After a large but close victory against the Vancouver Canucks Wednesday, the Pittsburgh Penguins were looking to clean up some aspects of their game in preparation for their game against the Boston Bruins on Friday.
And that’s exactly what they did.
In a strong defensive effort, the Penguins edged the Bruins, 2-1, despite a strong push from Boston late in the game. Goaltender Tristan Jarry was outstanding for Pittsburgh – he stopped 31 of Boston’s 32 shots and stood tall in key moments – and their top two defensemen, Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang, made some huge defensive plays to prevent goals against.
The Penguins were the better team for most of this game, and this was arguably their most complete effort of the season. They also scored at key moments, as Rickard Rakell scored his team-best ninth goal of the season with 0.8 seconds left in the second period to tie the game, and newcomer Philip Tomasino took advantage of his sixth shot of the game to give the Penguins the lead in the third.
The Penguins gave up an early goal to Boston on their second shot of the game, but they buckled down and played a solid game the rest of the way.
“I thought we did a great job tonight responding,” Jarry said. “I thought we kept our momentum going for a lot of the night, and just getting that goal at the end of the (second) period really helped and gave our group a big boost, and I think we were able to continue this momentum.
Head coach Mike Sullivan was pleased with his team’s performance.
“I think there’s a lot to like,” Sullivan said. “We were in a one-goal hockey game, I thought we defended hard, I thought we were on top of the puck most of the night. I thought we did a good job controlling the territory .”
He added: “There’s a price to pay to win. I thought our guys worked really hard tonight, and I thought we paid it.”
Here are some thoughts and observations on Friday’s victory:
– The first line was, once again, a spark plug for the Penguins in this game. And there was no bigger spark than Rakell’s goal – on a nice pass from Sidney Crosby and, potentially, a rebound play saved by Karlsson – at the very end of the second period.
This line is really starting to heat up. In a small sample size, this was the best five-on-five line for the Penguins last season. And we are beginning to understand why.
Bryan Rust excels at chasing pucks and forechecking. Crosby excels in his office, moving the puck and using his vision to create chances. And Rakell excels at using physicality and intelligence to create space, find soft spots on the ice and finish.
I think this line can perform at a similar level to the Jake Guentzel-Crosby-Rust line of past seasons if it’s at the top of its game. Rakell is currently on track for 30 goals, Rust is scoring at a 32-goal pace and Crosby is almost back to point per game.
When they are active, they are dangerous – and they certainly have been in the last two games. Hopefully this can continue.
– Drew O’Connor was placed on the second line in place of Michael Bunting during the last shifts of the second period. It ended up paying off, as O’Connor made a nice change before Tomasino’s goal.
“We just felt like Geno’s line needed a spark,” Sullivan said. “OC has played there in the past. He brings a north-south game, he can really skate, hit the forecheck. Playing against a team like Boston that has a lot of size on the blue line, it’s a big body. He “He’s not too muscular, he’s strong and he goes to the net. So we thought maybe we could try it, we just knocked him and Bunts over, and I thought both lines were better because of it. “
Tomasino said this goal was the result of all three working together.
“On that goal, I thought all three of us worked together to get the puck, and it ended up going in the net,” Tomasino said. “It was a big goal for our team, obviously, a pretty big goal. But a pretty big goal for me as well here.”
He was also very good and very visible in this match, tying a career high in shots on goal and appearing to develop some chemistry with Evgeni Malkin.
“I think I’ve said it 10 times, I’ve looked up to this guy my whole life, so it’s awesome,” Tomasino said. “I mean, he sees games before you do. He’s just awesome, he’s obviously one of the most talented guys ever, but definitely one of the most talented guys I’ve ever been around never performed, so it’s really cool. He made a hell of a play, and it was good to finally have one here.”
I imagine this top six will remain before Saturday’s game.
– Crosby and Marcus Pettersson both made huge blocks in the final seconds of the game, and both were excellent scoring opportunities.
And, as previously mentioned, Letang and Karlsson both likely stopped pucks from going straight into the net and, quite literally, may have saved the game on both occasions.
Now Karlsson makes a huge save.
He had a very good match tonight. Just like Létang. They are both locked in defensively, which is nice to see. https://t.co/qpQEoTrXzZ
-Kelsey Surmacz (@kelsey_surmacz4) November 30, 2024
This commitment to defense is good to see from both. But it’s especially good to see Karlsson playing like he did in the last two games.
When asked if Karlsson was starting to live up to expectations, Sullivan didn’t hesitate.
“Yes, without a doubt,” Sullivan said. “I think those last two games might have been his two best games of the year on both sides of the puck. We used him six-on-five down the stretch. We thought he defended hard. He’s so good with the puck, and he skates so well, and he has the ability to get close to people. He’s a lot like Kris in that regard, they anticipate well, they overpower people and they use their skills with them. stick brains to win” and. I think Karl is making a concerted effort on both sides of the puck.
– This was a very good defensive effort from the Penguins.
The only major problem occurred with the only goal conceded. Jack St. Ivany committed a bad turnover on the offensive blue line when he whiffed on a pass, sending Boston the other way. Everyone came back, but defensive partner Ryan Shea got too committed to the right side of the ice, despite the fact that St. Ivany and the backchecking forward had already covered him.
This completely exposed the left side and Charlie Coyle came in and beat Jarry.
However, everyone really settled in defensively after that stretch. Boston didn’t score until a minute and 24 seconds into the game, and Pittsburgh is known for giving in after a start like that.
Admittedly, they have not done so – which could represent a considerable development. I haven’t been a fan of the third defensive pairing over the last two games – Shea and St. Ivany combined for eight giveaways against Vancouver – but they got better as the game went on.
– The wins against Vancouver and Boston were huge for the Penguins for a multitude of reasons. But, most importantly, I think they really felt like the team was winning – and that’s a good thing for a team that struggled to find an identity early on.
“Over the last couple of games, I felt like we looked a lot more like the team we want to be,” Sullivan said. “You just have to be proactive, control the momentum…I just think there’s a lot to build on from the last two games.”
The Penguins will play the second leg of their back-to-back Saturday against Calgary. They will look to continue this momentum by attempting to make it three wins in a row for the first time this season.
