The Night Owl Club was out in full force last night in Los Angeles. The Penguins did not earn a positive result to reward those staying up past their bed time. They scored a lone goal and lost the game 2-1 to the second worst team in the NHL. It is the team’s fourth loss in a row. They are now four points behind the Washington Capitals for first in the league with the Philadelphia Flyers(!) trailing only by a single point.
That is the bad news. The good news is the Penguins really didn’t play all that bad. They dominated large stretches of the game and this is one of those times where the process and results didn’t match up. It is frustrating to drop a game to the Kings, but this wasn’t a situation where the team laid an egg. Their biggest problems should be solved in the near future with the return of Brian Dumoulin and John Marino who are making strides to return to the lineup.
Is Jack Johnson a sleeper agent for his former team? Tough to argue against it last night. He was terrible and this sequence was the game winning goal
Literally anybody would be better.
— Adam Gretz (@AGretz) February 27, 2020
I hate to keep piling on but Johnson completely single handedly f'd up that shift. This is tough to watch.
— Adam Gretz (@AGretz) February 27, 2020
In case anyone was curious (no reason in particular) the buyout window doesn't open until the summer. Also used a totally random player (no reason in particular) as an example to explain the cap implications. https://t.co/zat1t448br
— Taylor Haase (@TaylorHaasePGH) February 27, 2020
Have to think Jack Johnson listens to the podcast and intentionally played triple extra shitty at a game my family flew here to see
— Dan Hopper (@DanHoppOPS) February 27, 2020
Injuries being what they are, the top pairing is cooked. It was cooked from the moment it was put together. Letang and Johnson are oil and water and Johnson especially is out of his element in these minutes. It is now affecting all three zones of the ice. https://t.co/982lICRdqp
— Jesse Marshall (@jmarshfof) February 27, 2020
It's almost as if the top pairing is affecting Crosby & Co' ability to control the game and create scoring chances since his return. The pairing he's out on the ice most with is completely lost. Jack Johnson and Kris Letang both have places in the lineup. Together ain't it. pic.twitter.com/tRUGS5iSE8
— Jesse Marshall (@jmarshfof) February 27, 2020
Jesse is being kind. Johnson does not have a place in the lineup. If you consistently tank the value of the best players in the league you don’t have a place. We knew this in July of 2018 and we know this now. There is no data set that points to him treading water with other players let alone lifting them up. He is a drag to anybody. Even Sidney Crosby can’t escape it. Sidney Crosby!
*2019-20 season
Sidney Crosby drops to a 37.76 xGF% with Johnson! 37.76. It is a 20% reduction in quality for one of the best players who has ever played the game. Crosby isn’t washed. He’s still great. What are we even doing?
“He’s been better this year!…
Nope.
Bench him for Riikola when Dumoulin comes back. Period.
Thanks for reading!