PHILADELPHIA — By the end of the second period, the Pittsburgh Penguins were in terrible need of a case of energy drinks or an eardrum-piercing alarm clock.
The Philadelphia Flyers eventually won in a shootout, 3-2 at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Tuesday, but the story was classic Penguins-Flyers rivalry as rabbit punches, cheap shots, and misconducts filled the ice at the conclusion of overtime.
The Penguins needed every bit of resilience they had in reserve.
After an acceptable first period, they had just five shots in the second period, including one stretch in which the shots were four minutes apart and another in which there was a five-minute space between shots. The Penguins made up for the lack of pressure with an abundance of lethargy.
Except for goalie Arturs Silovs. The Penguins were gassed, but the goalie got them across the finish line.
“Especially the first forty minutes, where I think that we didn’t really have it,” said defenseman Erik Karlsson. “We weren’t really connecting, and we put him in some tough situations, but he held strong. At the end of the day, he ended up giving us one point today, which we’ll gladly take.”
It was a struggle for the Penguins, but in the end, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby scored a tying goal and the teams traded potential game-winning chances and waved off goals in overtime, before emotion boiled leading to a wild finish.
The game appeared to be the end of the Penguins’ points streak. It should have been the end, but they received another stellar goaltending performance. Silovs was brilliant, and there can be no question that he stole a point.
“We were playing back-to-back. It’s a little bit harder–energy wise–for guys to be 100% all the time, and I think it’s important to be there for them–just giving that comfort on the bench, and I think from there we got better and managed to tie the game, and we get a big point.”
There were four rookie skaters in the lineup on Tuesday, but it was the rookie goalie who threw a party of one as he showed this party trick of standing on his head.
Silovs was both an acrobat and a ringmaster against the Philadelphia circus.
“He played amazing. Like, how many big saves he had,” said Villie Koivunen. “He’s the reason why we were in the shootout. So it was a great game by him.”
Penguins Analysis
Sometimes, the coach does the work for you. Muse did so on Tuesday, explaining in wonderful detail the Penguins game–or lack thereof–with specificity. Nothing further needed:
“(In the third period), I thought we got back to what had been working. I thought the second and third period against Saint Louis (on Monday), we were playing north-south, and playing fast. Guys were supporting each other,” said Muse. “I thought it got away from us there in the second for way too long. We need to be more consistent with that.
A lot of it has to do with everybody kind of being on the same page. A lot of it starts with our puck movement and just the puck support. In the second period, we just got too stretched out, so when we did get the puck, you know, we were not really in good positions to continue to move up the ice. And you know when that’s happening, now you’re defending more.”
A loose team with little energy was chasing the game.
Penguins Report Card
Team: C-
The first period was fine if a bit quiet, and they rallied later in the third period–again. The defensemen were a little more subdued Tuesday, except for Erik Karlsson, who led the team with five shots and was a consistent presence in the offensive zone.
It’s hard to judge the system or tactical development when the team performed more like Rocky in Rocky V, instead of Rocky II. A point is a point.
Arturs Silovs: A+ … +++
Yes, a couple of long-range shots got past him. One lit the lamp, one hit the post. Those long shots are his kryptonite, but he lived up to “The Arty Party” Tuesday by making all manner of saves and doing so in high-pressure situations. His athleticism continues to surprise; he moves extremely well.
“I feel confident. I feel good about my game,” said Silovs. “For sure, there are things to improve, but right now I feel good about it.”
Evgeni Malkin: B
Malkin’s vision and creativity are not secrets. What fans might be missing when they watch the 39-year-old version is how well he is skating. His galloping stride is a little different, worn down by age, but he looks quicker, almost spry.
The reason his grade wasn’t an A is because of two minor penalties. Perhaps that, too, is classic Malkin.
Erik Karlsson: A
We haven’t praised Karlsson enough for his elevated play this season. He’s good. On a day when most Penguins were stuck in the muck and mire, Karlsson played well. Five shots on goal, two more misses, and three that Philadelphia blocked indicate he had the puck, and he was letting it go.
Coach Dan Muse played Karlsson over 31 minutes — that’s when you know the coach sees it, too. For comparison, Kris Letang only played 21 minutes.
Ben Kindel: B
He held his own. Kindel played well in all three zones, but he didn’t have two linemates at any point in the game. When he and Ville Koivunen began to click in the third period, his game opened up further.
Muse moved Kindel off the top power play, replacing him with Anthony Mantha, but PP1 showed an even greater regression after that swap.
Players Who Had Down Games
Kris Letang was a featured player in the second-period struggle, which actually began later in the first period. The Flyers got behind Letang a couple of times, including for their first goal.
Tommy Novak his a couple of whiffs on the first-period power play, highlighted a rough evening in which he was knocked to the ice several times, including once when Flyers defenseman Noah Juulsen firmly flattened Novak onto a loose puck in the crease, putting an end to the Penguins’ chance.
Matt Dumba was better than he was Monday, but a pair of bad penalties kept him off the ice. Muse deployed him and rookie Owen Pickering in only 14 minutes. After being inactive for most of the first 11 games, he might need a little ramp period.
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Categorized: Penguins Analysis