Look out below!
The bottom continued to drop out on our Penguins during a 4-0 loss to the speedy Senators last night at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa.
A sluggish start pretty much doomed the locals, as Brady Tkachuk netted a power-play goal just 2:16 into the contest. Former Pen David Perron and old nemesis Claude Giroux struck within a four-minute span early in the second period, and that was pretty much all she wrote for our boys.
If you’re reaching for a bright spot or some sort of silver lining? I thought the Pens played much better in the final 20 minutes and “won” the third period despite yielding a late goal with Arturs Silovs pulled (almost).
The numbers bear witness, as the Pens enjoyed a 25-10 edge in shot attempts and a 12-7 advantage in shots on goal. Of course, by that stage the Sens were playing more passively with a three-goal lead.
Still, perhaps something to hang our helmets on going forward.
Then again…
Puckpourri
We’ve now lost seven games in a row (0-3-4), including the last two in regulation. Remarkably, despite the ugly slide, we still have the third-best regulation points percentage (.545) in the Eastern Conference.
I hate to be negative. But this has the look and feel of a total team meltdown. From a distance, coach Dan Muse seems in over his head. There are so few positives to latch onto, at least with this current batch of players.
I truly don’t think this plummet is going to end until Evgeni Malkin and Blake Lizotte return to the lineup (both have resumed skating). We miss them that much.
What can be done in the meantime?
Not to single guys out, but do Kevin Hayes and Danton Heinen (who hasn’t played badly) need to be in the lineup every night? Call up Tristan Broz. Call up Avery Hayes. Heck, call up Boko Imama. Call up anyone who can inject a little life and spark into a decidedly moribund mix instead of the relentless plain vanilla the organization seems to turn to by default.
If it sounds like I’m ready to push the panic button, it’s because I am.
Oh, and as if we needed an extra dollop of adversity, the Pens continue to be jobbed by the refs. A would-be second-period goal off the stick of Kris Letang that would’ve brought us to within 3-1 and perhaps provided a boost was waved off on a phantom goalie interference call on Rickard Rakell.
When Muse rightfully challenged based on clear-cut video evidence, the idiots war room in Toronto supported the erroneous call on ice. Even when our rookie coach does something right it goes wrong.
Such is the way of things these days.
Pens Sold
Although it hasn’t been officially announced, the Pens have been sold by Fenway Sports Group to comedian Bob Newhart…er…the Hoffman Family of Companies for roughly $1.8 billion. Double FSG’s purchase price of $900 million.
It remains to be seen if franchise icon Mario Lemieux will be involved in the new ownership group.