PITTSBURGH — Frustration bubbled to the surface on the Penguins bench, as coach Mike Sullivan called his timeout less than seven minutes into the letdown.
An early three-goal deficit was hard enough to stomach on its own. But in context, the disastrous start only magnified troublesome trends that have emerged.
The Penguins, who relied on simplicity and structure for so much of the year, have recently regressed into a high-risk team that too often mismanages the puck. A once-suffocating penalty kill has slumped toward the bottom of the league over the last dozen games. And secondary scoring that helped the Penguins thrive in the absence of early-season star power has disappeared, making the club sometimes look like a one-line team.
During Thursday’s 6-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils, one of the worst of the season, all those themes reared their ugly head almost from the minute the puck dropped.
The Penguins fell behind 3-0 less than seven minutes into the game and never stopped the bleeding, as the self-inflicted wounds mounted. The struggling penalty kill allowed two goals. Tristan Jarry was pulled mid-game for the first time this season after surrendering five goals. And the only goal was scored on the power play, as questions about secondary scoring continue.
The Penguins (31-14-8) have now lost three games in a row. They’re just 4-4-3 in the last 13 games.
The self-inflicted wounds opened almost from the instant the puck dropped. Just 1:13 into the game, a breakdown led to a Devils 2-on-1. While starting goalie Jarry turned away the initial attempt, Devils forward Jesper Bratt cleaned up a rebound while the Penguins were in scramble mode.
Bratt scored his second of the game less than five minutes later on another gift. In his own defensive zone, Penguins forward Evan Rodrigues backhanded the puck through the center of the ice. Bratt picked it off and then picked his spot.
Finally, as Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson turned the corner in the Penguins defensive zone, he lost his footing. Then, the Penguins lost Yegor Sharangovich in coverage. He was left all alone on the doorstep to pick his spot.
That’s when Sullivan called his timeout.
In the second period, the Penguins shook up the lines in an attempt to provide a spark. Jeff Carter, who began the game on Evgeni Malkin’s right wing, slid down to the third line. Kasperi Kapanen took his place on the second line. The line shakeup hinted at another issue for the Penguins, as they’ve struggled to find a reliable winger to skate alongside Malkin.
However, the Penguins dug themselves deeper with another defensive-zone breakdown. Devils emerging star Jack Hughes picked Pettersson's pocket behind the Penguins net. He dished to Dawson Mercer in front, who capitalized on the miscue to make it 4-0.
The Penguins enjoyed only momentary relief, when Malkin scored a power play goal in transition off a beautiful feed from Sidney Crosby.
But, with penalty killing mainstay Brock McGinn in the box, the Devils took advantage. Damon Severson rifled a shot from the point that went through traffic and into the back of the net.
With the Devils leading, 5-1, Jarry was pulled mid-game for the first time all season, as backup Casey DeSmith entered. DeSmith, who has weathered his own inconsistencies, allowed a sixth goal on the power play.
While Jarry is allowed to make a tough save or two, the five goals he allowed were probably more an indication of how the skaters in front of him played than anything else.
So what’s changed for the Penguins? A reasonable turning point (though not the only reason for the shortcomings) came on Jan. 23, when Brenden Dillon broke Teddy Blueger’s jaw and left a gaping hole in the middle of the Penguins’ lineup.
Through such a significant chunk of this season, the Penguins were among the NHL’s best defensive teams thanks to a structured approach, solid puck possession and timely saves. At the time of Blueger’s injury on Jan. 23, the Penguins were the NHL’s fourth-stingiest team, allowing just 2.55 goals per game.
Over the last month, a span of a dozen games, they’ve allowed an average of more than 3.0 goals per game. That’s middle of the pack.
The penalty kill had snuffed out a dominant 90% of opposing power play chances through the first 40 games. Since Blueger went down, their kill percentage is in the low 70s.
And, with Blueger missing from the middle of a shut-down line, the other holes in the lineup have been magnified as well, especially on Malkin’s wings.
While the Penguins have lost ground in the Metropolitan Division standings, falling into third place behind Carolina and the New York Ranges, they still remain in a solid playoff position. However, the issues that have emerged recently will need to be addressed if the Penguins want to be more than just a playoff qualifier and instead become a true contender.
