If this is the real Pittsburgh Penguins team moving forward – with a totally engaged Sidney Crosby – then perhaps it’s time to re-think their (in)ability to seriously contend with the Rangers and Capitals in the Metropolitan Division. If the 2015-16 Habs are for real then why not these Penguins? All they’ve done since starting 0-3 is go 10-2, relying heavily on their goaltender and a tighter defensive scheme while waiting for their captain to jump start their 5 on 5 offense. Maybe it was the Habs, maybe it was having Pascal Dupuis back, maybe it was the presence of Pierre McGuire, maybe it was all those Montreal dads who had never seen him play live. Or maybe it was just time.
I root for Crosby. Don’t you? On pace for a 40 point season at game time, this was the 87 we’ve grown accustomed to, carrying the puck, creating offense, firing shots at the net (7 – including a grazed goalpost) before winning the game with a nifty backhand in the shootout. He was a difference maker. The difference maker. And that makes me feel a lot better, for now, instead of wondering if we were beginning to see the premature decline of an all-time great.
As for the Habs? The Dupuis goal on the first shift didn’t help but they looked rusty before finally finding their legs late in the first period. The only thing missing in the second period when they outshot Pittsburgh 13-1 was a third goal. And that came back to bite them.
With a growing chorus of influential voices suggesting bigger nets or smaller goalposts or more room on the ice it was a fun game to watch with no shortage of scoring chances. And a very good warm up act for a rested Montreal team back home on Saturday against the Colorado Avalanche.
THE GOOD
- Mike Condon. For the second straight game he did not allow an early goal to affect his performance. He had no chance on the Dupuis goal at :13 while the second and third goals both changed direction on him. The Penguins buzzed him late and often and he stood his ground. I liked his push back when a couple of forwards lingered around his crease too long. The shootout? Well, like his record suggests (6-0-2) he’s not quite perfect.
- Brendan Gallagher. First game since Team Canada 2016 GM Doug Armstrong suggested that Gallagher was now in the mix for a possible World Cup slot. Do you really think of Gallagher as a 30 goal scorer? Maybe it’s time to.
- 4th line. Brian Flynn scored the go ahead goal after taking a pass from Torrey Mitchell. Flynn had five shots on goal. This trio has now combined for nine goals. They’re actually the 3rd line right now, aren’t they? On this night, maybe the second.
- P.K. Subban. Once again driving the offense from the back end with assists on two of the three Montreal goals. Averaging nearly a point per game, Subban leads NHL defensemen with 16 points. A good thing dad Karl was in the stands rather than watching on TV because he would have clearly heard his son yell “He’s fucking holding me!” while circling the Pittsburgh net midway through the first period.
- Andrei Markov. Tied for second in scoring among defenseman (with John Klingberg of Dallas) one point behind his partner. Markov helped wake up the Habs with his game tying blast early in the first period. Was in a position to clinch it for Montreal when he broke out on a two on one with Alex Galchenyuk with 10 minutes left. The Habs young centre made a good pass to Markov who chose to pass it back rather than shoot. He also had a chance to win the game in overtime but he and Gallagher just missed connecting down low. Markov continues to look great. We’ll see what happens when the schedule gets much busier next week.
- Power Play. Markov’s goal made it seven straight games with a power play goal. Holding steady at third overall behind Boston and Dallas at 27.1%.
- PK Unit. Two huge kills late in the third and again in overtime against an extremely talented but clearly out of sync (14.6%) power play. Condon was a factor but so too were (mostly) Jeff Petry and Alexei Emelin. And an obviously exhausted Evgeni Malkin.
THE BAD
- Tom Gilbert. He’s been very steady but it was Gilbert who put the Habs in a precarious position late in the game and in OT. He took an unnecessary holding penalty with 2:17 to play after the puck bounced over his stick. Maybe he thought Eric Fehr was Crosby. In overtime, Gilbert jumped on the ice too early to replace a clearly fatigued Markov but he did so while the puck carrier – Gallagher – stopped in front of the bench at the Pittsburgh blue line. Maybe Gilbert assumed Gallagher had dumped it in. Maybe Gallagher should have dumped it in. But Gilbert should have made certain before stepping onto the ice. It might be Greg Pateyrn time.
- Max Pacioretty. Yes he made a nice pass to Gallagher and smartly learned from his previous 3 on 3 miscue but normally when Pacioretty has six shots on goal at least one goes in. But he’s clearly missing a gear right now and it seems to be affecting his shot quality. He flubbed a couple from in close and more notably heeled a one-timer against a down and out Fleury in the third period which would have given Montreal a 4-2 lead. Before leaving for Pittsburgh, Pacioretty – on the high standards he sets for himself – told Arpon Basu of NHL.com (with a smile) “I’m a psychopath. My wife thinks I’m absolutely nuts. I’m never satisfied with anything.” Cue the shower scene from Psycho.
- David Desharnais-Dale Weise-Tomas Fleischmann. Unusually quiet night. Weise did wisely test backup goalie Jeff Zatkoff with a high, hard shot after Fleury was nicked up by his own defenseman. And Weise sent a bit of a scare into the Habs and their fan base when he could barely get off the ice after getting tangled up along the boards. Weise’s line mates combined for just one shot on goal. It was strange then, to see Michel Therrien begin the overtime with Desharnais and Fleischman, knowing full well it would be Crosby and/or Malkin on the other side.
THE UGLY
- Shootout. Habs have been so good they’ve had so little time to practice 3 0n 3 or shootouts. Galchenyuk and Desharnais badly telegraphed their moves which might have worked had they skated in on an inexperienced goaltender. But with Fleury at the top of his game right now it was a mismatch.
- 2nd line or is it 3rd line or is it 4th line? Not a good night. On the ice for the Hornqvist game tying goal with just over 6:00 to play after they couldn’t connect down low. Galchenyuk fired a strong shot at Fleury in the second period following a great set up by Subban (it was the play which saw Ben Lovejoy’s stick blade slide right through Fleury’s mask and cut the Pittsburgh goalie) and did set up teammates – Markov as mentioned plus Lars Eller whose shot was from too far out, and then Devante Smith-Pelly for a perfect one-timer. But the young winger barely got enough of the puck to hit Fleury with it. It was a play that cried SEMIN TIME!
