Fleury Will get His Evening, Penguins Lose Sixth Straight Sport

On a night to remember for Marc-Andre Fleury, it was one other evening to neglect for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

On Tuesday, the Penguins dropped their sixth straight sport to Fleury and the Minnesota Wild by a rating of 5-3. Fleury stopped 26 of 29 Pittsburgh photographs, permitting an influence play aim to Valtteri Puustinen and two targets to Rickard Rakell, who now has six tallies on the season.

Rookie goaltender Joel Blomqvist confronted 38 Minnesota photographs and was fairly strong as soon as once more, save for Minnesota’s first aim from a nasty angle that snuck between him and the put up. The Penguins – as has been the story all season lengthy – merely couldn’t play competent protection in entrance of their netminder.

When attempting to pinpoint what has gone unsuitable for the Penguins on this league-worst dropping stretch – which has put Pittsburgh one standings spot from the league’s basement – head coach Mike Sullivan pointed to at least one specific situation.

“I feel it is quite a few issues, but it surely begins with the selections we make with the puck,” Sullivan mentioned. “As a result of I feel we put ourselves and our teammates in very troublesome spots. Step one in turning into a strong workforce defenisively is managing the puck appropriately. In any other case, you are inviting straightforward offense, and we’re on the unsuitable facet of the puck, we’re on the unsuitable facet of individuals, we’re on the unsuitable facet of the assault, and that is the place it begins.”

Sullivan additionally talked about a scarcity of consideration to element as a perpetrator, explaining that the Penguins must “defend their method” out of conditions moderately than rating their method out. That is particularly evident of their tale-as-old-as-time habit of surrendering goals against in the immediate shifts after scoring a goal, which has occurred in three straight video games.

As soon as once more, the Penguins went up 2-0 within the first interval, then gave up two targets in 55 seconds – the primary of which was only one minute and 32 seconds after Rakell scored Pittsburgh’s second aim. When requested in regards to the workings behind this “widespread theme,” he named just a few fortuitous bounces that Minnesota obtained, however he additionally maintained that the Penguins failed to acknowledge they have been on protection and uncovered the slot an excessive amount of, particularly on the second aim.

“We should always’ve had numbers there, we must always’ve been on the proper facet of the puck within the assault on the stalled puck within the nook,” he mentioned. “Our second man is on the unsuitable facet, and we uncovered the nice ice. So, these are the habits and the small print that we’re speaking about. It begins with recognizing that we’re on protection as a result of there is a query of management.”

Listed here are just a few fast observations from Tuesday’s sport:

– I extremely doubt that this top line of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Rakell will stick. However this was positively probably the most harmful Crosby has checked out five-on-five this season.

The road owned an 18-9 benefit in possibilities for, and so they have been noticeable the whole evening. Having Malkin on that line exposes some area for Crosby to make performs, and it additionally opens the ice up for Rakell to get to the high-danger areas and do what he does greatest, which is rating.

The rationale this line will not stick is as a result of having the opposite three strains under it simply is not a sustainable successful technique, even when it is a good suggestion to spark one thing within the short-term to get Crosby going.

That being mentioned: Crosby and Rakell shouldn’t be separated, even when Bryan Rust returns from his injured reserve stint. Rakell has the anticipation and intelligence, in addition to the ending potential, that Crosby wants in a line associate. They’ve at all times paired properly collectively, and this sport actually confirmed why.

I feel Crosby will likely be a lot better off than he has been this season if Rakell sticks with him, even when Malkin ultimately will get his personal line again.

– This wasn’t Blomqvist’s greatest begin, however that tends to occur typically when the opposition will get as many high-danger appears because the Penguins permit.

The primary aim, as talked about earlier than, is one which Blomqvist will certainly need again. He was additionally a bit sluggish to the glove facet on Frederick Gaudreau’s breakaway aim early within the second interval. However, total, he is nonetheless been the Penguins’ greatest goaltender, and he made some enormous saves all through the sport to maintain the Penguins alive.

– I feel Cody Glass deserves a glance larger within the lineup. He’s producing some possibilities offensively, his skating potential is noticeable, and he is not afraid to shoot the puck, which is one thing this workforce wants.

Numerous his photographs aren’t overly aggressive at this level, however that may change with some elevated offensive accountability, particularly within the absence of Rust. I would like to see him get a shot with Crosby and Rakell in some unspecified time in the future.

– I proceed to be mystified by the Penguins’ deployment of Jesse Puljujarvi.

After registering a aim and 5 factors in six video games to begin the season, Puljujarvi has seen his ice time lower with each passing sport. He went from enjoying 12-plus minutes per evening, right down to nine-plus… and, final evening, simply 4:59 of ice time.

As well as, he went from being a staple on Lars Eller’s proper – somebody who he appeared to be constructing chemistry with – to being elevated for one sport on Evgeni Malkin’s proper, to being buried on the fourth line.

For somebody with Puljujarvi’s pace, ability set, and goal-scoring acumen, burying him on the fourth line and enjoying him 5 minutes per evening does not appear to make any diploma of sense. Ever since his “demotion” within the lineup, Puljujarvi has gone pointless.

That tends to occur while you’re a gifted offensive participant getting buried within the lineup. Only a unusual, seemingly backwards resolution, particularly with an everyday top-six winger injured and with the coaching camp and begin he had.

– What an evening it was for Fleury. It has been talked about and written about at size at this level, so I will not spend an excessive amount of time on it.

However simply hearken to this ovation after Fleury’s tribute video performed:

Fleury was named the sport’s first star, and his teammates – in addition to Crosby and Kris Letang – didn’t go away the ice till after his title was introduced and he did his victory lap to a thunderous applause. He even threw his stick into the gang for a fortunate fan to take dwelling.

It is easy to root for this man, and he is beloved in Pittsburgh. What an evening, and what a profession it has been, for The Flower.