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Penguins Grades: Oh Geno, Inside the Penguins Old School Beatdown
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- Penguins Grades: Oh Geno, Inside the Penguins Old School Beatdown
Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
DENVER —The Pittsburgh Penguins fans showed up en masse for their beloved's game against the Colorado Avalanche at the Bell Center. The black and gold jerseys ranged from Tom Barrasson and Mario Lemieux to a disproportionate number of Sidney Crosby sweaters gathered around the Colorado Avalanche's home arena.
Those fans were treated to a good old-fashioned Penguins offensive display. It was like the 1980s heyday as Colorado donned the Quebec Nordiques kit and the Penguins looked like an offensive juggernaut, scoring six goals on their first 17 shots, chasing the goalie and attacking throughout the third period to further pad their stats.
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Evgeni Malkin scored a pair of goals, as he and Erik Karlsson each had three points and remarkable games in the Penguins' 7-2 win over Colorado at Ball Arena Monday.
"See me in the penalty box again? I mean, the whole played well. We played right for 60 minutes and focused all game," said Malkin. "We knew we were playing against a great team and we just wanted to win, you know?
"I liked my line. They gave me good passes. I had probably two shots and two goals. Just maybe a little luck for me, but again, good game for everybody."
Read the Penguins recap here .
Once the Penguins got on track, they didn't ease up in the third period either. Perhaps the memory of their four-goal collapse against Colorado at Ball Arena in March 2024 still reverberated. Instead, Noel Acciari scored a third-period goal, the Penguins' seventh, and Kris Letang clanged the post with five minutes remaining as further proof of the Penguins' determination.
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All that was missing was Mario Lemieux lurking at the red line for a stretch pass.
The beleaguered Penguins got good news Monday with the return of Malkin after his five-game suspension and Justin Brazeau returned much sooner than expected from an upper-body injury that was supposed to keep him out week-to-week but only shelved him for six days. But there was also bad news with the departure of Blake Lizotte , who might be out for weeks with a hand or wrist injury.
Once the puck finally dropped after ESPN delayed the game by nearly 20 minutes to nearly 8 p.m. local time, Malkin wasted no time putting his stamp on the game
First, he took a terrible tripping penalty just 48 seconds into the game, but then scored a pair of gorgeous first-period goals. Overall, Malkin finished with two goals, three points, and four penalty minutes.
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The 39-year-old Malkin was flying.
Malkin's inclusion in the lineup after his five-game suspension also dramatically elevated the Penguins' power play which has been anything but effective. The man-advantage was one-for-three with five shots on goal.
There were numerous standouts Monday, not the least of which was Malkin, but also two more players are providing their best hockey down the stretch: Erik Karlsson is controlling play when he's on the ice; he's slowing it down, he's distributing the puck as if he's a step ahead of the game.
And Anthony Mantha , who has towered over the game, even more so than his 6-foot-5, 240-pound frame already does. Mantha seems to appear in the offensive zone in the perfect spots a moment before the puck. And every good chance is a goal light.
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Just before the Olympic break, we asked Mantha in Buffalo if he was playing the best hockey of his life. He didn't argue that premise, but definitively, he is playing on another level from even that streak.
"It feels great, obviously. It was a long road back this year, and to be here right now, I mean, the confidence is at an all-time high; the confidence in my teammates and the coaching staff," Mantha said. "So for me, (the goal) is to keep going. And as a team, obviously, our goal is the playoffs. We're heading in the right direction."
Penguins Analysis
The Penguins looked like the inferior team for much of the first period. Both teams played fast, and the Penguins did well to keep up with Colorado, but the deeper, more talented Avalanche had a bevy of high-danger scoring chances.
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Colorado scored twice in the first period in part because the Penguins did just enough to disrupt a few of their chances, and because of Arturs Silovs , who was sparkling on Monday.
While the Penguins gave up a pair of goals in the first 20 minutes, they converted nearly every chance. Four goals on seven shots. It was classic, glorious 1980s hockey, though coach Dan Muse wasn't necessarily a fan of his team trading chances.
The Penguins allowed 17 shots in the first period, but just 10 over the next 40 minutes. After a loose start and some brilliant Silovs saves at the start of the second period, the Penguins got their act together. Those open trailers and uncovered net-front players now had bodies on them.
And puck possession followed.
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"Listen, it's a fine line. We want to make plays, but you also, it's a little bit of situational awareness, who you're out there against. And I thought that definitely got better in the back half of the second," said Muse. "And then I thought we carried that into the third. Obviously, you come out of the first period and you like the score, but you don't totally love the process. And (we) know we can do a better job in terms of defending. And I thought the guys, the play away from the puck, the defensive game built on that."
The Penguins adopted a "go" game early. They launched stretch passes, defensemen joined the rush, and they engaged Colorado in a track meet. Typically, such a sentence would precede scathing criticism of a bad loss.
But not Monday.
Malkin's eagerness certainly played a role. He scored a pair of absolute beauties. But he wasn't the only one. Karlsson controlled the game; his breakouts by skating or masterful pauses to evade forecheckers kept the Penguins' attack moving forward.
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Lost amidst the unbelievable finish rate was the Penguins' aggressiveness to get the second pucks in the second and third periods. When they didn't finish, they were on the puck to continue the play.
Penguins Report Card
Team: B+
It was too wild, too unpredictable to give an A+ grade, but it sure was fun to watch. It was also an incredibly important win as the Penguins earned their fifth point on the daunting road trip.
The Penguins skated with them, outscored them, defended them, and most incredibly, the Pittsburgh Penguins forced the best team in the league to absolutely surrender.
Evgeni Malkin: Joy
Malkin had a lot to prove, and then he promptly took a penalty. And then scored a pair of highlight-reel goals. He was skating hard, coming all the way back into the defensive zone and limiting his mistakes. He was the best forward on the ice in a game full of stars.
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The day this gem of a player and human is no longer part of this experience, it will be a sad day.
Erik Karlsson: Incredible
Perhaps no defenseman in Penguins history has played the game in the same way as Karlsson. He defended well Monday, but the way he slowed down the game to control it, then exploded either by skating or moving the puck, was remarkable. It might have been his best game of the season. He notched one goal and two assists–one of his assists was a surgical headman pass to Anthony Mantha for a breakaway goal.
The pass was from the defensive corner to the offensive blue line and clacked the tape of Mantha's stick in perfect harmony.
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Other A+ Grades
Anthony Mantha: He is a pending free agent after the season, and the sound you heard Monday was his register ringing.
Arturs Silovs: He made a few saves in the first period that set a tone that the Penguins were engaged. He made a beautiful glove save on Nazem Kadri in the first 90 seconds of the third period that ended any doubts.
Noel Acciari: He picked up the slack for the injured Blake Lizotte. Acciari had his second consecutive impactful game. He was heavy in the defensive zone but also played with the puck in the offensive zone, getting to the net. Acciari's game is rising to meet the increased pressure of the playoff chase.
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Parker Wotherspoon : The Penguins' top left-side defenseman was sandpaper in the defensive zone. He delivered a couple of punishing hits but properly took care of the defensive zone, letting Karlsson be … Karlsson.
Good Grades
Ryan Shea : His defensive zone game was on point and with some snarl.
Elmer Soderblom : The big man covered a lot of ground and had a few scoring chances.
A Couple of Low Grades
Ville Koivunen : After perhaps his best game of the season Saturday, the scrappy winger was not present Monday and disappeared for long stretches. No shots, and just one attempt. He may have opened the door for Avery Hayes to draw into the lineup Wednesday against Carolina.
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Ben Kindel : His grade would be in the average range. No shots on goal, only one attempt. He was good in the defensive zone, which is quite important, but the line with Justin Brazeau and Koivunen simply didn't work. In fact, the line was outchanced 4-1.
The post Penguins Grades: Oh Geno, Inside the Penguins Old School Beatdown appeared first on Pittsburgh Hockey Now .
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