When the Penguins are on their game, which they decidedly weren’t during last night’s Game 1 loss to Philly, they’re truly a sight to behold.
Fast. Connected. Able to score goals in bunches with blitzkrieg suddenness. Wildly entertaining, too.
Yet as potent as our quick-strike game was during the regular season (third in the league in goals), I wonder how effective it will be in the postseason?
Saturday night it wasn’t. Our Pens had grave difficulty getting up to speed against Philly’s neutral-zone clogging 1-1-3, which later seemed to morph into a 1-4 trap. We alternately tried to pass or carry the puck through the orange-and-black mine field, with little success. Leading to a passel of turnovers, which in turn led to a plethora of odd-man breaks against.
Still, the Pens seemed to reluctant to play a chip ‘n’ chase game that might have enabled them to bust the trap and apply more pressure to the Flyers’ defense and goalie Dan Vladar.
Is it simply a matter of sticking to our guns and doing what we usually do, only better? Which was sorta, kinda our approach when we got knocked out in the opening round four-straight years under Mike Sullivan. Twice against the trap-happy Islanders, who Philly seems to be emulating. Or do we need to adapt and adjust in Game 2?
Fortunately, rookie coach Dan Muse has a reputation as a coach who can and will make necessary adjustments. So I feel reasonably hopeful on that count.
In addition to altering our tactical approach, some line tweaking may be in order. Personally, I’d be in favor of reuniting Egor Chinakhov with countryman Evgeni Malkin. The comrades in arms enjoyed a chemistry that hasn’t quite been there between “Chinny” and Sidney Crosby. Which, of course, would reunite Rickard Rakell with long-time linemates Sid and Bryan Rust.
Even though he’s played really well and on merit doesn’t deserve to be pulled from the lineup, do you bump Elmer Söderblom in favor of Justin Brazeau? Counterintuitive, I know, but again, strictly a chemistry thing. Brazeau and Anthony Mantha just seem to read each other well.
I’m not sure what the answer is. Only that the Pens can’t serve up a repeat performance of Saturday’s loss in Game 2 and expect to hang around very long.
Down on the Farm
The Baby Pens closed out their regular season with an 8-0 pasting of Rochester. Rutger McGroarty and Rafaël Harvey-Pinard netted two goals apiece, aided and abetted by tallies from Atley Calvert, Tristan Broz, Owen Pickering and Ville Koivunen. Sergei Murashov made 27 saves en route to his fourth shutout of the campaign.
For the season, Avery Hayes (24 goals), Aidan McDonough (23) and Harvey-Pinard (21) topped the 20-goal mark. McDonough paced the team with 44 points, three ahead of Koivunen, who averaged well over a point per game (41 in 34 contests). With 34 points in 30 games, McGroarty likewise scored at better than a point-per-game clip.
Between the pipes, both Murashov (2.20 GAA, .919 SV%) and Joel Blomqvist (2.40 GAA, .913 SV%) posted impressive numbers.
By virtue of their second place finish in the Atlantic Division with a record of 46-17-7-2 and 101 points, the Baby Pens earned a first-round bye in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
A step down in the East Coast Hockey League, the Wheeling Nailers (46-20-3-3, 98 points) topped the North Division and finished second in the Eastern Conference overall.
Forward Connor Lockhart and defenseman Brent Johnson paced the Nailers with 55 points apiece. The former led the way with 21 goals. Eleven Nailers scored double-figures in goals.
Wheeling will square off against Reading in the first round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs.