Pittsburgh Penguins Have to Find a New Level of Play
By Shane Lunnen
The Pittsburgh Penguins have blown a 3-1 series lead and now head to a Game 7.
With a chance to close out the series on home ice, the Pittsburgh Penguins completely blew it. They now head back to Washington for a deciding Game 7.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Monday night, the Pens played completely flat and uninspired hockey. Much of the game was spent in the Penguins own zone. There was a sequence in the second period that they couldn’t clear their own zone for awhile and the Capitals just kept buzzing. All of that eventually led to an outpouring of goals in favor of Washington.
Yes Marc-Andre Fleury let in 5 goals. However when the ice is tilted heavy in the opponent’s favor, there is little a goaltender can do. Any talk of Matt Murray making a return at this point should be put to rest. Fleury has been great to this point in the playoffs and one of the big reasons the team has made it as far as it has. Head coach Mike Sullivan should ride with him through this series.
In order to win Game 7, the Penguins need to erase the last two games and get back to what was working earlier in the series.
Playing better in front of Fleury
The Penguins have been without Kris Letang throughout all of the playoffs and they were without Trevor Daley in Game 6. It’s starting to look like it might be too much to overcome, however the Penguins have played great defensive hockey until this point without Letang.
We have seen better hockey from Olli Maatta, Justin Schultz, and Brian Dumoulin. Washington is really punishing them with their forecheck in the last 4 periods of hockey. In Game 7, they need to bring it and push back. Back to fundamental hockey with better puck movement out of the zone would be a good start.
Better effort from the forwards
Sidney Crosby has not looked quite the same since he returned from his one game absence. Before that he was on an unreal tear. Whatever is ailing him right now, he needs to dig deep along with the rest of the offense.
Evgeni Malkin has looked lost at times and his lazy play has been frustrating to watch. I don’t care that he has the most points in the playoffs right now. He can play better and we all know it.
Penguins hockey is a fast paced, possession based game. The forwards need to get to that in Game 7. Go out and absolutely pummel Holtby, who has been shaky for a good chunk of this series.
Anything can happen in a Game 7
It seems like all the momentum is firmly on the Capitals side right now. They have tied this series up after being on the brink of elimination twice and now they get a home game 7. However in the NHL playoffs, game 7’s are usually wild affairs where anything can happen.
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The Penguins have to get back to their game. They cannot skate around waiting for something to happen. They need to get back to imposing their will on the Caps. Make their shots count like they were doing in the first half of this series.
In what could be the last game of the season, the Pens need to bring everything they have and leave it all out on the ice. A much better, team effort will be needed to win and advance.