Game 82 in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ season carried no weight, had no real importance. After all, the Penguins locked down the second spot in the Metropolitan Division a few games ago, their biggest game being what may have been the final matchup in the Sidney Crosby/Alex Ovechkin rivalry.
Staring down a date with their long-time rivals from Philadelphia, the Penguins had one final stop to make – a road game against the St. Louis Blues. It was a wild affair that saw the Blues storm back with five straight goals to beat the Penguins 7-5.
This Was Pond Hockey at its Finest
It is hard not to look at the score when talking about this game. Combining for 12 goals will stand out on any night, and this game featured a ton of offensive action throughout. Tons of offense in transition and neither goaltender stood a chance.
Team defense was seriously lacking for both sides. Both goalies clearly tried their best, but the rushes and rebounds were more than they could handle. The team may have their eye to the future in net, but they have a pair of options right now that are struggling.
When Stuart Skinner got pulled, Arturs Silovs came in and was given the same kind of defensive treatment. The Penguins were outshot 31-23 on the night, many of them of the high-danger variety.
Attack of the Youth
On the bright side, the Penguins got a huge night out of their youthful contingent offensively. Rutger McGroarty had an impressive off-the-faceoff snipe to kick the scoring off 10 minutes into the first period and things only opened up from there.
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Avery Hayes scored a pair, including one late to cut the Blues lead to one and Elmer Soderblom even got in on the action. These guys likely won’t see big minutes in the playoffs so it was nice for them to finish out the regular season on a strong note.
The Goaltending Question
Comments about defense aside, this was far from the best effort out of the goaltenders. It is perhaps the most glaring weakness the Penguins have going into the playoffs, something that could quickly undo them against a plucky Flyers team.
Skinner gave up four goals on 21 shots, albeit more than a few that left him with little chance. Silovs wasn’t much better, allowing a pair of goals on nine shots. The Blues gained momentum in the second period and never lost it, thanks in part to the inability of the goaltenders to make a big stop.
It will be interesting to see who Dan Muse goes with as his Game 1 starter. Both are capable of turning in stellar performances and both are capable of turning in a complete dud. Team defense will have to be better against the Flyers and things tend to condense a bit in the playoffs as it is. Hopefully, that will be enough for the goaltending to get on track.
An Exciting First-Round Matchup
While giving up seven goals to a non-playoff team is hardly ideal, it isn’t that big of a deal. All the focus is on the playoff matchup with the Flyers, the latest in a long line of battles between the two intrastate franchises.
The atmosphere in Pittsburgh will be electric for Game 1, and it will be interesting to see if the familiar bad blood comes to the surface. We know Crosby doesn’t historically like the Flyers, so we will see if that dislike comes back to the surface.
