{"id":66975,"date":"2025-12-21T18:36:13","date_gmt":"2025-12-21T18:36:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/66975\/"},"modified":"2025-12-21T18:36:13","modified_gmt":"2025-12-21T18:36:13","slug":"lament-and-reality-time-to-get-real-about-this-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/66975\/","title":{"rendered":"Lament and Reality, Time to Get Real About this Team"},"content":{"rendered":"

MONTREAL \u2014 Pittsburgh is the city known for world-class medical procedures and care, but it was the Montreal Canadiens<\/a> who performed open heart surgery on a living patient Saturday. <\/p>\n

Montreal capitalized on the Penguins\u2019 mistakes and forced more. Montreal played a cleaner, faster game and got some special goaltending from rookie Jacob Fowler in a 4-0 win at Bell Centre Saturday. <\/p>\n

And it was in the loss that the very real truth was inescapable, and inside it had to be known, even as some might choose to deny it. <\/p>\n

\u201c(Montreal goalie Jacob Fowler<\/a>) played well. I mean, I still think we\u2019ve got to find ways. You\u2019re playing NHL goalies every night. You need to understand what you would do to make you successful on any given night against any given goalie,\u201d said Sidney Crosby<\/a>. \u201cSo he made some good saves. But, I think we still\u2013couple games in a row\u2013we\u2019ve got to find a way to get in the back of the net. And some of that\u2019s execution, some of that\u2019s bounces.\u201d<\/p>\n

Correct. The Penguins did not finish their chances. But the bigger reality is they don\u2019t have enough players really capable of finishing. That\u2019s being proven through trial by fire. <\/p>\n

The Pittsburgh Penguins\u2019 current roster, with a giant hole in the middle where Evgeni Malkin<\/a> should be, just isn\u2019t good enough to win many NHL games. Coach Dan Muse has shuffled around players, juggled lines, and tried to find spots for numerous players to have success. <\/p>\n

The little Dutch boy had a better chance at success. Blaming Muse at this point is silliness or pure frustration. The latter is understandable. <\/p>\n

Players who had great starts, appearing to seize their chance, have regressed badly. Very badly. The scoreboard is enough proof, but the eyes also show where too many Penguins are shooting from. <\/p>\n

And it\u2019s not near the net. <\/p>\n

Despite Muse\u2019s effort, the team\u2019s inconsistent effort has yielded an eight-game winless streak, notably all without Malkin and Blake Lizotte. The depleted lineup that was already thin has borne a scoreless streak of 120 minutes and 13 seconds, and the last lead they had was a three-goal advantage that evaporated against the Utah Mammoth on Dec. 14\u2013four games ago. <\/p>\n

The Pittsburgh Penguins\u2019 winless slide now seems terminal. We\u2019re back to praising \u201cthings to like\u201d and things to build on, rather than results. <\/p>\n

Like window shopping for Christmas, the Penguins stared wistfully at a win. They wanted it, but did not have the means. They had more offensive zone time, more scoring chances, but also more mistakes. Ultimately, Montreal did what the Penguins could not: Score. <\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re a pretty opportunistic team. We gave them some looks, and they buried them. I thought we worked pretty hard. Our effort was there,\u201d Crosby said correctly. \u201cWe worked hard, and I think if we execute on a couple of chances we get, maybe it\u2019s a different story. We made some mistakes. They made some. They capitalized. We didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is one thing to lose when submitting a lifeless effort, but the heartbreak only grew Saturday with a lively, intense effort that simply didn\u2019t match their opponent\u2019s ability. In a painful exposition of the Penguins\u2019 fall, Montreal exploited every mistake. <\/p>\n

It sure would help the Penguins\u2019 cause to light the lamp when the other teams cough up the puck. But that isn\u2019t happening. Perhaps it\u2019s asking too much of too many players who are not fitted for that sweater. <\/p>\n

Just a few mistakes are all it takes.<\/p>\n

There was Bryan Rust\u2019s centering pass that missed Sidney Crosby on a second-period power play. That seemingly little mistake became Josh Anderson\u2019s shorthanded breakaway goal. <\/p>\n

Parker Wotherspoon stumbled in his crossover at the defensive blue line, and fourth-line center Owen Beck zipped past at full speed for an unabated wrister from inside the dot for a goal. <\/p>\n

And Montreal scored the first goal of the game against the Penguins\u2019 flagging penalty kill when Erik Karlsson didn\u2019t get the puck out of the zone after winning a race to it on the left wall. The PK lost its structure, and Juraj Slavkovsky was wide \u2026. WIDE open in the slot. He easily beat a helpless Stuart Skinner, who didn\u2019t have a chance. <\/p>\n

Pittsburgh Hockey Now asked defenseman Erik Karlsson a blunt question. Did the Penguins play well enough to win? The lament and optimism, and regret are tangible.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes and no. I think they played better for the most part. You know, if we got a little bit of puck luck and scored on a few opportunities that we got, maybe it could have been different,\u201d Karlsson said. \u201cBut we definitely played better (than previous games). I think we felt better about ourselves today than we have in the previous two games.\u201d<\/p>\n

Penguins Analysis<\/p>\n

Tactically, the Penguins were Montreal\u2019s equal. They had more offensive zone time. More rush chances. More scoring chances. <\/p>\n

Yet they also seemed to be playing catch-up for most of the game. There is one flaw in the Penguins\u2019 game that has been consistent through the slide, and even before the mounting losses: Losing the net-front battle at both ends. <\/p>\n

Connor Clifton discussed it with PHN Saturday morning. Karlsson broached the topic postgame. The Penguins simply aren\u2019t getting in the goaltender\u2019s way (we\u2019ll try not to comment on the botched goaltender interference call on Rickard Rakell Thursday). <\/p>\n

Coach Dan Muse went into detail Saturday morning and lamented the deficiency Saturday night.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe traffic for sure. I think that\u2019s an area\u2013that\u2019 not to say it was on Fowler. Fowler player well\u2013I think we can generate more quality for sure,\u201d said Muse. \u201cSo I think the traffic at the net front (is one factor). Some of it\u2019s the execution.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, while Clifton, Karlsson, and Muse can cite the shortcomings, what exactly can the Penguins do about it? <\/p>\n

The team has some big bodies on the second line, but Anthony Mantha and Justin Brazeau have regressed to perimeter players. One or both of the 6-foot-5 wingers could take a lot of sunlight away from goalies, yet Montreal\u2019s Jacob Fowler, as did Linus Ullmark in the game before, saw every shot. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s a lot easier to make tough saves when a goalie can see the puck off the stick. <\/p>\n

The basic analysis is very simple. It\u2019s not about tactical wrinkles any longer. It\u2019s not even about heart or desire. It\u2019s simply a lack of players able or willing to win space where it counts and a lack of players capable of consistently finishing good chances. <\/p>\n

Penguins Report Card<\/p>\n

Team: B-<\/p>\n

The good things can\u2019t be ignored, but they shouldn\u2019t be praised in a shutout loss. The Penguins created 15 high-danger chances and 26 scoring chances, both better than Montreal\u2019s game. <\/p>\n

Stuart Skinner: B<\/p>\n

A breakaway goal, an uncovered player within 20 feet and dead center, and a good young player in full stride with no defender to contest the shot. Those were the goals scored. Skinner lamented not being able to take away one of them, but that\u2019s wishful thinking for a goalie who otherwise played quite well. Montreal had a bevy of Grade A scoring chances, especially in the first period. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s tough. Obviously, two nights where we haven\u2019t been able to get a goal,\u201d said Skinner. \u201cFor me, if I\u2019m able to keep one less goal from going in, maybe it gives the guys a touch more juice going in the second and third period.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kevin Hayes: B+<\/p>\n

He took the first-period penalty that led to Montreal\u2019s first goal, but otherwise, he was very good Saturday. He had several of the Penguins\u2019 best scoring chances, including a breakaway and a nice little move around the defenseman near the net for a good backhand chip against Fowler. <\/p>\n

Mantha-Rakell-Brazeau: ??<\/p>\n

Eye test? C. Puck possession, but not nearly enough done with the puck. Rakell played well in the middle, but the wingers remained \u2026 on the wings. <\/p>\n

The advanced metrics show a great game for the line with four high-danger chances against none allowed. A 10-1 shot attempt advantage and a 90% expected goals-for ratio. We\u2019re using the eye test here, but there are two sides to the story. <\/p>\n

Kris Letang: B<\/p>\n

It was his best game in some time. He moved the puck, joined the play, and generally defended well. He was on the ice for the empty net goal, which counts as a minus, but shouldn\u2019t. <\/p>\n

Perhaps playing in Montreal was the elixir he needed. <\/p>\n

Erik Karlsson: Yes<\/p>\n

Did Karlsson play well? Yes. Did he make numerous slick little breakout plays and carry the puck with confidence? Yep. <\/p>\n

Was he all over the ice and dangerously out of position a bit too often? Also yes. The PK clear was a mark against him. He just has to get that puck out. <\/p>\n

Kids Line: Continued Inconsistency<\/p>\n

Ville Koivunen\u2019s game is consistently a tale of inconsistency. The line had poor advanced statistics, but they also had numerous eye-catching shifts and chances. <\/p>\n

For Koivunen, he\u2019s playing a touch slow. He\u2019s got to let his shots go quicker. The line had enough good moments to keep it together, but they have to do more than play on the rush. They need a few more good shifts of low, grinding possession that keeps the puck in the zone rather than drive-by chances. <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTags: Montreal Canadiens<\/a> Penguins Analysis<\/a> Penguins report card<\/a> Pittsburgh Penguins<\/a> <\/p>\n

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