[ad_1]
The Pittsburgh Penguins seem to be the cure for the ills of the New Jersey Devils.
After starting the season with a series of four straight wins, the Devils won just three of the next 12 games, while they were outmatched by 20 goals (52-32). They were, for lack of a better word, wrong.
Unless they play against the Penguins, two of those three wins were not against their divisional rival – including the 4-2 decision Tuesday in New Jersey – but they also outclassed them by a 9- 3.
This is not a good look for the Penguins. It's not good either for the Penguins: the fact that they have only 1-5-1 in their last seven games and have many of the same potentially fatal flaws that delayed them a year, especially with regard to the abyssal game of their third and fourth lines.
Some numbers to ponder: After Tuesday's game, it is now impossible nine games since the Penguins received a goal of equal strength from their third or fourth line. Meaning, a line that has not been centered by Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin. The last of those goals was a 9-1 win over the Calgary Flames on Oct. 25 when Matt Cullen scored his first and only goal of the season.
In the ensuing period, the team scored only 18 goals, including 14 at equal strength. One of Crosby's or Malkin's was on the ice for each of these 14 goals of equal strength, and at least one of them contributed (scoring or helping) to 11 of them.
It's not just the lack of goals. Their third and fourth lines are crushed in all aspects of the game, whether they are real goals (outclassed 8-0), shot attempts (under 44%) or scoring chances (also less than 44%).
On Tuesday, Crosby played a key role in both goals, including an incredible pass for Phil Kessel on the power play, and a controversial goal that saw Crosby sneak into the trap and join the goaltender. Devils. Keith Kinkaid, leaving a bounce on the doorway to Jake Guentzel.
The Devils challenged the goal of the goalkeeper's intervention, but the call on the ice was confirmed.
The general manager, Jim Rutherford, spoke of the problems of depth a week ago when he tore up the slow start of his team and commented on the fact that it does not receive contributions from his players deep.
[Related: Obviously unhappy GM rips Penguins’ slow start]
For a recycling:
"It's almost like guys come to the games and say," Let the best players do it. Let Sid, Geno, Phil and Letang carry us. We will just finish the game and move on to the next game. Forget the work ethic that you need or forget the role they play. But when the best players do not do it, they're closed or they just do not have a good match, that's when we need the help of those other players to contribute and win victory. We do not get it. "
This is probably what he said more precise and precise.
Over the last two weeks, coach Mike Sullivan has tried many different things to revive individual players to move them forward.
Bryan Rust, who has just signed a long-term contract extension this summer, had a terribly slow start and was on the front row alongside Crosby and Dominik Simon.
Carl Hagelin, who has only three points in 16 games, remains in the top six alongside Malkin despite his lack of offense.
With Rust and Hagelin getting these big roles, it means that someone else is hit by the finish line. On Tuesday, Guentzel and Phil Kessel (the team's two most productive wingers) opened the night on the third row, centered on Riley Sheahan … who scored two points in 16 games, none in the last seven games, and has scored no goals since the second game of the season.
None of this has worked.
What is penguins really For the moment, it is necessary that Derick Brassard becomes again in good health, and once that will be the case, they will have to stick it on the third line (it is the role for which they have acquired it); do not play alongside Crosby on the front row, as he had been before. before his injury) and hopes that he starts producing as they hoped.
They must also hope that the members of the trio Rust, Hagelin, Sheahan (which represents nearly 10 million dollars in salary cap space) begin to contribute.
Or, as GM was suggesting, perhaps even a job of bringing in someone who could help add an offense.
Whatever the solution, they'd better find it quickly because they are only two points down in the Eastern Conference.
Yes, it is early (and yes, they were at a nearly identical place at the same time a year ago). But it is not so soon that there should not be any concern.
(Data contained in this message via Natural Stat Trick)
MORE: Your NHB Schedule 2018-19 on NBC TV
–
Adam Gretz is a writer for Professional Hockey Conference on NBC Sports. Leave him a line to [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @ AGretz.
[ad_2]
Source link
