COLUMBUS, Ohio -- It's hard to score your way to championships, Mike Sullivan was saying the other day.
The implication, of course, was that some semblance of defense is what is needed. It requires an attention to detail, a mindset, a conscience, he said.
Naturally, the Penguins did not adhere to much of what Sullivan said Thursday night in an all-important game against the Blue Jackets.
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TAP ABOVE FOR BOXSCORE, STANDINGS, VIDEO[/caption]
They turned the puck over and gave up odd-man breaks. Their goaltender allowed at least one goal that he'd like back. If we're being honest, they were bad defensively, trading chance for chance.
And you know what? They still won. They won because, for them, scoring wins games. Period.
It certainly did Thursday in a thrilling 5-4 win in overtime over the Blue Jackets that went a long way toward keeping them home in the first round of the playoffs. That not-so-small detail is still to be decided tomorrow night against the Senators at PPG Paints Arena.
With 98 points, the Penguins remain in second place, a point ahead of the Devils and Blue Jackets, who are tied for third. With a point vs. the Senators, they can clinch second place and will open up next week at home. A loss to the lowly Senators and a number of things could still happen, none of them good. To maintain home ice, the Penguins would then need help from the Blue Jackets and Devils. Columbus closes its season out Saturday in Nashville while the Devils finish Saturday against the Capitals in Washington.
But Thursday's win does mean that they won't be the second wild card.
They beat the Blue Jackets at raucous Nationwide Arena on Thursday by countering every Columbus goal with one of their own, never taking the lead until Phil Kessel lasered a 27-foot wrist shot past Sergei Bobrovsky at 1:06 of overtime to complete a season sweep of the Blue Jackets.
"You have to give that team credit," Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. "They score goals. They know how to win."
No argument here. Consecutive Stanley Cups are proof of that. But can they win a third one like this?
We're about to find out, because this is who the Penguins are, defensive warts and all. And, barring something unforeseen like an epiphany, this is who they will be when the postseason begins, quite possibly against these same Blue Jackets, next week.
Despite the defensive lapses and the run-and-gun nature of Thursday's game, Sullivan was quite pleased with his team's effort.
"I thought for the most part we played a pretty solid hockey game," he said. "They’re a good team and they’re going to get chances too. We’ve talked a lot about defending lately, about our play away from the puck, about making sure we make a commitment to team defense. I thought we were harder to play against tonight."
When you can outscore your opponent and overcome almost any deficit, as the Penguins can, they are hard to play against. You're never out of games either, as Sidney Crosby told me:
And if a Penguins-Blue Jackets rematch does materialize? Well, if Thursday night was an indication, better check your blood pressure. We're all going to be in for a bumpy ride. But that, Matt Murray says, is fine by him. He's kind of gotten used to it.
"Comfortable enough but never too comfortable, that’s right where you want to be all the time," the goalie said. "We’re confident in any situation, but never too comfortable, where you’re sitting back. We’re a confident group."
1. Kessel provided the heavy artillery.
As you’ve probably heard, even if you're watching on TV, they have a cannon at Nationwide Arena that they fire after every Blue Jackets goal. Kind of loud.
But that’s nothing compared to Kessel and the howitzer that he possesses. This is nothing new, of course, but it never ceases to amaze how he uses his sneaky wrist shot to completely embarrass goalies, even Vezina winners like Bobrovsky.
Kessel scored two goals on Bob and both were vintage Phil goals. This was No. 32, a power play marker at 10:32 of the first period:
And this was the OT winner:
Note the torque in the stick in each and the way the puck just explodes off the stick.
As Sullivan explained on the OT winner:
“There aren’t too many guys that are going to score that goal. The puck comes off his stick differently. It just does. He has such a deceptive release. He’s so accurate. The velocity on it. It was as hard a wrist shot as I’ve ever seen. And when he shoots the puck like that, he’s dangerous.”
What made Thursday’s display all the more remarkable is that Kessel is playing through some sort of injury, as Sullivan even acknowledged.
Even after taking the worse of a hard collision with Conor Sheary in the second period, Kessel — whose consecutive games played streak was in jeopardy last week — persevered.
“He’s a guy that he just keeps playing. He keeps playing,” Sullivan said, repeating himself for emphasis. “I’ve had a number of discussions with him over the past couple of weeks. He wants to play. He feels strong enough to get in there and help us win. I think it’s a testament to his mental toughness, his passion to win. His willingness to endure the bumps and bruises that it takes to be a success in this league.”
Or as Phil put it:
“It’s that time of year,” Kessel explained. “Just keep plugging away.”
2. Yep, Hornqvist is in playoff mode.
There are some players who might sign a lucrative contract extension that will pay them $5.3 million for the next five years and become a little complacent.
Patric Hornqvist is not one of them.
Complacent just doesn't exist in the Swede's vocabulary. Neither does quit or, for that matter, calm. The Penguins forward always plays like a man possessed, even more so when the stakes are raised.
On Thursday he had a goal and assist. It was the fourth straight game that he’s scored a goal and he now has 10 in his last 13 games. Is this the best that Hornqvist has played in a Penguins uniform?
I asked Sullivan about that:
Talk about wearing your emotions on your sleeve? When Hornqvist thought the refs blew a whistle a little too soon, negating a potential scoring chance, he kicked the puck.
His goal at 15:35 of the first period was his 28th of the season, leaving him two short of matching the career high he set with Nashville in 2009-10, his first full NHL season.
With the run he’s been on, it can’t be ruled out that he’ll pot two Friday against the Senators.
3. Conor Sheary’s goal was a ‘metaphor’ for the game.
That’s how Murray put it: “Looks like he’s out of it and he still bangs it in.”
Kessel was the hero, clearly, but don’t underestimate Sheary’s role in even getting the game into overtime.
After Cam Atkinson gave the Jackets a 4-3 lead at 8:25 of the third period it seemed that perhaps victory wasn’t in the cards for the visitors. Sheary had other ideas.
With Zach Werenski draped on his back, the diminutive Sheary raced down the right side getting a weak backhander off that Bobrosvky was able to stop, but couldn’t control the rebound. From the right side of the net and down on the ice, Sheary was able to manage a shot that he somehow banked in off the Columbus goalie at 12:16.
“It just sat there,” he said. “I can’t say I tried to bank it off him. I was just trying to get the puck to the net and it worked out for me.”
Indeed, it did. Kind of looked like one of those Crosby goals.
“From watching his highlights,” Sheary said with a smile. “Might need to learn that. He’s scored plenty of goals there.”
Sheary’s turnaround in recent weeks has been stunning. The goal was his 18th of the season and third in four games.
Now if only Jake Guentzel would start scoring again.
4. Murray’s got to be better.
Yes, there were chances galore and he did stop 26 shots, but Werenski’s goal just 5:11 into the first period is one that simply can’t go in. How this backhander somehow got between Murray’s left skate and the near post is just a really bad goal:
Again, it’s nice that his teammates can overcome some deficits, and that Murray settled down after that, but they’re not going to win many games if they give up four goals.
For a fan base that is already panicky about Murray post-concussion, Thursday’s performance isn’t going to alleviate many fears.
5. The Blue Jackets are in.
By picking up a losers point, the Jackets clinched a playoff berth, marking the first time in franchise history that they’ve qualified in consecutive seasons.
That is no small accomplishment for the young Blue Jackets, according to John Tortorella.
“It sucks losing, especially to Pittsburgh,” Torts said. “But this is bigger. This is about getting into the playoffs. We’ve got the youngest team in the league, and I’m happy these guys get to experience that.”
Though there are still a number of scenarios that can play out, the Penguins and Blue Jackets could still meet again. And what a series that would be. Pittsburgh swept the season series, with three of the four games going beyond regulation. The margin between the two teams is razor thin. They entered the 80th game of the season with the same number of points, wins and losses and Thursday’s game wasn’t decided until the 3-on-3 overtime, where the Penguins have dominated this season.
That explains why, despite never leading until Kessel’s heroics, the Penguins were quite content to get out of Columbus with a crucial two points
“They have some skilled forwards and skilled defensemen that can make plays, similar to us,” Sheary told me. “You just got to be a little more aware. Obviously, we’ll tighten a few things up. We don’t want to be giving up four a night, but I thought overall it was a really good effort from us.”
MATT SUNDAY GALLERY
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Penguins at Blue Jackets, Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio, April 5, 2018. - MATT SUNDAY / DKPS[/caption]
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