• Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

Penguins Flatten Flyers

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ByThe Other Rick

Jan 3, 2018

I have been critical of our Penguins quite a bit this season. In fact, I have liberally spread my unfavorable opinions, up and down the Penguins line-up. However, today, after our favorite flightless fowl flattened the Flyers five to one, in all honesty and fairness, I must be equally generous in my praise. Last night’s game was if not the best game from drop of the puck until final whistle then the second best game our Black and Gold Birds played all season.

After last game, Riley Sheahan was a target of my poisoned pen (okay, computer key board, if you want to get technical). My voice may have been the loudest questioning why he was seen standing around on the ice so often. Last night, his skates never really stopped moving, except to take face-offs and Sheahan was rewarded with a couple of appearances on the score sheet with assists on what may have been the best and hardest working line of the game.

Ryan Reaves another frequent target of mine, not so much for what he has brought to the team, but for what he wasn’t bringing to team, also had a big game. Reaves bullied the boys from Broadstreet to pick up not only an assist but a goal by planting himself in Patric Hornqvist’s office and slamming a loose puck past a besieged Brian Elliot.

Tom Kuhnhackl rounded out that 4th line trio with his own contribution of a goal and assist. Kuhnhackl found himself the beneficiary of the hard work of Reaves by planting himself between the circles and lifting a shot up into the top corner after receiving a centering pass from his big linemate.

Conor Sheary, also broke out of his slump out-racing Flyers Defenseman Andrew MacDonald for a loose puck, chipped out of the Penguins’ zone by Ian Cole. The diminutive winger cut across MacDonald’s skating path to shield him away from the play with his body before whistling a wrist shot past Elliot.

My kudos are not just limited to those players I have been complaining about but also to some of the players who have always brought their “A” game all season. Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin each picked up 2 more points; Kessel a goal and an assist, Malkin, 2 assists.

Although Jamie Oleksiak only got the 3rd Star for his performance last night, behind Reaves (1) and Kuhnhackl (2), he continued to impress and in my book he was the number 1 Star. In his short tenure so far with the team, he is etching himself quite a mark. He beat, bruised, and bowled over opponents all night. Brandon Manning tried to stand up for his team, against the “Big Rig” but found out that was easier said than done. The Flyer Defenseman managed to block most of Oleksiak’s punches with his face and head, after losing his helmet. (Oleksiak was seen icing his hand in the “Sin Bin”. One of the announcer from NBCSN suggested he may have bruised his hand on Manning’s head from the number of punches he landed).

Oleksiak was rewarded for his body of work last night, getting ice time on the power play, the young Defenseman scored his first goal in a Penguins’ uniform. He truly did earn the goal, for just seconds before depositing a slick little pass from Malkin across the crease, into the roof of the net, the “Big Rig” ripped a heavy slap shot off of what looked like the back of the ankle of Flyer Penalty Killer Ivan Provorov, hobbling the defenseman. (Hopefully the Flyers Defenseman was only stunned and not seriously hurt).

I read or heard (not sure which) that it was Sergei Gonchar who put the bug in the ear of GM Jim Rutherford to pick up Oleksiak. If this is true, a big Thank You, Gonchar!

Perhaps my only complaint about last night’s game was the number of giveaways Kris Letang had in the first period. I am not sure how official scorers define a giveaway because Letang was only tagged for 1, but I saw at least 3. Fortunately, Tristan Jarry was equal to the task on all but one of the 17 shots he faced before getting injured.

Maybe the Flyers aren’t in much better shape than the Penguins right now, so someone may counter and say the win only came against non-contender, but the Flyers did just beat Tampa Bay and the Penguins just didn’t beat them by their usual 1 goal, they beat them by 4 goals, a pretty convincing number. It is still only one win. They need to string some of these wins together to claw their way back into contention. But the team skating for nearly a full 60 minutes. I only saw a vestige of the standing around the marked their futility of previous games. They may have ended 2017 on a sour note, but htat was last year. This year, they started off on the right foot. Let’s go Pens! You aren’t out of the woods but start building!

Odds and Sods

The Penguins victory wasn’t without cost, Tristan Jarry, Brian Dumoulin, and Carter Rowney all left the game with injuries.  Jarry appeared to get cut on the hand. Brian Dumoulin took a shot to the head. Carter Rowney’s was listed as undisclosed.

 

Matt Murray after a less than spectacular performance New Year’s Eve, was perfect in his relief stint of Jarry.

9 thoughts on “Penguins Flatten Flyers”
  1. Interesting comment I just read on NHL Trade rumors. In a complex level I heard from someone (Elliote Friedman by way Chris Nichols to NHL Trade Rumors) one GM was quoted as saying “that he hopes nobody helps out the Penguins as they’ve won two Stanley Cups in a row.” Jealous much?

    In the same blurb it was suggested that JR may be interested in Kane and possibly Pacioretty.

    Also in that blurb but relating to another team, it was suggested that San Jose may try and sneak Mikkel Boedker thru waivers. I just thought I would pass that along, since Rick B mentioned him a couple of days ago. I haven’t checked the Cap situation, I know Boedker carries a big contract. But Rick if you could figure out a way of crunching the numbers, would you still bite on him?

    1. Still thinking about that alleged GM’s comment, is he suggesting a level of collusion? I hate to think so. That is such a nasty word.

    2. Sorry to be so late getting back.

      I mentioned Boedker only as an example of a player we might get in a trade for Hagelin.

      Funny how things work. A couple of years ago, Boedker was one of the hottest names being bandied about at the trade deadline. Then he signed a big deal with San Jose and his game fizzled.

      “The Hockey News” speaks in glowing terms of his speed and overall attributes. Actually, he sounds an awful lot like a Danish-born version of Hagelin, with perhaps a touch more offensive upside. He and Hags even have the same cap hit…$4 mil…except Boedker’s deal goes an extra year (thru 2019-20).

      Given his struggles in San Jose and the length of his contract, my guess is JR’ll stay clear.

      Rick

  2. Hey Other Rick,

    Maybe we found another key to victory. I was swamped at the gym last night and barely watched any of the game … 🙁

    Hey, if that’s what it takes to get us back on track … 🙂

    Great game summary. Energetic, entertaining and delightfully opinionated as always … 🙂

    Rick

    1. Hey Rick,

      I hope by being swamped, you mean the New Year’s Resolution gang was coming back into the Gym and either renewing their failed pledges from last year or starting totally new and fresh. I am hoping to see lots of new faces Saturday.

      Agreed, what ever it takes to get back on track, just do it!

      I was worried that I may have been a little vague and nebulous this morning and people may not understand what I was really thinking 🙂

      Yea right! I don’t think I have any problem with that, at least not here.

      It was really fun writing about a solid win again! Here is to a lot more of that in the new year!

  3. Happy New Year.. from Florida!!! On vacation !!!
    I only watched the highlights but I was very happy for Ryan, I hope he gets some more ice time and uses that to help us out and himself.. I love that guy!!
    I don’t think it was a breakout game for Sheary, it was a nice goal on a breakaway but he has not impressed me this season.

    The boy’s still have a lot of hockey left and hopefully we can turn the season around. They need to beat some elite teams though. With Isles, Bruins and Rangers coming up, those are going to be tough games, even with injuries we need Sid and Geno to score and continue to carry this team back into playoff contention.

    1. Hey Pen’s4ever,

      Happy New Year, good to hear from you. It has to be much warmer down there in FL. Enjoy the weather!

      Agreed, there still is a lot of hockey left and these next couple of weeks will tell the tale. If the Pens play like they did last night for the rest of the season, they do stand a good chance of salvaging it.

      I am happy for Reaves too, he has been working really hard, when he is getting his eyedropper of ice time. He deserves to get rewarded.

      There is still work to do but at least there is a symptom of life.

    2. Florida???

      We’re all jealous. Especially poor Jim, who might be buried under a snow drift up in New Brunswick … 🙂

      Enjoy your vacation … 🙂

      Rick

      1. Thanks Guys, it is pretty cool down here!! Today 48 F or so but sunny. I am heading back to Canada Fri

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