Penguins Report Card: A Sour Frustration, and a ‘Step Back’

BOSTON — The Pittsburgh Penguins and coaches are really struggling in the absence of winger Bryan Rust.

The Penguins took five penalties in the first 30 minutes, then applied heavy pressure for the final 30 minutes, but could not find a way through the pile of bodies near the Bruins’ net.

They lacked that gritty game in the dirty areas and around the net. The Penguins bombarded the Boston Bruins, and allowed just eight shots in the final 40 minutes, but never got the goal they so desperately needed, losing 1-0 at TD Garden.

Frustration dominated the Penguins’ locker room with exasperated sighs before answering questions. A loud expletive echoed through the hallway before reporters entered the room. And a veteran player stayed behind to lobby teammates and coaches for some tactical tweaks for similar situations in the future.

“We knew they were going to play like that. You know, they’re a 1-2-2, kind of neutral zone (team). They’re sagging back,” Anthony Mantha said. “And for us, it was obviously not enough, but maybe (we can) put more pucks deep next time we play them and try to get that forecheck going.”

Of course, it also helps that Boston goalie Joonas Korpisalo has a case of Alexey Morozov against the Penguins. Penguins Generation Next fans from the early 2000s will remember Morozov’s uncanny ability to score against New Jersey Devils Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur, when no one else in the league could, and score far more often than he did against anyone else.

Before Sunday, Korpisalo had an .888 save percentage this season, and a .900 career save percentage in his 11-year career. However, Korpisalo now has a .928 save percentage against the Penguins.

Add that to the list of frustrating things Sunday.

Penguins Analysis

The Penguins knew before the game that Boston was going to protect the house. They had numbers back almost always. The slot was a maze of big Boston defenders, sprawled bodies, and sticks.

Boston had won 10-2 Saturday, beating the New York Rangers to a pulp. Sunday, they won in the opposite fashion–but the Penguins know what to expect. Coach Dan Muse laid it out before the game, and it was all very true.

“You see the offensive numbers from their last game, but I think a lot of it’s on the defensive side. You know what they’re doing. They keep guys back. They have numbers back,” Muse said Sunday afternoon. “They make it hard to get to the inside … but I think it’s something that stood out going into (today) is just knowing that this is a team that you know makes it hard to get to the inside. A lot of times they will have bodies back, numbers back.”

Rust’s absence was significantly felt Saturday and Sunday as both Calgary and Boston won the battles around the net.

“You knew they were going to be back a lot. They’d have numbers. They make it hard to get to the net and stay there. So it’s not a surprise,” said Muse. “One, I think we could have done a better job with our execution, just to get into the offensive zone more. Then, two, be able to create more traffic at the net, more quality around the net.

“(We had) too many outside shots there that nobody was at (the net) at times. No bodies were even in the area. So, yeah, I think that part of our game has been better as of late, but I think we took a step backwards.”

Penguins winger Rickard Rakell had a few good chances around the net. They were limited, but as the Penguins began to break down Boston, it was the Penguins’ top line with Sidney Crosby and Rakell, with Anthony Mantha on the other wing, that had the bevy of chances.

But no goal lights.

“We got some looks from the outside, but didn’t really find anything in the slot area, the danger zones,” Rakell said dejectedly. “It felt like they did a good job of just getting it out of their own end and just trying to apply pressure on us. Frustrating for us, for sure.”

Sunday was not the day to ask about Rust’s absence. Teammates certainly wouldn’t lay blame on Novak, Mantha, or teammates for not playing up to Rust’s standard. Injuries are the very nature of the game, especially during a compressed schedule.

But with one goal over 120 minutes over the weekend, Rust’s absence was as noticeable as a zit on the Penguins’ nose the night before Prom.

The falling dominoes of change in the lineup negatively affected the team, especially in the offensive zone, as the team neither looked nor felt connected for over 30 minutes.

Muse again juggled his lines Sunday, and even juggled them through the game as the team played one-third of the game shorthanded through the first 30 minutes.

Muse tried to find combinations to get that elusive goal, playing Kevin Hayes just 10:19, Justin Brazeau, Novak 11:36, and Egor Chinakhov only 11:50.

Notably, Muse kept Evgeni Malkin at wing, but didn’t place him with Sidney Crosby until late in the game. Muse largely kept the middle six together with Malkin side-saddling Kevin Hayes with Egor Chinakhov, and Ben Kindel between Tommy Novak and Justin Brazeau.

Rakell admitted the lines weren’t necessarily clicking as he regretted the team’s lack of fight for the middle of the ice.

“Yeah, for sure (we regret not fighting more for the interior). We would have made some different decisions out there, been more on the same page,” said Rakell.

Penguins Report CardTeam: B-

The numbers were even in the first 30 minutes. But it sure didn’t feel like an even game until later in the second period. The Penguins didn’t create heavy, sustained pressure until then. They had shots and drive-by chances, but for the second straight day didn’t do the little things–like hold onto pucks enough to force defenders out of position. Boston was largely able to hold its structure, even under the Penguins’ pressure.

Yet, they still didn’t do enough of the little things to get space where it mattered.

Dan Muse: Second Guessed

We’re not going to give the coach a grade, but we will second-guess the lines. They looked wonky before the game, but they remained for almost the entirety of the game.

It would have seemed an easy flip in the third period to reunite Novak with the towers, Justin Brazeau and Anthony Mantha. Move Malkin to Crosby’s wing much earlier. And let Hayes, Kindel, and Chinakhov pick up some spare ice time–essentially, shorten the bench until the Penguins tied the game.

Stuart Skinner: A+

The only goal was a bit fluky. Skinner was quite good as the Bruins packed the zone and counterattacked with aggression. Even if their shot total wasn’t high, they had plenty of dangerous, loud chances.

“The first save pops out. It’s on a stick, then it’s kind of in the middle of the guys’ skates. So I lost it for a second, then went back out to a stick, and I just tried to spread because I felt like that’s the only amount of time I had,” Skinner said. “And then, with (Viktor Arvidsson’s) luck, he hits the post, it goes off my leg and back in.

So, yeah, it’s tough that that’s the goal that wins the game. But, I mean, stuff like that happens in sports.”

Tough Games

Paker Wotherspoon: He made a few poor decisions in the first period, including a turnover on his first shift, and a chip that didn’t get to open space or near his player–it was essentially a turnover that created a 5v3 Boston counterattack–and the game’s only goal.

Evgeni Malkin: No shots on goal. The line had the puck but couldn’t navigate the maze of bodies well enough. There was no one on the line to fight for the middle of the ice.

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Penguins Report Card: A Sour Frustration, and a ‘Step Back’

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