PITTSBURGH \u2014 Many assumed the schedule would eventually catch up with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and maybe it has.<\/p>\n
The bigger problem is that the Penguins\u2019 recent performance has caught up with them.<\/p>\n
Four games after his return to the lineup from injury, the Penguins\u2019 captain is shouldering some of the blame.<\/p>\n
Another night of shaky goaltending and poor play in their own territory buried the Penguins against a team that rarely needs much help, as the Colorado Avalanche toyed with the Penguins most of the evening in a 6-2 decision at PPG Paints Arena on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Nathan MacKinnon scored a highlight-reel goal to put Colorado ahead early, and, although the Penguins had the better of the play for stretches, they were never a threat to win.<\/p>\n
One of MacKinnon\u2019s closest friends, Sidney Crosby, recorded at least a point for the fourth straight game since he returned from a knee injury sustained in the Olympics. But he wasn\u2019t pleased with his own performance in the defensive zone, where the Penguins are struggling mightily.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese last two games, we\u2019ve given up way too much,\u201d Crosby said. \u201cThese are quality teams (Carolina and Colorado). We just need to find a way to tighten up defensively right now, especially against teams like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Penguins have given up 48 goals in their past 11 games, an average of 4.36 goals per game. This is an enormous and urgent problem for the Penguins, and nobody is more aware of this than Crosby.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s all of us,\u201d Crosby said, explaining that goaltenders and defensemen aren\u2019t the only players responsible for goals against. \u201cWe have got to make sure that we are defending better. We have to understand who we are playing against.\u201d<\/p>\n
They were playing against the Avalanche, who have enjoyed the best record in the NHL essentially all season.<\/p>\n
Colorado struck for four goals in the first period, effectively ending the game a half an hour after it began.<\/p>\n
The Penguins were not good in their own territory, were not intense enough defensively and found themselves out of position throughout.<\/p>\n
\u201cTonight, I was guilty of it, too,\u201d Crosby said. \u201cI lose my check, they put one in from in front of the net. In those areas, we have to defend better. We just have to. I\u2019ve got to lead the way on that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Goaltender Arturs Silovs stopped only 24 of 29 shots and played perhaps his worst game of the season. While Colorado is, of course, a gifted offensive team and took advantage of numerous defensive lapses, Silovs was anything but sharp. His rebound control was especially bad.<\/p>\n
So, now what?<\/p>\n
The Penguins have a number of very significant problems.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Their special teams, a strength all season, are currently betraying them. Colorado received a power-play goal from Martin Necas while the Penguins were unable to convert with the advantage. They also were unable to score with a two-man advantage in the third period.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Their goaltending is suddenly in a rut. The duo of Silovs and Stuart Skinner has been perfectly fine most of the time, but right now, it isn\u2019t. Silovs endured a very poor outing against Colorado.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Their blue line continues to struggle, cough up pucks in the defensive zone and find itself out of position on a regular basis.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Their woes with goalie interference challenges are reaching biblical proportions.<\/p>\n
Ten postgame observations<\/p>\n
\u2022 Let\u2019s start with the goaltender interference situation.<\/p>\n
The Penguins were trailing 4-1 in the second period when Justin Brazeau scored what felt like a very large goal. Colorado challenged the play because Brazeau made contact with goaltender Scott Wedgewood (who was outstanding all night).<\/p>\n
Colorado won the challenge, sending Dan Muse into a tirade on the bench and eliciting the most anger heard from a PPG Paints Arena crowd all season.<\/p>\n
The numbers: The Penguins, who are 0-for-8 on challenges this season, have also seen their opponents win four out of five challenges. So, when there\u2019s been a challenge this season, they\u2019ve come out on the losing end a rather remarkable 92 percent of the time.<\/p>\n
I asked Crosby about this.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah,\u201d he said, when asked if he was surprised by the ruling. \u201cYou\u2019d think with 10 (challenges), you\u2019d get one right. I watch a lot of hockey. A lot of time you don\u2019t know which way they\u2019re going to go. You think we\u2019d get one out of 10. But the bottom line is we have to play better.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2022 I also spoke privately with Erik Karlsson about the play. He\u2019s been in the middle of a couple of recent goalie interference rulings.<\/p>\n
He made two points, both of which I think were pretty relevant.<\/p>\n
Karlsson noted that Devon Toews appeared to lean into Brazeau, pushing him toward Wedgewood. If you watch the play closely<\/a>, you\u2019ll see this.<\/p>\n The Penguins have their 2nd goal waved off for goaltender interference \ud83d\ude2c pic.twitter.com\/aDAlZaJ8pv<\/a><\/p>\n