The Pittsburgh Penguins were given a dose of reality on Wednesday night, dropping their season and home opener 6-0 to the reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners, the New York Rangers.
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Last year, the Penguins were a non-playoff team, and they appeared to be no match for New York, which came within a few wins of the Stanley Cup Final.
Despite a busy offseason, including the acquisition of Rutger McGroarty, the Penguins were exposed in Game 1, and even though it is one game, they are not in the same class as the Rangers.
Let’s discuss a few takeaways from the worst season-opening loss in the Sidney Crosby era.
Tristan Jarry is Going to Make and Break the Penguins’ season
It’s only one game, but Tristan Jarry was left hung out to dry and didn’t do himself any favors, limping away with a .854 SV%, stopping 35 shots on 41 attempts.
Even though the final score read 6-0, the embattled Penguins’ number-one netminder actually gave up seven goals, with one called back on an offside. When thinking about the game, performance, and Pittsburgh’s chance to qualify for the playoffs, their top goalie can’t give up six or seven goals, no matter how strong the opponent is.
It seems like the book is out on the 29-year-old because, just like his pre-season starts, teams are aiming and finding the back of the net on his blocker side. It appears to be an area of concern, and unless he works on preventing goals from that side, it will be a long season.
Now, it wasn’t all bad. There were several times that Jarry made saves to preserve the score as is. However, Igor Shesterkin, who just turned down a rumored extension at a $11 million salary, outplayed Jarry, finishing the evening with 29 saves. If the Penguins had a Vezina-caliber netminder, they’d be laughing all the way to the division title. Instead, defeats like Wednesday night raise more questions about the future.
Penguins’ Third Line Lone Highlight of the Night
It is a safe bet that no one had Jesse Puljujarvi, Lars Eller, and Rutger McGroarty as the best line for the Penguins on opening night on their bingo cards.
On a special night like a home opener, superstars like Crosby and Evgeni Malkin should put on a show and remind fans who haven’t seen them in a few months how special it is to watch them.
Although the Pittsburgh legends were noticeable in their 19th season opener together, they combined for three shots and did nothing to help their team break out of a regular season power play slump. After finishing 30th overall on the man advantage, the Penguins picked up where they left off, going 0-for-3.
Despite the lack of firepower from the stars, Pittsburgh’s best skaters were undoubtedly the new third line, which consisted of Puljujarvi, Eller, and McGroarty. The trio combined for eight shots and were only minus-3, which each skater on for a goal against.
Whether getting shots on goal, creating chances, or playing responsible hockey, the third line buzzed most of the night and was noticeable every time they hopped over the boards together.
Even though no one from the line found the back of the net, it’s a positive sign that good things are on the way, which could help offset the pressure from the top two lines to produce all the offense.
It’s Only One Game, but It Was a Disaster
The Penguins are the second-oldest team in the NHL and appeared to be a step behind New York the entire contest. Whether surrendering odd-man rushes or not maintaining enough puck possession to generate chances, the team looked like they were in a different league than the Rangers.
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Pittsburgh was outshot and outplayed in the crease, which was the two main reasons they lost horribly in front of its hometown fans. As a Stanley Cup contender for the second consecutive year, New York proved its lineup is complete, getting offense from all four lines.
Thankfully, the Penguins don’t have to play teams like the Rangers for 81 games, but if the organization is serious about returning to the playoffs, they can’t turtle in these high-profile matchups. As the second oldest team in the league, their collective experiences are something the veterans need to tap into and ride out the slumps and bad nights.
It will be interesting to see how they respond tonight with a matchup against the Detroit Red Wings.
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