There was one dumped-in puck in the Columbus corner.
There was one defenseman from the Blue Jackets backpedaling to pursue it.
And there was ... not one but two forwards from the Penguins flying into this scene like frothing dogs:
Looks like a blast, huh?
Well, it also looked, at least to me, like a mistake. See, admirable as it was that both Nick Bjugstad and Dominik Simon appeared to risk life and limb -- more that of poor Adam McQuaid than their own -- it also wasn't exactly how Mike Sullivan's system should be applied. Some NHL teams do send two forecheckers like that. Sullivan sends one, then puts the other into a support position, to pick off other options.
So, uh ...
"I know, I know," Bjugstad would somewhat bashfully explain when I brought this up late Thursday night at PPG Paints Arena, after the Penguins had yet again beaten down the Blue Jackets, this time by a 3-0 count. "There are still some things I'm learning, and that's one thing that goes back to ..."
That's how it worked with Florida?
"Right. We'd send two forecheckers a lot of the time. I'm getting better at it, but ..."
But?
"But man, this game. This is one of those playoff-type games that gets you going, you know?"
Yeah, we saw. Participants on both sides were bruised, even bloodied, before ultimately the wannabe rival from across I-70, which comically tries to construct its roster primarily on an anti-Pittsburgh principle, lost an eighth consecutive meeting. And because of that, the Penguins skipped up into third place in the Metro with 81 points, and the Blue Jackets stayed stuck out of the Eastern playoff picture with 77.
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