Backside-Six Comes By As Penguins Defeat Canadiens, 6-3

The Pittsburgh Penguins got here out robust once more on Monday towards the Montreal Canadiens, they usually additionally, once more, fell flat within the second interval.

However this time, depth scoring got here up large for the Penguins.

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Lars Eller scored two targets and Kevin Hayes notched the game-winner within the third interval, because the Penguins defeated the Canadiens, 6-3. Rickard Rakell and Kris Letang additionally scored for Pittsburgh, and Evgeni Malkin added the empty-netter to seal the win on the finish.

Goaltender Tristan Jarry made 27 saves on 30 photographs and got here up large for the Penguins on the finish of the sport.

Listed below are some ideas and observations from Pittsburgh’s win on Monday:

– Rakell deserves a whole lot of reward for the best way he has come out of the gate this season.

His skating appears to be like miles higher. His forechecking and board play has been spectacular, his defensive consciousness remains to be robust, and he’s considering the sport on a excessive degree. He is aware of the right way to use physicality and his imaginative and prescient to create area, and he anticipates properly to place himself in place to make performs.

And that is not even Rakell’s strongest attribute. That will be his shot.

He snapped a shot previous Montembault for his first-period tally, however he additionally ripped two different rockets off the publish in a while. The puck is leaping off his stick, and his patented snapshot is totally deadly proper now.

One in all my predictions for this season is that Rakell would rating over 30 targets (I predicted a career-high 37, to be actual). If he continues to do the issues he is doing proper now, he ought to get there with relative ease. He is been that good.

– On that notice, I do not assume there are sufficient good issues that may be mentioned about Malkin proper now. He has been shot out of a cannon, and he has been essentially the most dynamic offensive participant for the Penguins thus far this season.

He must be seeing the ice as a lot as potential proper now, plain and easy.

– All that being mentioned, the top-six as an entire is unquestionably a difficulty.

After a promising recreation in Detroit, Sidney Crosby’s line has been principally ineffectual. Michael Bunting has been too quiet in lieu of his linemates, though he was positively extra noticeable tonight.

It is definitely not ultimate to interrupt up Malkin and Rakell proper now, and I do assume it is honest to present Bryan Rust just a few video games to get his legs again beneath him after being injured to begin the season. Nevertheless, I’m nonetheless of the idea that – particularly, with Jake Guentzel gone – Crosby wants a real finisher on his line.

Related: Puck Luck, Momentum Swings Doom Penguins As They Fall To Leafs, 4-2

That is to not say that Crosby cannot do it on his personal. He is completely succesful, as he is proven time and time once more. However Malkin has all the time been extra of a standout as a person participant when he is on, and he is definitely on proper now.

Crosby requires a participant who thinks the sport properly on his line and a man who can end, which is why Guentzel was so profitable with him. Rakell is the closest such participant on this roster. Rust and Beauvillier are each north-south, pace, forechecking wingers, and whereas Rust is an excellent one, a participant like that features higher in a complementary function with Crosby.

I would not thoughts seeing them stick Rakell on Crosby’s left and bumping Drew O’Connor as much as Malkin’s proper, because the Bunting-Malkin-O’Connor line labored fairly properly towards Detroit on Thursday.

And – if we’re stepping into specifics right here – the Rakell-Crosby-Rust line was the Penguins’ greatest line of the season in a small pattern measurement in 2023-24. Actually, Rakell was a part of all three of the Penguins’ greatest traces final season:

– This bottom-six is much-improved from final season, and I feel this can be a fairly positive factor to rely on for the remainder of the season.

There was a whole lot of discuss shifting Eller over the offseason. I feel what has been proven within the earlygoing is that Eller generally is a superb third-line heart when offensively gifted gamers are placed on his wings. The third line of O’Connor, Eller, and Jesse Puljujarvi was superb tonight, they usually appeared to construct some chemsitry all through the evening.

Puljujarvi is actually a lift to the third line, and I feel he deserves a constant spot within the lineup proper now.

As for the fourth line? I actually like what I am seeing from them thus far this season. I’ve sang my praises about Cody Glass, and the tune hasn’t modified. However Hayes and Noel Acciari have actually regarded like good complementary items on that line. They’re conscientious defensively and might actually get it happening the forecheck.

If the Penguins can work out the suitable mixture within the top-six, this might be a really formidable lineup.

Related: Is There A Goaltending Controversy In Pittsburgh?

– On the goaltending facet of issues, Jarry’s evening did not begin out ideally. He gave up a questionable first purpose, and Montreal’s third purpose was a kind of “you can have made a save there” targets.

Nevertheless, I give him credit score for the best way he closed out the night. Montreal got here on actually robust on the finish of the sport – the Crosby line was hemmed in their very own zone for over two minutes and utterly gassed – and Jarry made some large saves to maintain the lead intact.

This was a giant recreation for him. And I feel he did sufficient on this recreation to take care of his place because the starter for now.

– Somebody who has actually stunned me in a great way thus far this season is Matt Grzelcyk.

He had just a few defensive hiccups towards the Rangers (everybody did) and Toronto. However he is superb at becoming a member of the frenzy, he has misleading pace, and he strikes the puck very properly, which is one thing Sullivan has reiterated a number of instances. He confirmed that on his go to Malkin within the third interval that led to Letang’s purpose:

Liking the returns on him thus far. I feel he and Letang might be pairing.

– The Penguins play two straight residence video games towards Buffalo on Wednesday and Carolina on Friday earlier than starting their Western Canada swing on Monday towards the Winnipeg Jets.

These two video games must be take a look at for Pittsburgh. Buffalo has some up-and-coming younger expertise and a reasonably dynamic offense, whereas the Hurricanes are , defensively sound four-line workforce, as all the time.

Additionally, goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic has been skating with the workforce and seems near a return. Will probably be attention-grabbing to see who will get the web on Wednesday.

Related: THN Penguins Predictions: Where Will The Team Finish In The Standings?