The Pittsburgh Penguins were shutout in Boston last night. Here’s what everyone is talking about on the morning after.
After watching the Pittsburgh Penguins get shutout last night, my reaction was to queue up all of my dumpster images and tire fire jokes and unleash.
That was the initial idea, at any rate.
The truth is the Pens are generating chances and finally pushing on offense again. Regardless of the goals (which will hopefully come so long as the Pens continue maintaining this kind of pressure), it’s a least a little more entertaining product than what we had this time last week. I’ll take it over what we got in that Anaheim Ducks game.
More from Penguins News
- Welcome To The Burgh: Lars Eller
- Penguins Waddle Toward The Season
- Farewell Carl Hagelin
- Penguins Line-up Breakdown vs Stanley Cup Champs Vegas
- Ryan Graves Solid Signing For The Pittsburgh Penguins
With that said, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin each have two points in the their last five games. Phil Kessel has one point in that timeframe and it wasn’t even a goal, which is what Jim Rutherford fished him out of Toronto to do.
Though the Penguins have begun to generate shots, it seems like the untimely turnover is actually rather timely with this team. You can kind of set your watch to it, to be frank.
Whatever you think of the product on the ice, the whole issue boils down to the way the Pens are constructed. The roster is top and front end heavy, and the gaps on the blueline are larger than anyone in the organization would like.
Even if Mike Sullivan finds the magic button that makes everything go, it’s hard for me to see this team being anything better than a regular season juggernaut that outscores its opponents and then holds onto it’s ass in the third period.
I feel bad for Marc-Andre Fleury, Jeff Zatkoff, or Matt Murray. Their whole life is an odd-man rush right now.
There’s no Stanley Cup waiting for the Pens at the end of 2015-16.
Right now a round two exit looks like an extravagance that Pittsburgh Penguins fans can scarce imagine. Maybe it’s something the team can put as the stretch goal on it’s next Kickstarter.
In the meantime, here’s some morning links.
Penguins News And Thoughts
Postgame Thoughts: Bruins 3, Penguins 0 – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Mike Sullivan is trying the plug and play approach to find out what works and what doesn’t early in his Pittsburgh Penguins tenure.
Penguins vs. Bruins recap, 3-0; shutdown city, Pens shoot but can’t score – Pensburgh
Recap of last night’s shutout in Boston.
Recap Game 30: In Search Of A New Hope. Still Looking. Pens Fall In Boston – The Pensblog
Thoughts on last night’s game and Jim Rutherford’s paper tiger.
Scuderi for Daley trade – The Hockey PDOCast (podcast)
Discussion of the Scuderi for Daley trade from the top of the show to about 14 minutes in. They aren’t sure what the Blackhawks were thinking.
Hawks Trade Fast Dope For Slow Dope – The Committed Indian
The title pretty much says it all.
Matt Murray: Trade Chip or the Future? – Pittsburgh Post Game
Should the Penguins use Matt Murray as trade bait or should Fleury be the bait? Fleury would be an interesting trade chip once Murray is ready to go.
Brian Dumoulin Blossoming on Penguins’ Blue Line – Today’s Slapshot
The progression of Brian Dumoulin after the departure of several of the Penguins’ defensive prospects.
The Rest of the League
Dominant Kings looking like Cup contenders – TSN
In case anyone needed visual confirmation. I won’t tell you where the Pittsburgh Penguins plot on the chart.
More from Penguins News
- Welcome To The Burgh: Lars Eller
- Penguins Waddle Toward The Season
- Farewell Carl Hagelin
- Penguins Line-up Breakdown vs Stanley Cup Champs Vegas
- Ryan Graves Solid Signing For The Pittsburgh Penguins
Ranking the GMs most likely to make trades – ESPN
Sean McIndoe tackles which GM is most likely to make another trade before the deadline. Hint: GMJR is in the top 15.
Top 10 social media moments of 2015 (Puck Daddy Year in Hockey) – Puck Daddy
Jeremy Roenick can tackle alligators yet allows Mike Milbury to do Mike Milbury things on the NBCSN set. Also other cute and/or funny stuff.
Tom Wilson’s Controversial Match Penalty – Russian Machine Never Breaks
Return of the revenge of the reputation strikes back. It really didn’t look like an ejectable hit, though. And certainly not a suspension…but we’re still mad at Oshie.
Predators’ Management Loves Their Players – Today’s Slapshot
A look at the Preds’ abundance of defensemen, lack of centers, and how this has become a neverending cycle.