Penguins drop first game
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
The Penguins and Rangers first round kicked off last night at Madison Square Garden. There was anticipation before the start of the game because these two teams do not like eachother. The Penguins needed to come out swinging but they were puck watching early in he game which cost them an early goal and the game. The Penguins now trail in the best of seven series 1-0.
The 1st period for the Penguins spelled disaster 28 seconds into the period with the Rangers striking first. The Penguins forecheck was lackluster and the soft defense led to the Rangers first goal by Derick Brassard. On that first goal Paul Martin was just watching as Brassard got the juicy rebound Fluery gave up and Sidney Crosby was just gliding back into the defensive zone, watching. There was no hustle for the entire 1st period. As it has so often been seen this season the Penguins got into penalty trouble in the beginning of the game which led to a second goal by the Rangers late in the period.
The Penguins took 4 penalties in the 1st for 8 minutes. The frustration level on the bench was apparent because of their lack of momentum and inability to get pucks to the net. Due to the penalties Crosby and Malkin were kept off the ice with Crosby only getting 3:42 of the ice time. Another reason seemed to be that head coach Mike Johnston "was so hellbent on having Crosby avoid counterpart Alain Vigneault’s preferred matchup — the Brassard checking line — that he forgot that, you know, Crosby needs to play. Even if that means playing short-handed," (http://dkonpittsburghsports.com/2015/04/17/column-crush-crosby-sure-but-its-missing-point/). The Rangers knew that Crosby is the focal point of the Penguins offense so they double and triple teamed him. Crosby was unable to put aside his frustration because he was stifled and beat up by opposing players. If it was not for Fluery's stellar play after the first two goals the game would have gotten away from the Penguins quickly. However, the 2nd period proved a little more promising.
The 2nd period looked a little better for the Penguins because they managed to stay out of the penalty box and Sidney Crosby got more ice time but was still held to no shots and no success. The Penguins need Crosby on the ice but for him to be a factor he needs to be able o make plays and put pucks on net. The Rangers will continue to put multiple bodies on Crosby if he can not break loose and open his game up. The Penguins could take advantage of that because more of them will be open and able to make the crucial plays. If the Penguins continue to be in penalty trouble Crosby will stay off the ice which absolutely hurts the Penguins chances in the long run.
The Penguins turned their game around and became more physical in the 2nd period. The forecheck was tougher and the defense shutdown more Rangers opportunities. Max Lapierre became a big factor for the Penguins in the 2nd. Lapierre managed to get physical in front of Lundqvist and caused mayhem and traffic. Lapierre's ability to get under the skin of his opponents helped the Penguins finally score. Blake Comeau scored the Penguins first goal by flipping a loose puck past the Rangers goaltender while Lapierre was in a wrestling match with a Rangers defenseman. The Penguins were able to close the gaps in the neutral zone which put pressure on the Rangers to make short crisp passes which the Penguins managed to put pressure on to cause headaches for the blue shirts' offense.
In the first 3 minutes of the 3rd period Scuderi took a stick to the face as a result of a follow through shot but no penalty was called because the highstick was the result of a shot. Penguins seemed to be more confident in the 3rd than they were earlier in the game; their hard forechecking and pressure in the offensive zone continued. But then discipline broke down with Steve Downie cross checking Zuccarello in the head after Downie checked him cleanly in front of the Penguins bench. Rick Tocchet was on the bench shaking his head in disbelief after Downie took such a selfish and undisciplined penalty. The Penguins escaped a call that could have gone against Cole on the same penalty kill when he seemed to have cross check a Ranger player in front of a referee. The Penguins held together and killed the Downie penalty which allowed Crosby and the Penguins to play at full strength again.
Evgeni Malkin put pressure on the Rangers with Comeau and Perron for at least 2 minutes late in the 3rd period. It was evident Malkin was not comfortable shooting the puck because he consistently passed it to one of his teammates. Malkin is one of the best players in the world and the league which means he needs to shoot the puck and force Lundqvist to make errors and give up rebounds. The Penguins were able to limit the Rangers space in the 3rd but they still needed to get more bodies in front of the net to restrict Lundqvist's vision. Chip chase and check hockey became the name of the game for the Penguins which made the Rangers a little uncomfortable. Fluery looked better and more comfortable as the game progressed which was a huge help to keep the Penguins in the game. As the 3rd period wound down the Rangers threw their bodies in front of on rushing Penguins which by definition of the rules should have been called interference. But calls not being made in the Penguins favor has been the status quo the entire season.
Yes, the Penguins dropped the first game of the series. Big deal. After the first period they came together and made a game plan which caused the Rangers pain. The Penguins can not rely just on their speed to beat the Rangers. The physicality needs to pick up in order for them to be successful, as we saw in the 2nd and 3rd periods. The Rangers can continue to stifle Crosby but if they focus on him then that will leave other players open to score the dirty goal and be successful. These two teams meet again Saturday night at MSG again. No one knows what the result will be but if the Penguins stay out of penalty trouble and can get Malkin and Crosby going and scoring they should be able to get a win and tie the series. Its time to buckle up baby because the playoffs are here!
