Pittsburgh Penguins did everything he could on Saturday to get a victory against the best team in the league in the Washington Capitals.
It just wasn’t enough.
Despite 56 shot attempts, the Penguins lost 4-1 to the Capitals in a well-played game. They led 2-0 at the start of the third period and played for much of the evening.
Bryan Rust scored midway through the third to make it 2-1, and the Penguins gained some momentum. But Kris Letang took a penalty with just over four minutes left in regulation, and Pierre-Luc Dubois scored on the resulting power play for the Caps.
Brandon Duhaime added an empty-net goal to seal the victory.
Even though the Penguins came up short, there are still plenty of positives to take away from the game: including the play of their rookie goaltender.
Joel Blomqvist gave up three goals on 31 shots – none of which were bad goals – and he made numerous big saves to keep the Penguins in the game, including one on a short-handed breakaway by Tom Wilson in the third period.
“He was great,” Rust said. “He kept us there until the end of the game. He made some big saves at some key moments. Obviously he’s a very good goalkeeper, so I’m sure he’ll continue to build on that .”
Logan Thompson played well at the other endand Rust’s goal ended a shutout streak of over 160 minutes at that point. The Penguins had 19 shots at Thompson, but the Capitals blocked 18 more attempts and thwarted any second-chance opportunities, making it difficult for the Penguins to get too many Grade-A looks.
“They play hard,” head coach Mike Sullivan said. “They play a direct game. They are big and strong. They defend hard. It’s a difficult game when you play against them. They are a good team.”
Here are some thoughts and observations on Saturday’s loss:
– The Penguins penalty kill continues to be a huge problem right now.
Sullivan said there were a few contested faceoffs they could have done a better job on, including one that led to Dubois’ goal. I also don’t see the same level of aggression during their attacks that was apparent when the unit was clicking on all cylinders.
They are constantly yielded. They are missing clear ones. They do not fight their opponents in soft areas of the ice.
They have allowed 10 power play goals in their 12 games since the holidays. Their PK went from seventh in the league to 14th in a short period of time, and the unit’s personnel just isn’t getting the job done.
It’s easy to scapegoat one guy, but it’s not that simple. Defenders and attackers are equally responsible for the unit’s shortcomings at present.
– The Capitals are a very good defensive team. This defeat is not due to a lack of effort on the part of the Penguins.
The Caps simply don’t give up anything in their own zone. The Penguins controlled the game for most of the evening. The Capitals had times where they surrounded the Penguins in their own zone, but Pittsburgh probably deserved a better outcome.
They have an excellent defensive structure and clog the passing and shooting lanes. They crowd their own net and leave very few opportunities for second chances. They benefit from excellent support on their progress and the speed necessary to go through it from start to finish.
I’m still not convinced this team is as good as their results so far suggest. But they’re a very good hockey team, and when you look at their goaltending tandem and their defensive play, it’s not hard to see why they are at the top of the league.
– Letang and Anthony Beauvillier both received inexcusable penalties in this match.
Letang’s penalty at the end happened in the offensive zone, and it’s just not a penalty a veteran player should take when down a goal with four minutes left in regulation. He pinched unnecessarily and, in an effort to get back into the game, took a tripping penalty.
As for Beauvillier, he knocked down Matt Roy from behind in the final seconds of the second period, and the resulting scrums ended with the Penguins on the PK to start the third, trailing by two at that point. In fairness, things should have been leveled – as Michael Bunting was awarded a brutal penalty which was not matched for some reason – but it was still a poor penalty to take at a crucial moment in the match.
Bunting and Fehervary opt for brutality. Beauvillier to stumble.
With 16.8 seconds left in the second, the Caps head to the power play. THE #LetsGoPens track, 2-0. This murder is a must see.
Beauvillier can’t take that penalty there. https://t.co/1pUvkKKkxq
-Kelsey Surmacz (@kelsey_surmacz4) January 19, 2025
Given their PK struggles, this team needs to play smarter and be more disciplined if they want to win hockey games.
– That said, I thought the second line was flying tonight. Evgeni Malkin has his canter and skating on display all night. Bunting was engaged, as was Beauvillier, despite the ill-advised penalty. Beauvillier beautifully set up Malkin from low to high for a glorious opportunity in the slot during the second period, which was thwarted by Thompson.
I think this line should stay together. But I will say that sooner or later Malkin will have to support his strong play by putting pucks in the net.
– Something is wrong with Sidney Crosby.
He suffered a significant cross-check from Adam Larsson during the Penguins lose to Seattle Kraken on Tuesdayand he left the ice for a moment in response. He was also nursing his wrist on the bench at one point during Friday’s win over the Buffalo Sabres.
I’m not here to suggest or speculate anything regarding Crosby and injury. I don’t have any more information than the average person. But he just seemed a little off tonight, which may or may not be related.
– Despite defensive difficulties this season, Rust is having a wonderful season offensively.
He now has 19 goals and 37 points in 41 games, sniffing out a point per game. I often talk about Rickard Rakell – and for good reason – but Rust has been as reliable as he has been offensive this season.
And what a cutting edge move it was to undress John Carlson.
– I won’t spend a lot of time on this, but I think Matt Grzelcyk should be out for six-on-five situations in place of Erik Karlsson. I see the value in having Karlsson on the field, as he excels at holding down the offensive blue line and has excellent vision.
But Grzelcyk’s decisiveness, simplicity, quick passing and puck-moving ability on the power play make me wonder if he would excel in those situations as well.
– The Penguins will likely need to win at least three, preferably four, of these final five games on the long road trip in order to stay in the thick of the playoff race.
The Los Angeles Kings – who they face on Monday – are a very good home team with a 14-2-1 record in their building. They then have four very winnable games against the Anaheim Ducks, Kraken, San Jose Sharks and the Utah Hockey Club.
They have to bring their A-game in all these matchups. If they play like they did against the Capitals, good things should happen to them.
