It certainly will not go down as one of the more entertaining hockey games of the year but a win is a win. The Penguins downed the Blue Jackets by a score of 2-1. Both Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby scored goals and when that happens it leads to victory more times than not.
Here are the game highlights:
Here is the possession chart:
The Penguins came out very flat and were able to weather the storm. The fact of the matter is that the Blue Jackets just don’t have enough difference makers up front to make other teams pay right now. Columbus did a great job at cycling down low when they had possession but they were never able to generate much offense in the danger areas. Everything was in the dead areas and the Penguins were content on letting the puck be in those areas.
Penguins goaltender Marc Andre Fleury turned in a quality effort and was named the first star of the game. Fleury made 32 saves on the night and came oh so close to scoring his first ever NHL goal. Fleury lifted the puck down the ice after Columbus pulled their goaltender and Fleury’s shot missed by inches.
After almost experiencing a career moment the puck came back into the Penguins zone and the Blue Jackets were able to out muscle Deryk Engelland on the puck and they scored a goal. From goal scoring goalie, to guy who lost his shutout in the last minute of the game all in one sequence. That’s life as an NHL goalie.
Fleury continues his home dominance as he is now 11-2 with a save percentage of .941%. However, on the road this year he is 6-6-1 with a save percentage of .899%.
Evgeni Malkin picked up right where he left off before he missed the Sharks and Bruins games. Geno now has 5 goals and 15 assists in his last 10 games. He is currently on a 10 game point streak.
Malkin’s goal last night was another sign that he has regained his form. Malkin dusted the Blue Jackets defender with speed and assertively shielded the puck as he blew by. Malkin made his finish look easy and when Malkin is going right everything looks way too easy for him. Good stuff.
Even though Malkin continued his scoring ways he was unable to make up ground in the scoring race as Sidney Crosby also scored for the Penguins. This should shape up to be an extremely healthy competition between teammates and should push each other to keep getting better. Malkin still trails Crosby by 5 points.
Two players caught my eye in a positive light last night for their solid play. The first was Pascal Dupuis. Dupuis has had an ice cold year from an offensive standpoint. I wrote in the summer that it should be expected for Dupuis to come back down to earth but I did not think that his fall would be so far. Also troubling was the fact that it wasn’t just bad luck that was plaguing Dupuis, most nights Dupuis has not looked himself. Even when Dupuis is not showing up on the scoresheet on most nights his speed and tenacity is opening up time and space for his linemates. So far this year that part of his game has been missing too. Last night was a glimpse into what was the 2012-2013 Pascal Dupuis. If that guy becomes a regular presence look for the top line to go on a scoring rampage in the coming games.
The other guy who did a very nice job last night is a guy who has been making most of the fan base pull out their hair. Kris Letang has had a recent stretch of games where he has limited his painful mistakes and has simplified his game. Letang has been far less noticeable on the ice and that is a step in the right direction for now. Letang needs to keep making the simple plays look easy and as time goes on he can start to assert himself more aggressively in the play again. With Scuderi, Martin, and Orpik out of the lineup the Penguins need a steady presence in the lineup playing defense, so far Letang has provided that. He deserves credit for his play as of late.
Reports from the Penguins are that Brooks Orpik does not remember anything from after the opening faceoff and that he is having headaches as well as neck pains. Here is what Dan Bylsma had to say about Orpik:
Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma said that defenseman Brooks Orpik suffered from a sore neck and back and had a headache resulting from an altercation with Boston’s Shawn Thornton Saturday night.
“(Sunday) he definitely had soreness because of the situation in the neck and back and had a headache,” Bylsma said. “He’s dealing with a concussion. I don’t know how long that’s going to be.”
Even though last night was boring, a win is a win and the Penguins lead in the Metropolitan Division keeps on growing.
The Penguins have the best goal differential in the Eastern Conference (+27) and have also scored the most goals (98).
The Penguins will have some time to breath as they don’t find themselves in game action again until Friday night when they take on the New Jersey Devils.
Thanks for reading!
Pittsburgh Penguins Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»