The Pittsburgh Penguins went into Philadelphia on Thursday night and were able to leave with a comfortable 4-1 victory of the Flyers. For much of the game the Penguins were in complete control. The Flyers were left hoping for Steve Mason to bail them out and he did just that by keeping the game manageable for the Flyers. Steve Mason earned the 2nd star of the game in spite of the fact he gave up 3 goals, that is how good he played.
The game was weird in the sense that the 4-1 score accurately depicted how the flow of the game went, but it does not depict how close the game was score-wise throughout. It wasn't until the very end of the third period when the Penguins were able to add their insurance goals.
Here are the game highlights:
The Penguins were able to generate offensive chances for much of the night, but it was how they were able to generate the chances that was a relief. Flyers/Penguins games in recent memory have had a pond hockey look and feel to them. In the past the Penguins and Flyers were able to generate a cornucopia of high quality chances in those games. The nice part about last night for the Penguins is that they did not resort to the wide open pond hockey style that has gotten them into trouble in the , they just outworked the Flyers while playing a very responsible 200 foot game.
Here is the statistical evidence of the Penguins solid possession game last night:
You can see above just how dominate the Penguins 2nd period was last night, but there was one huge problem, the Penguins only led by one after 2 periods of play. You see, possession is only the means to an end. Goals are the end result desired by obtaining the possession. Nobody will dispute that having high possession numbers not only gives you a better chance at scoring goals, but decreases the opportunities for the opponent to score as well. The Penguins excelled at possession last night but lacked the end results desired from that possession until late in the game.
The Flyers knew they got their butts kicked in the 2nd period, but they also knew that they were able to escape only down one goal. That can be a very positive thing for a team’s psyche, especially on a team that has been down in the dumps so far this year. The Flyers certainly saw a boost from that and as you can see the Penguins possession stalled right out at the end of the second period and the beginning of the third period. It is not realistic to expect the Penguins to carry the play like they did in the 2nd period for the entire length of the game. You have to strike when the iron is hot.
What helped out the Penguins during this lull that they suffered from? Marc Andre Fleury. Fleury was the #1 star of the game last night and it was much deserved. For as well as the Penguins played in front of him, it was Fleury who kept the Flyers at bay from potentially stealing this game. Fleury improved his EVSV% on the season to .940%. The Penguins are going to be a dominant team if Fleury is able to play at this current level. Fleury cannot control the distant future (playoffs) but he can control the present, he is doing a very nice job at that.
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The Penguins have some nice looking team numbers so far this season. They are currently 2nd overall in the NHL in goals per game with 3.7 and they are 8th overall in goals against per game with 2.3.
Pittsburgh is tied with Montreal for most goals in the third period with 12 conversely the Penguins have only given up 5 goals in the third period. That is certainly a nice trend to see as the Penguins are closing games out for victories rather than letting them slip away.
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While everything is going pretty good for the Penguins early this season it is important to remember that they haven’t exactly played the toughest schedule. The combined record of the Penguins opponents to date is 13-34-8. Not exactly primo competition. I bring this up because if the Penguins are going to continue their winning ways they are going to have to get some of their injured players back in the lineup.
Last night the Penguins effectively dressed two fourth lines while trying to spot either Crosby or Malkin as often as they could. When the Penguins play higher caliber opponents having Craig Adams and Tanner Glass alongside Brandon Sutter is not going to cut it. Having a defenseman with below average puck skills playing wing is also not going to cut it. Much of the reason that the Penguins puck possession did not yield more tangible results in the form of goals last night is because they were very thin at the forward position. Guys like James Neal, Beau Bennett, Dustin Jeffrey, and even Matt D’Agostini have the ability to do more with the puck when they have it. There is also a rumor that the Penguins are missing a pretty darn good defenseman right now too.
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With his two points last night Sidney Crosby has set a personal best for games in a row to start the season with a point. He now has a point in all 7 Penguin games this year. Crosby and his 14 points have a 4 point cushion in the scoring race right now.
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I hope the Penguins trade Dustin Jeffrey. Not for what they can get back in a trade (not a lot) but because he deserves the opportunity to play somewhere. If the Penguins are going to be short as many forwards as they are, and he is going to be sat for a below average defenseman, just move him. This is not unlike the Mark Letestu situation from a few years back. The Penguins just don’t have a role, or the room for a guy like Jeffrey. Let Jeffrey try to do what Letestu did and find a home where he can contribute to a hockey team.
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Last but not least it appears that the baton is being passed, yet again:
Thanks for reading!
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