It was quite the week for the Pittsburgh Penguins and not in the good kind of way. They spent the last three games blowing leads and standings points in the most pathetic ways possible
The number of ways the Penguins have been finding to lose almost makes it feel like it’s a bit at this point. Given all the ways they’ve blown these games you have the makings of a 12 days of Christmas list, only for comical pathways to losing.
Comedy of errors
Pittsburgh should have had three wins and six standings point this week based on how they started the games and the leads that they built up. Instead, they finished 0-0-3 with a bunch of egg on their face.
On Tuesday, they had a one-goal lead over the Anaheim Ducks when they received a power play with 18 seconds left. Despite the offensive zone faceoff they found a way to allow the Ducks to enter the zone and get a puck to the net. Erik Karlsson accidently knocked the puck in with 0.1 seconds left.
The game went to a shootout and you know what that means, the other team won.
Yesterday afternoon the Penguins were putting on a show for the home fans against the San Jose Sharks. Five minutes into the third period they scored which made the game 5-1. They just had to get through 15 minutes of hockey without allowing four goals. It was too much to ask.
The Sharks scored four unanswered goals with the fourth coming with under two minutes left in the game. Bryan Rust hit the post on the empty net in regulation which left the door open for the comeback.
The Sharks weren’t done. They made it five unanswered for good measure when John Klingberg scored three minutes into the overtime period. The unspeakably bad collapse was complete. Another terrible loss and another blown standings point.
You’d think after those two games the Penguins would have had their fill of embarrassing losses. You’d be wrong. They went back up to the buffet for thirds. Today, they got up on the Utah Mammoth by a score of 3-0 and entered the third period with that advantage.
They didn’t want the fans to be under any disillusions. They were indeed going to blow this game as well. This time it started by allowing two goals within 15 seconds of each other. The period was not even a minute and a half old.
By the period was seven minutes old the Mammoth had taken the lead. Four goals in seven minutes. Yet another lead vanished.
Justin Brazeau may have tied the game, but you already know where this is going. The Penguins and Mammoth went to overtime where Utah scored before there was even time for a line change. The hat trick of horribly pathetic losses was complete. It was insulting to the sport of hockey.
Big moment for Coach Muse
Dan Muse needs to earn his money coming out of this week. He needs to figure out how to light a fire under his team’s ass. It is unacceptable how this week has gone regardless of how good or bad a team the Penguins are. This isn’t acceptable hockey for an NHL team nor the teams at your local rink.
There needs to be some kind of response from the coach. Part of this could come in the form of a tongue lashing in the locker room after the game. It can also come through action in how he makes his lineup moving forward. Something he chose not to do in the previous two games.
If the team can continue to suffer comically bad losses with hapless and aging veterans the team can certainly continue to lose games with more kids in the lineup. Enough with Kevin Hayes, Ryan Graves, Noel Acciari, and Connor Clifton. Start giving other people those looks. These kinds of players aren’t the answer now or in the future.
By making this shift it can serve as a refresh for the team and a chance to mentally reset. If you keep running things back after a week like this then it is tough to take leadership seriously.
It has to come from within
The Penguins started the year in a surprisingly fun way by stacking early wins. They’ve blown the good start and the good will of the fans. It is natural and appropriate to be upset with the team right now.
It is also important to keep in mind that there won’t be a lot of help coming from outside sources. Kyle Dubas is not likely to stray from his big picture plans in order to stop the bleeding. Transactions with the sole purpose of saving this year aren’t prudent and are not worth derailing the long term plans Dubas has set in motion.
The team is still closer to selling big pieces off than they are adding short term pieces. Either the current players are going to have to get it together or they will need some AHL guys to step up and make the most of a call up.
It has been discouraging to watch the good will that was built up evaporate, but the front office needs to stay the course.
What lies ahead
The Penguins can sulk and pout about their terrible week or they can come together and try to respond like a team who still gives a damn about their season.
The first opportunity to do so will come Tuesday when the Penguins conclude their homestand against Tristan Jarry’s Edmonton Oilers. This kickstarts a stretch of the season where they will hear two anthems before each of the next five games. The Canadian stretch includes the Edmonton Oilers, Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens, and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Hopefully, this Canadian stretch lights a fire under Sidney Crosby and his fellow teammates follow his lead. If not, it is going to make for a pretty dour Christmas break and one that will have been well earned.
