SUNRISE, Fla. \u2014 The Pittsburgh Penguins played a solid game in their 4-3 shootout loss against the Florida Panthers Sunday night at Amerant Bank Arena. Even without Matthew Tkachuk, Brad Marchand, and Aaron Ekblad, Florida is a tough team that plays well.<\/p>\n
The Penguins canceled practice for Tampa later today, leaving this reporter without plans Monday. We had a pretty cool interview and story arranged for practice, so I hope we\u2019ll be able to reschedule. I expected the story to go far and wide, but maybe that\u2019s me overestimating the potential information within the conversation.<\/p>\n
After checking out of the little resort this morning (the front desk is actually two miles away?!), I\u2019m taking the scenic route through the middle of the state up to Tampa. I\u2019m looking forward to it, even as the locals asked, \u201cAre you nuts?!\u201d<\/p>\n
The simple answer is yes.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m trying to get another colleague on this trip to take an airboat adventure. It\u2019s a good question whether they would push me into the water.<\/p>\n
Anyone can drive on the highway and stop at a Cracker Barrel or McDonalds. I find myself to be a Robert Frost type. In addition to miles to go before I sleep, I am also a \u201croad less traveled<\/a>\u201d sort, too. It does make all the difference.<\/p>\n If your education system didn\u2019t expose you to Frost, just Google him. And read. It\u2019s not soul-searching or mind-bending poetry or prose like Kerouac or Hunter S. Thompson, but it won\u2019t take up your day, either. You\u2019ll thank me.<\/p>\n To hockey\u2026<\/p>\n **There was a lot to like about the Penguins\u2019 resistance Sunday, but their talent level was well beneath Florida. Despite the Penguins\u2019 moxy, they had just one high-danger scoring chance after the first period.<\/p>\n The unfortunate truth about this Penguins roster is that they don\u2019t have much offense. The only consistent threat is from Sidney Crosby with Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell.<\/p>\n **Even the Florida broadcasters seemed a little surprised when the Penguins had some dangerous puck possession later in the third\u2013Play-by-play Steve Goldstein asked rhetorically, \u201cThat\u2019s the Penguins\u2019 best chance since \u2026 midway through the second?\u201d<\/p>\n Goldstein\u2019s voice really cuts through the noise. Some of you would love him. He keeps the excitement level high without shouting or hyperbole. Each puck is important, especially in a tie game. I like that.<\/p>\n **The Penguins did well to get to overtime. Florida had 30 shot attempts in the third period. 30?! The Penguins had four. Florida took the puck in the second period and didn\u2019t give it back for the final 40 minutes, out \u201cCorsi-ing\u201d the Penguins, 48-16.<\/p>\n However, watching the Penguin\u2019s defensemen try to clear the puck was often a painful experience, not suitable for children. Ryan Graves and Vladislav Kolyachonok had multiple failed attempts in the final 40 minutes. Graves was benched in the second period before returning to action in the third.<\/p>\n Read More:\u00a0Jarry Saves Point in 3rd-Period Barrage, Penguins Stumble in SO<\/a><\/p>\n Kolyachonok otherwise had a pretty good game. He was engaged physically. To the defensemen\u2019s credit, they kept the crease clear enough for goalie Tristan Jarry to see the shots and make the saves, even as he had to dive and scramble for a few.<\/p>\n But I just don\u2019t think Ryan Graves will ever figure it out with the Penguins. Sam Reinhart undressed him in the second period.<\/p>\n **The larger question is\u2013do you care?<\/p>\n Do you care about the Penguins\u2019 current on-ice performance at all?<\/p>\n Or has the line already formed for next season, hoping Dubas takes several big swings with young players and players with bigger potential than performance?<\/p>\n **Our Penguins locker room feature Sunday night was one of the best of the season. Coach Mike Sullivan<\/a> was as candid without anger as he\u2019s been this season. He essentially admitted that he\u2019s tried everything, \u201ca million different ways\u201d to help the team improve in the shootouts, but ultimately, the players are \u201ceither inclined or they\u2019re not.\u201d<\/p>\n He basically threw up his hands. He also referenced the Penguins\u2019 top players being \u201chistorically over 40%,\u201d though Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang have fallen closer to 30% now.<\/p>\n Read More: Penguins Room: Jarry Earns Coach\u2019s Confidence; Pens Blunt About Shootouts<\/a><\/p>\n The Penguins stars are older, and they\u2019re not as good as they once were at the individual components, but they\u2019re still the best the Penguins have got.<\/p>\n Perhaps Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas should look at that stat line this summer. If there\u2019s a close decision, the shootout should be a factor, or even if there\u2019s a player who excels in the skills competition, perhaps the Penguins should sign him.<\/p>\n **Imagine if the Penguins had five more points this season. We\u2019d be having a different conversation, eh?<\/p>\n Since the Columbus Blue Jackets and formerly reviled, maligned, and incorrectly castigated defenseman Jack Johnson<\/a> were just in town, I\u2019ll throw out the shootout stat that never ceased to amaze: Johnson is 13-for-41 (32%) in his career, with four game-deciding goals.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not my favorite way to end a game, let\u2019s just say that,\u201d said Sullivan.<\/p>\n **Both of Bryan Rust\u2019s goals Sunday were sick. If Dubas trades him in July, he\u2019d better have a darned good reason. Rust is fighting to the end for his team.<\/p>\n Heart goes a long way to establishing culture.<\/p>\n **I am also curious how a few of the Penguins\u2019 prospects would fare in the final 10 games.<\/p>\n