Pittsburgh Penguins Hit the Skids

Since I have been out of town for a while, I have not provided any updates on the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team.  I am sad to report that the team has had a very rough week, notching 5 straight losses (2 in overtime, so it wasn’t as bad as it could have been as far as points).  All 5 games were played in just 8 days, with much of it on the road, so it has been a rough schedule.   

It all started on Saturday, 4 Nov, with a 3-2 loss in San Jose against the Sharks.  To be fair to the team, the San Jose Sharks are playing very well so far this season and are #4 out of 30 teams in the league.  So, to lose by such a close margin is commendable……albeit a loss.  The silver lining to the game was that Vermont native John LeClair picked up two assists.  Crosby and Malkin were kept off the scorsheet entirely.

This was followed by a 3-2 overtime loss to the Mighty Ducks in Anaheim on Monday.  Again, a good game against a top-caliber team that currently sits in the #2 of 30 positions in the league with just 1 loss.  John LeClair again picked up an assist, and Malkin and Crosby each picked up an assist.  The team salvaged a point by pushing the game into OT. 

On Wednesday, the Penguins lost 4-3 at home in overtime to Tampa Bay.  A repeat of Monday’s OT loss, they picked up a point in the standings.  Nils Eckman scored all three goals for the Penguins to record a hat trick (2 on assist from Sidney Crosby). 

On Friday night the team unraveled against the Ottowa Senators and lost 6-3.  Coach Therien remarked that nobody showed up to play, except the lumbering defenseman Eric Cairns.  Malkin scored a goal and an assist and Crosby picked up an assist. 

Last night, they lost again to last year’s Stanley Cup Champs the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 6-2.  I saw last night’s game and the problem was way too much undisciplined play.  The Penguins amassed a ridiculous 14 penalties, 2 of which the Hurricanes capitalized on.  Despite it all, goalie Jocelyn Thibault kept them in the game until about 3 minutes left in the game when the Penguins gave up a short-handed empty netter (followed by another short-handed goal about a minute later).  John LeClair finally notched a goal, so hopefully he has gotten that monkey off of his back! 

The Penguins return to action tomorrow (Monday) night in a game against their in-state rival Philadelphia Flyers.  The Flyers are last in the league, despite their very talented line-up.  Hopefully the Penguins can recover their winning play and notch a win.