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Penguins Grades: WOW. A Dominant Win, What Is Changing for Pens
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- Penguins Grades: WOW. A Dominant Win, What Is Changing for Pens
Brian Bradshaw Sevald-Imagn Images Brian Bradshaw Sevald-Imagn Images
DETROIT —A historic defensive performance and a fourth straight win.
The Pittsburgh Penguins continued their increasingly strong play since the holiday break with a 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena, in which they allowed just 12 shots.
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Yes, 12. Total. Over 60 minutes. Yeah, the Penguins. No, seriously.
"We limited their time and space through the neutral zone. After the first, especially–I think in the first, we were relatively loose, and then we tightened it up," defenseman Kris Letang said. "And I think, everything they got was coming from the outside, and we kept them to the outside, so we did a pretty good job."
The Penguins currently have the first wild-card spot and the seventh-best winning percentage in the Eastern Conference. They also have the third-best points percentage in the Metro Division.
The Penguins were engaged from the beginning. Bryan Rust sniped a wrister early in the first period. Ben Kindel launched Yegor Chinakhov for a breakaway goal late in the first. That was the extent of the offense that the Penguins needed as they enjoyed a pair of things necessary for an impressive road win.
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And a well-protected third-period lead. Rickard Rakell and Connor Dewar also scored empty net goals.
Is it all coming together?
"I think if you go back, even back to last month, where there was a tougher stretch, there were plenty of those games that we liked the way we played. Maybe we didn't like how we finished them–A lot of them, we didn't like how we finished them," said coach Dan Muse. "But the guys were playing the right way. We were doing the right things, and we just needed to do it for 60 minutes. And I thought that's what we had here tonight."
Tactically, the Penguins attacked Detroit in the defensive zone. Where there was a puck, a Penguins defender was contesting that space. Every time.
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And, the Penguins at no point wavered. No blips, gaffes, whoopsies, or mistakes in the third period. Every skate was in the right spot. Every time.
"You want to keep getting better … Credit to the guys, they worked on (issues with the lead), and they applied things, and I think just the way we played the third period as a whole was much better, you know? It wasn't just sitting back," said coach Dan Muse. "We played the game. I thought we played hard at both ends."
As further proof of the aggressive defensive stand, after the first period, Detroit had more scoring chances (9) than shots (5). Saturday was not a case of a flat opponent, but the Penguins taking the life from them. Detroit had more high-danger chances than the Penguins in the first (4-0, according to NaturalStatTrick.com ), but the Penguins' clear focus on not beating themselves wrapped Detroit tighter than a fuzzy blanket knitted by grandma on a cold Western PA afternoon.
Not only did the Penguins attack in the D-zone, Detroit goalie John Gibson nearly knocked the net off the moorings several times in the second period as he was forced to slide laterally to deny several Penguins chances.
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The only blemish on the Penguins' sheet was a misfired offensive chance off the glass as winger Rutger McGroarty 's tight-angle shots were high and wide, launching a two-on-one for Detroit winger Alex DeBrincat .
Penguins goalie Stuart Skinner might have felt left out of the fun.
"It was incredible. I'm not too sure of the number of blocked shots (13), but I would imagine it was high. I mean, anytime you get 12 shots in a game against a really good team like that. I mean, that's very impressive by the guys that played in front of me," said Skinner. "It tells you how well we played defensively. We didn't give them anything all night. So, yeah, it made my night really easy."
Skinner also made a couple of tough saves, including a reflexive kick save on Dylan Larkin 's redirection on a second-period power play chance.
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Penguins Analysis
The Penguins didn't just play defense; they attacked in the defensive zone with vigor. Even when they had a position, they took the extra step or three to confront Detroit, to take away all time and space.
The examples are too numerous; From Anthony Mantha defending in front of his own net and cleaning the puck from the Penguins' crease to Ben Kindel skating with Detroit's Marco Kasper , all the way to the net to deny what would have been a glorious chance, it was a team defense clinic.
"It's six guys on the ice, not two," Letang chirped to this reporter who broached the topic of the defensemen playing very well.
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Detroit had a dozen or more "almosts" or "so close" moments in the slot and the scoring zones. Detroit pushed and got the puck into the right areas, but had to hurry shots, or didn't get them off.
Use your favorite hockey cliche. The Penguins were tough to play against. They played tight gaps all over the ice. The Penguins weren't just on Detroit's hip, they were in their face.
Also, the Penguins did not beat themselves. The Penguins replaced brutal giveaways, the careless turnovers at the blue line, or overaggressive offensive one pushes with only one stick high with responsible hockey. F3s were consistently above the puck, and defensemen were in sync with the greater good.
With responsibility comes layers in the neutral zone that slow down opponents, bodies back to defend, and a goalie who made as many glove saves on pucks going wide as he did pucks on net.
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"As a coach, you don't mind (so) few shots," said Muse.
Penguins Report Card
Team: A+
Fans might want to watch 82 of those, but the Penguins coach sure enjoyed it. A thorough and complete win with all four lines and all three defense pairs playing well.
"I feel like the team's got a really solid amount of chemistry right now, and everyone's going," Skinner said. "From my perspective, it's really fun to watch."
Standout Performances
Rakell- Crosby -Rust: The Penguins' top line flexed. Crosby and co. swallowed whole the Detroit top line. Dylan Larkin, Emmitt Finnie , and Lucas Raymond did not enjoy their afternoon. Crosby also won the opening faceoff with authority.
Set the tone.
For the second straight game, Rakell was buzzing. And defending.
Ben Kindel- Yegor Chinakhov : Chinakhov's heavy wrist shot that was the finish to his breakaway, as well as a couple of power play attempts, drew praise from coach Dan Muse.
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"It's as advertised, isn't it?" Muse said with a big smile, bordering on an impressed laugh.
Chinakhov had three shots on goal, two more attempts, and one miss. He wasn't shy at either end of the ice.
Kindel and Chinakhov hooked up on the breakaway goal, and Chinakhov saw Detroit changing and went for the opposite blue line. Kindel snapped a long stretch pass from the defensive just out of reach for several would-be defenders.
"I just saw the line change and then saw the open spot, just tried to skate there," Chinakhov said. "And (Kindel) made a great pass to me."
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Chinakhov is a man of few words, and probably fewer when he returns to Columbus Sunday. The Penguins acquired the disgruntled Chinakhov from the Columbus Blue Jackets Monday. Chinakhov and Columbus coach Dean Evason had clashed over Chinakhov's sparing usage as a fourth-line player.
That seems to be a mistake that Muse will not repeat.
The post Penguins Grades: WOW. A Dominant Win, What Is Changing for Pens appeared first on Pittsburgh Hockey Now .
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