Penguins Avs themselves a game (Penguins)

Penguins

Penguins Avs themselves a game

By Ryan Wilson

Oct 27, 2023 • 9:50 am

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The Penguins were staring a 2-5 start in the face when they hosted the undefeated Colorado Avalanche last night. As a group, they committed to their game plan and left with a 4-0 shutout victory. It was a victory which ended Colorado’s record 15 game road win streak. It was a huge result and hopefully one that can slingshot the Penguins forward out of the rut they were in. There were many positive individual efforts throughout the lineup.

Tristan Jarry earned a shutout with a 31 save performance. Given Nedeljkovic’s injury this will be a very important stretch for Jarry. It couldn’t have gone any better. Lately, Jarry has been fine, but there are usually some moments where you’d like to see a huge save made to buy the offense some more time. Jarry provided that save last night.

It was a 3-0 game and could have been 3-1. It’s a score that’s not a bad place to be in the third period. It is also within striking distance for a team like Colorado. Instead of 3-1 Jarry came up huge with the save and shortly after the Penguins added their fourth goal and that was that.

Radim Zohorna has made the most of his opportunity. He has drastically changed the results from when Jansen Harkins was playing in the same role. Both Lars Eller and Drew O’Connor have seen significantly better results since the change.

With Harkins:

Lars Eller: CF% 40.35 xGF% 33.87 Drew O'Connor: CF% 38.98 xGF% 25.52

With Zohorna

Lars Eller: CF% 72.22 xGF% 82.04 Drew O’Connor CF% 72.92 xGF% 83.08

Zohorna himself has great numbers in his limited 32 minute sample this year. His xGF% 74.49 and his 5v5 points per 60 is 3.71. He deserves all the praise headed his way right now. He turned around a clear weakness and has contributed into the Penguins now having three consistently playable lines. No small task for a player who was just fighting for a roster spot. If this can continue it would be a great development. Drew O’Connors work on the forecheck tonight deserves a mention. He was in Cale Makar’s business the entire evening. If you could hand pick something to take away from the Avalanche not allowing Makar to fire his engine up and speed down the ice would be near the very top of the list. It is such a hard thing to do and I though O’Connor did it well last night.

Evgeni Malkin and Reilly Smith continued their instant chemistry. Smith opened the scoring up when he jumped on a loose puck at the end of the power play and then followed things up with his second goal of the night in transition with Evgeni Malkin on a half ice 2v1.

These are the types of goals that were envisioned when Reilly Smith was acquired over the summer. Bryan Rust’s poke check made the entire sequence possible. All the Avalanche players committed to pressing forward and when Rust picked their pocket it was all over for Georgiev.

Malkin now has nine points in seven games this season.

One of the most important sections of the game was when the Penguins killed off a double minor penalty in the late second and early third period. THis was another one of those scenarios where the game could have gone from 3-0 to something a lot more tense. Prior to last night’s game the Avalanche were six for 21 on the power play for a 28.5% success rate. After their 0-5 outing they dropped to 23.07%.

Jake Guentzel spoke about how he is upset with his play to start the year before yesterday’s game. He’s had some scoring chances that he usually puts in the net. I don’t feel the same way he does. Against Dallas he had seven shots on goal and last night added another three. The goals will come. He’s a great shooter and he’s still shooting. The milkshakes will be flowing soon.

One negative from the game is a trend I’ve noticed and it is surprising and when it happens it is pretty jarring to me. Sidney Crosby is making a lot more half hearted passes which are getting picked off and taken the other way. We’ve been spoiled to have an all-time great like Crosby make everything look so effortless for close to twenty years. So when we see plays like this, plays most players are guilty of, it just sticks out in a way it otherwise wouldn’t. It wasn’t all bad, because it never is with Sid. He scored the fourth goal on a nice shot from the slot

Guentzel should feel good about the play he made, here. He picked the pocket and got it to Sid’s forehand pretty quick. There were a few times earlier in the game where Sid and Jake weren’t able to connect. This one they did. Crosby now has four goals and seven points in the first seven games of the season. Guentzel now has one goals and eight points in seven games.

A cool stat I saw before the game last night was that there were six players in the game who scored Stanley Cup clinching goals.

Those six weren’t the only ones in the building to do so last night. Mike Rupp was on the color commentary and his goal in the 2003 Final was also a Cup clinching goal.

Penguins can’t take their foot off the gas. They need to build on this great win. They have Erik Karlsson’s former team in the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night at home.

Thanks for reading!

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