Prediction
The Penguins mix it up from the first game, Cody Ceci takes place and Chad Ruhwedel drives in. D-pairs are adjusted to place the best four players on the two best pairs. Novel concept!
First period
For a team that went down 3-0, the Pens actually started pretty decently against the Flyers. Shots were 5-0 early. Then Pittsburgh got a call for their second too many men calling in so many games this season. The PK even did well, but Chad Ruhwedel was called for a trip as it was sinking, which gave the Flyers another blow. This time, Philly penetrated with a very nice tackle from Claude Giroux to Jakub Voracek quickly to Travis Konecny. How it eluded Brian Dumoulin’s stick does not go beyond me. 1-0.
Two minutes later Konecny strikes again. Tristan Jarry can’t keep the bag in front and turns back (it never works) and the Flyers make it 2-0.
Just two minutes later, the lock opens. Jarry breaks his stick, is completely out of it and Ivan Provorov blows a suit next to him. 3-0 and it’s the end of the night for Jarry. 3-0 just 11:30 in the game.
Luckily for the pens, they turn the tide. After getting their first match of the game, Sidney Crosby deserved it with a backlog goal.
The next shift hits the Pen’s best series so far. Jared McCann does well to shoot hard on the far side at Carter Hart. Hart hits the rebound, but unfortunately for him it’s the Brandon Tanev. Tanev has an open net to fire it in and it is 3-2 with Pittsburgh back and on the comeback route.
Casey DeSmith, in the cold game, sees Kevin Hayes hit him on the neck for a breakaway for his first shot in the NHL since March 16, 2019. DeSmith stoned him. Great time to keep the game at 3-2.
The pins get two more power measurements, but do not do much with it. For shame!
Mal gat period. Shots are 14-9 Pittsburgh. 5v5 Corsi% is 54.2% at the edge of the Belly. 5v5 chances are equal (8-8), as well as chances of great danger (4-4).
Second period
Sean Couturier left the game in the first period and did not return for the second time.
Kris Letang takes an early penalty kick to deny the power play. Pittsburgh kills it.
John Marino leaves Jason Zucker on a clear breakaway, but the shot is stopped.
Mike Matheson goes to boxing to stumble. Tanev takes a slap directly to the foot, but is obviously too hard to put down and will be back soon.
The Belly gets another power play when Scott Laughton hits Crosby, they do not do a ton with it, and then McCann goes to the box for a very bad way to stick his arm out and his elbow in a Flyers head to stamp. . Not good. All punishments go through.
Good period for the Pens, despite being 5 minutes on the PK (to only 1+ on the PP), the shots are 10-4 in the second frame for PIT. Overall, they are 24-13 PIT. 5v5 CF% for the game is 60% pens. SCF% and HDSCF% are 56.0% and 57.1% for Pittsburgh through two periods, respectively. Everything went well, except that they did not place any previous Heart in this period.
Third period
There is not much going on in the third; the Belly gets a power play in the middle of the third when Mike Matheson is pushed into the boards from behind. Lots of quality zone time and looking at the net but they can not solve Hart.
The refs compare it by sending Zucker for an oblique point shortly afterwards. The pins kill it, but shortly after the Flyers chase another man, make some cross-side passes and Konency are mostly fans, but still get enough to put it in the net for a 4-2 lead for his club with just over 7 minutes left.
Oskar Lindblom jumps over to an empty net with 2:08 to erase any doubt and make it 5-2.
Some thoughts
- When we were little and no one’s little brother could trick us into playing goalkeeper (sorry Trevor), we put an old briefcase or a trash can or an obstacle in the net. It would not really offer much resistance, but it would just be there. For some reason, Jarry reminded me of that second goal, where a weak shot just leaked right through him, and he spun straight out of the net to easily tap the Flyers. The Penzies are not very strong (can not blame the goalkeeper for a slam dunk from the first goal), but their goalkeeper did not really help either.
- Jankowski finished 2nd in the NHL in 2018-19 with five SHGs. It’s easy to see why. He hangs on to the shooter, takes it into the zone and is just a treat to watch him kill fines.
- Guentzel and Zucker had a great chance in the second from the right from the front, just could not make money. Ditto, even Ruhwedel and Evan Rodrigues. Heart was good, but the Belly was also a bit of a snake bite.
- The pins came out very physically. McCann controlled Couturier (and Coots would not return after the early inning). Sam Lafferty bled Laughton. Tanev flies as usual a maniac and pulls out something with a wrist. The overall hits in the game were 30-24 pins.
- Letang was on ice for all 5 goals against. Not good! All of Konecny’s goals were also scored from the goalkeeper’s breathing.
- Not much was asked of DeSmith, but he finished a bit by keeping the puck out of the net for 41 minutes. For what we’ve seen this season, it’s positive there.
- On the other hand, Hart was very good. Especially in that second period, the Belly tested him hard and he had all the answers. Hard to take in a short season, but it goes sometimes.
Unlock game keys (from preview)
# 1: “The pins need more from the Malkin line (and more defense against the Hayes line).”
I estimate 50% credit here. The Hayes line did nothing, but unfortunately the bigger story was again a quiet line by Malkin and his line. The pins are not going to do much if the line does not click and it was not.
# 2: “How does Jarry jump back for the second game?”
Jarry bounced after only 11:30 of the game, seeing only 6 shots, but three of them ended up behind him. It’s reasonable to debate how much debt he should take, but Jarry allowed nine goals in 71 minutes this season on a 758% saving. This is Niemi-esque. Just can not happen, the goalkeeper must find a way to keep the puck more than that out of the net. No one needs to be happier to get out of Philly tonight than Tristan Jarry. On the following.
# 3: “Win the battle for special teams.”
Can’t say the Belly did it. Power play went 1/5, OK, but had a chance for more. PK won 5/6, which was good, but shortly after it ended, gave up another goal. Going to the box six times is also a problem in itself, like calling too many men.