Pittsburgh still managed over 35 shots that game, though, many low percentage.
What the Penguins love to do is space teams out and have the puck going side to side.
On the Kessel goal, Carl Hagelin is stretching and heading to the bench for a change and what the Penguins do on the breakout is swing the Predators from to side side.
As the puck comes up to Oskar Sundqvist on the boards, the Predators have four players on the side of the puck, two forwards caught deep.
The Predators with four players to Sundqvist’s side, plays right into what the Penguins are trying to do. Sundqvist is then able to make an easy high percentage cross-ice pass to Trevor Daley who’s breaking out down the left side.
From there the Penguins then get the Predators over-pursuing to Daley’s side, leaving the middle of the ice wide open. This is how the Penguins are routinely beating teams on the breakout.
The icing on the cake was Barrett Jackman, who is no match to keep up with Phil Kessel at this stage in his career, gets caught out of position about 3-4 steps to the right and is toast by the time Kessel receives the puck from Daley.[hide]
A few weeks ago we saw the NHL-best Washington Capitals lack structure defensively in the neutral zone vs Pittsburgh and they got burned, and it was the same story for the Predators.
The Penguins are continuing to dictate the play against quality opponents and it all starts through struggles from the opposition in defending the Penguins through the neutral zone. Until that changes, the Penguins are going to continue to be tough to beat.[/hide]
Yoda you fuckin jinx hope you are happy now
Probably Sid’s fault Fleury has concussion.
His shot couldn’t concuss fleury even without a mask.
Fleury out with a concussion.
Never. Ends.
Wonder who yoda will blame for losses now
Don’t worry Murray Is ready to take over.
Yoda
Way to go Phil!!! Woohoo Kesselmania!!!!
How’s your BMW?
Nice write up by Jay Caufield. Stop it right there guys
hey stan i cant afford for XM radio in the car but I am going for Tint my window now
The tint is probably being paid for by the government… this way no one has to be subjected to seeing your fat ugly ass while you drive around town.
Goverment money ? last i Checked Alberta unemployent rate surpassed quebec’s unemployment I am sure you are one of those who also lost his job and needs Government Aid
If you need money ask genomalkin he has plenty of money and private jet .Speaking of genomalkin he hasnt been here for a while
Look – they’re english speaking canada – unemployment rate or not, they’re much better than you creepy “born to surrender” frogs.
Worry about your country it’s due to another recession anytime
I’m not worried about your country or mine. My comments pertained to your group of people being creepy pussies and turn and run the minute things get difficult. Can Canada even have a recession? Do you guys even produce anything other than maple syrup and curling brooms?
There’s no way you don’t take government money. There’s no way you’re mentally capable of providing for yourself. If, by the grace of God. you are able to manage that, it’s simply because the standards up there are so low that even people of you’re type of stupid are able to fill a role.
On the internet I’m sure he’s also banging Kate Upton and is really Mario Lemieux.
LOL, sure I am hey retard? I am a credit analyst… I write deals for companies so they can afford to operate and hire losers like yourself. Besides being a piece of shit handout needed fuck from Quebec you have a lot of nerve to run your fucking mouth about one of the provinces that kicks in the most outside of Onatrio to keep you useless drags on the economy happy.
LMMFAO… unemployment rate in AB as a whole JUST passed Quebec… why? Because of a political move by Opec nations to over-supply the world with their cheaply produced oil in order to fuck Iran over. End of the day it’s short term… when the market recovers so will that rate… same ca’t be said for the fucking hole you live in. On top of that we finally have a government that despite their rookie mistakes sees the bigger picture and is making good strides to diversification of industry, point is recovery will be significant and in a lot of areas.… Read more »
They don’t steal jobs they are just better. They do the same in the the states. And you are right economy will be back normal. Soon and as usual quebecers are big investors in Florida. Also economy once is back npl can relax and take a breath better because Canadian team will support his dumb asss Florida teams so they don’t move
Next Headline: “Kessel worth his weight in gold now that he develops ability to score off of the rush in the 2 year old ‘Trap’ NHL” by William DePaoli
this is all good. but you know what’s going to happen once the playoffs start. the same thing that happens every year. st.blurry gets overly pumped and doesn’t start the game focused. he lets in the 1st shot and the pens are down 1-0. the other team hangs back, plays the trap all game, the pens can’t any speed through the neutral zone, the pens lose, you say MAF was great and it was the teams fault because they couldn’t score. since you all don’t understand the game, you can’t see the fact that your goaltender blew it because giving… Read more »
if Letang is healthy and pens dont play the flyers they have a chance to go to the finals as long as the D plays good in front of Fleury
If letang goes down then pens will be done no matter who you have up front crosby malkin,kessel doesnt matter
this team relies on Letang
Letang is the most important puzzle of this team your best offense starts from the Defense
but obviously some donkeys here dont watch the game same way and think the offense is everything should score and according to stan he suckss
“If they don’t play the Flyers”? because this team is still so mentally fragile that they can’t rise above the BS? Have you not been paying attention? Sullivan has this team composed, the Flyers tactics probably won’t work… like they havent since Sullivan has taken over vs the Rags, Caps, Islanders, Flyers and Jackets.
Although same is nothing but nonsense, I would like to see the Flyers and caps play each other in the first round. Should make for an entertaining and rough series.
Remember when you said Pens would miss the playoffs? We all do. The same thing that happens every year! Or he carried the team in each of the last two years. Swing and a miss, yogurt. #YogurtKnew
if he only lets up 1 goal…its not his fault
Would you consider the goal Kessel scored on the rush? I thought goals weren’t scored on the rush anymore? And hearing an inbred like yourself making these predictions is a good thing. Now, everyone knows it won’t happen.
And more to your point yogurt, a team doesn’t sit on a one goal lead for 55 minutes. Where the hell do you get these moronic ideas? What team has ever scored in the beginning of a game and hung out in the neutral zone the entire game? Every one of your posts just gets more idiotic. I hope for the sake of humanity, you are never in a position where you are giving hockey advice to kids.
yeah if they sit on one goal game it will be a boring game and not entertaining according to that fat slob NPL
2 goal lead called “the worst lead in hockey” but teams are very happy to sit one one 😉
OH man – good call – the two year old Trap NHL – he never had to deal with this mess in Toronto.
Team is built and playing a significantly different game than they have for the past several years PLUS MAF has been solid. You’re such a pathetic loser dude. Get over it.
Only you would blame a goalie for a 1 – 0 loss… what a fuckenasshole lol
https://media.giphy.com/media/rNcfGCWmoJsvS/giphy.gif
disgusting jew face
sameface your momma makes when you slip it in her ass without warning
I see you have disgusting Fantasies
At least you realize your momma is disgusting! More so for having your filth slide from her womb
no i realized you are into incest sex
Holy fuck you really are bad at this… me fucking your mom isnt incest. You thinking about incest is probably incest however
stan you only wish you had Sirus XM radio but cant Probably you drive a 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier.but still better than npl
he owns a BMW= Bus Metro Walk
How can you not see how bad you are at this?
gaydogg my reply to stan was from the previous article page
I know what it was to, that doesn’t make it any better though, how do you not realize that you’re horrible at busting on people and your jokes wouldn’t make a 4 year old laugh?
and its funny when stan says I dont have sirus XM radion in my 2015 car because i cant afford it when i said i heard in my car today on the XM
Oh dear.
Kessel has played one good week per sam. Yes he has been more productive than Jonathan Toews. How embarrassing is that?
Fleury sucks… guy couldnt even get a shut out!