POINT SHOTS

The Penguins mindlessly putting the puck into their own net Monday was one of the most spectacular gaffes they have made in my six seasons covering the team. But it wasn’t even the most embarrassing moment in that loss.

In the first period, Erik Karlsson, by far the team’s highest-paid player, couldn’t be bothered to skate after a loose puck that skittered into Penguins territory. Karlsson, pictured at left, was more or less gliding as he watched Jason Zucker blow by him for an odd-man rush. He was fortunate that Tristan Jarry bailed him out.

If you are one of the players on the team with a Stanley Cup ring, how can you not look at that play and question whether this is a guy you can win with?

I would say it is fair game to criticize the Penguins for spending three nights in Las Vegas ahead of their loss there last weekend. The long stay had been on the travel schedule since before the season began. But it ended up being an important game, and the Penguins crashed and burned in a third.

I don’t necessarily buy that one had anything to do with the other. They had ample time to sweat the rookie party out of their system and refocus. But if you give away the game like that, it’s natural for folks to try to connect the dots.

Strong goaltending was the primary reason the Penguins made their push during December — that and their power play briefly performing as anticipated. But Jarry and Alex Nedeljkovic have struggled this month, and it has cost them points. Jarry in particular has allowed a few softies at critical moments.

Another thing I (and others) have noticed is that Jarry in recent weeks has been beaten blocker side on some longer shots, most of them off the rush. Until he gets his positioning straightened out, teams will continue to target that.

Maybe it would just be rearranging deck chairs, but what about giving Lars Eller a look on the top PP? He wouldn’t be much of a scoring threat, but he would provide needed playmaking and urgency. On the second unit, Eller seems to always know where he will pass the puck next before it even gets to him.