Rested Penguins are dangerous team
Celebrate Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel all you want. You won’t be wrong. They drove the bus in the Penguins’ 4-1 rout of the Red Wings Saturday at PPG Paints Arena.
But here’s another, sneaky reason for the win: The Penguins are crazy good coming off of long layoffs under coach Mike Sullivan.
Since Sullivan took over in December 2015, the Penguins have come back from Christmas three times, All-Star Games twice and bye weeks twice. They’re 7-0. And they won those games by a combined 33-17.
“Everyone takes care of themselves and knows that those games aren’t always easy,” Crosby said. “The execution might not be there, but you can use that rest and energy to your advantage.
“We try to prepare as best we can, just like any other team, but getting a couple wins and feeling good about ourselves going into the break certainly helps.”
Speaking before the game, Sullivan emphasized such things as a “competitive mindset” and matching the “intensity” that’s necessary to win.
Check and check. The Penguins will try and make it 8-0 after layoffs Jan. 30 against the Sharks, their first game back after the All-Star break.
“There was so much to like about our game,” Sullivan said. “I loved our energy. I loved our commitment.”
Here are four more take aways from Saturday:
2. Huge bounce-back effort from Tristan Jarry, who stopped 29 of 30 shots. Jarry, if you remember, was pulled after allowing five goals on 19 shots in a 6-5 victory Jan.7 against the Bruins, the Penguins’ final game before their bye.
With Matt Murray home in Thunder Bay, Ontario, attending to a personal/family matter for an undetermined amount of time, Jarry came up aces for the Penguins and showed some serious resolve.
“It was a good rebound,” Jarry said. “I wanted to come back and play a solid game. I think I was able to limit the chances, keep my rebounds tight.”
No word on whether Murray will be back for a game Sunday against the New York Rangers. Sullivan has said Murray will get all the time he needs.
3. This was a special teams TKO for the Penguins.
The power play is on another planet right now. Two more goals, from Kessel and Crosby, bringing that unit’s total in the past five games to seven for 14. Puck movement, player movement, you name it. The Penguins basically look like the Harlem Globe trotters out there right now.
The power play has 11 games this season with two or more goals, five of those coming in the past 10.
Oh, and the penalty kill turned in another stellar effort, even though it did allow a goal. That group went 6 for 7, holding Detroit to seven shots on goal spread over 12:20.
Even the Red Wings’ goal — a Justin Abdelkader backhand of a rebound — wasn’t really anything to freak out over.
Why has this been happening? Winning faceoffs. Cooperative pressure. Completing clears. It’s not rocket science.
“For me, it always boils down to the little things,” Sullivan said. “They add up to big things.”
4. Crosby’s point-producing funk is long over.
In his past five games, Crosby has two goals and 10 points. That’s as many points as he had in all of December.
His signature play in this one came early in the third, on the power play, when he lifted Frans Nielsen’s stick – a smart play that only a handful of players would even think to make – and scored from the slot.
“Just a reaction,” Crosby said. “Puck didn’t come quite as hard. I knew that he had a chance at it. You’re just trying to get his stick and get a shot off.”
Sullivan shed some light on dealing with Crosby during times when he’s not producing as much. It is different, Sullivan admitted. Crosby eats, sleeps and breathes hockey. Sometimes stomping on pedals or mashing buttons can do more harm than good.
“I’m always cautious with players like Sid to fill his head with too many thoughts, because I think he’s such a cerebral player himself, he has a great awareness of his own game and what he needs to do to be successful,” Sullivan said.
5. What a terrific statement from Kessel.
His answer to not making the All-Star Game was typical Kessel: “It is what it is,” he said.
The on-ice talking Saturday said a lot more. A teamhigh seven shots on goal. Nine attempts. A goal and two assists.
“We’re starting to play good hockey now,” Kessel said.
Kessel has played good hockey consistently for pretty much this entire season. Now, he’s starting to get some help.
Bonus: Several players spoke after this one how the mood has definitely changed.
“Maybe we just turned the switch,” said Carl Hagelin, who logged a team-high 8:02 on the penalty kill. “It’s hard to say. You can see guys are more enthusiastic at the rink.”