• Tue. Mar 19th, 2024

Penguins Toot Za Horn(a), Rip Rangers 5-2

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ByRick Buker

Apr 9, 2021

As in any sport, there are games during the course of a hockey season that define a team’s heart and character. It’s destiny as well.

I call them statement games.

The Penguins played one last night at Madison Square Garden. In the wake of an ugly 8-4 shelling at the hands of the Rangers two night earlier, our guys drew a line in the sand (ice) and showed what they’re made of.

The result? A thoroughly convincing 5-2 drubbing of the Blueshirts. In the process snapping a two-game skid and opening up an 11-point bulge over the sixth-place New Yorkers.

Make no mistake, a huge win.

Perhaps it was only fitting that a huge player played a starring role. At 6:26 of the opening frame, rookie forward Radim Zohorna gathered in a lead pass from Marcus Pettersson and scooted into the Rangers’ zone with a surprising burst of speed. Using his giant 6’6” frame to ward off fellow Czech Libor Hajek, he cruised into the slot and beat goalie Igor Shesterkin with a buttery backhand-to-forehand move.

The goal gave the Pens a huge (there’s that word again) lift and set the tone for the evening.

Not that there weren’t some tense moments. Bonehead ones, too. Mike Matheson flipped the puck into the stands late in the period to hand the Rangers’ deadly power play an opportunity. No sooner did we kill that one than Jake Guentzel took a hooking penalty just 17 seconds into the second period. This time the Rangers cashed in.

Gut-check time. I’m proud to say our guys responded…in spades. Barely a minute after New York knotted the score Kris Letang worked a hustling give-and-go with Guentzel high in the Rangers’ end. After sizing up Shesterkin, he unleashed a seemingly routine shot that deflected in off Chris Kreider’s stick.

The Pens widened their lead to 3-1 on perhaps the prettiest play of the night, again involving Zohorna. Working on a mid-period power play with Sidney Crosby off the ice for repair work to his skates, the rookie pro won the faceoff and drew the puck back to John Marino. Marino skated to center point before dishing the puck to Jason Zucker. Spying Zohorna drifting to open ice beside the cage, Zucker delivered a sharp pass and “Big Z” did the rest, setting up Evan Rodrigues for a quick one-timer from the slot.

“E-Rod” and Zucker combined on our fourth goal as well. At 10:29 of the third period, Cody Ceci found Rodrigues with a sweet bounce-pass off the sideboards. The plucky Pens forward fought through a check by hulking K’Andre Miller before delivering a nifty pass to Zucker in the slot. Number 16 deftly switched to his backhand and beat Shesterkin through the five-hole.

Pretty play. Pretty goal.

The Rangers made it interesting when Penguin-killer Kevin Rooney struck three minutes later and Mika Zibanejad, always dangerous, ripped one off the post. But Mark Jankowski sealed the victory…not to mention a 6-2 edge in the season series…with an empty netter.

Statement delivered.

Puckpourri

The Pens pretty much had their way from start to finish, outshooting the Rangers, 32-24, and winning 59 percent of the faceoffs.

Speaking of draws, Frederick Gaudreau won 11 of 12 for a whopping 92 percent success rate. Freddy’s quietly emerged as an effective faceoff man (54.2 percent).

Ten Penguins scored at least a point. Letang, Rodrigues, Zohorna and Zucker paced the attack with two points apiece. Each tallied a goal and an assist.

After languishing for much of the season, Jankowski’s heated up of late. Perhaps feeling a push from Gaudreau, he’s notched a pair of goals and three helpers over his past three games and is a plus-six in his past four.

Crosby exited the ice late in the second period, causing this Pens fan to hold his breath. Sid mercifully returned in the third, logging 18:59 of ice time for the night.

Sam Lafferty took on Brendan Smith in a late second-period scrap and held his own.

Tristan Jarry stopped 22 of 24 shots in a bounce-back performance. The Rangers helped his cause by missing two wide-open nets.

The Pens presently hold third place in the MassMutual East with 52 points. Four head of fourth-place Boston, who have three games in hand. We trail the first-place Islanders by four points and the second-place Capitals by two.

Next up, a pair of games with the Devils in Newark.

Opinyinz

Hold the phone on acquiring that power forward…or at least a pricey one like Detroit’s Anthony Mantha. Zohorna has looked incredibly comfortable and capable in his four-game cameo (two goals, two assists, plus-three). He’s not making excuse-me plays, either. This kid’s got skills.

Yes, we’ve seen this before with Pierre-Olivier Joseph, who flashed ever-so brightly earlier this season before tumbling back to earth. But it’s not a stretch to say Zohorna belongs.

Mea Culpa

My bad for questioning the collective sanity of our brain-trust in the wake of Anthony Angello’s demotion to the taxi-squad.

It was since revealed the big guy suffered an upper-body injury.

2 thoughts on “Penguins Toot Za Horn(a), Rip Rangers 5-2”
  1. Rick

    Catchy phrase “Toot ZaHorn” – I like it. What do you know a big guy that
    can skate “They do exist”. Great goal and he turned on the afterburners
    to blow past the Rangers Defenseman.

    Not a E-Rod fan but he had a good game last night along with Zahorne
    and Zucker.

    Few observations from last nights game

    1) Is it me or is Jarry unsure of himself handling the puck?? For somereason
    i thought he was exceptional in the area last year.

    2) Tanev is unbelievably important to this team!!

    3) I loved the way Lafferty went after Smith – he wasn’t looking to hang on – we
    need a little more of that.

    4) Fourth Line – Lafferty, Angello and “ZaHorn”

    GO PENS

    1. Hey Mike,

      I’m really surprised at how good Zohorna is and how comfortable he seems. He doesn’t look the least bit out of place.

      Yeah, I know…a big guy who can skate and play. Whodda thunk it (at least in the Pens organization)?

      Regarding Zucker, I’d like to take a little credit for his performance last night with my reverse-Buker mojo. If I criticize someone they immediately begin to produce and if I write a complimentary article… Well, we’ve seen what happened to Tanev.

      Speaking of…not seeing him on the ice really gives me an appreciation for how special he is and how much we miss him. With his combination of speed, skill, sand, and almost manic energy, he’s one of the more unique players in the league. I’ll echo your sentiments and say I wish we had a few more like him.

      I love Lafferty’s speed and grit. Just wish he had a little more hockey sense. Although he seems to be improving in that regard, some times it’s almost like he needs to stop and think about what he’s supposed to do. But I do like what he brings to the table.

      I, too, have to admit that Rodrigues has done a nice job for us. (I may yet get over the Dominik Kahun trade!) As dubious as I was about some of his off-season moves, JR’s left us in a pretty darn good place. Heck, even Jankowski’s showing a little something.

      Rick

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