After a dramatic 4-3 shootout win against the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday, the Pittsburgh Penguins hoped to carry some of that momentum into their final game before the holiday break on Tuesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
But, despite some sustained pressure and pockets of good play, the Penguins just couldn't get the result they wanted.
The Leafs defeated the Penguins, 6-3, in a game that was much tighter than the score indicates. Toronto scored two empty-net goals at the end, which followed a highlight-reel goal by Max Domi that put the Leafs up for good in the game, despite the Penguins pressing pretty hard for most of the game.
William Nylander started the scoring nearing the midway point of the first period when a Kevin Hayes turnover at the offensive blue line turned into a breakaway opportunity that Nylander buried on the backhand. The Penguins didn't hang their heads, though, as they responded less than a minute later with a Bryan Rust breakaway goal.
Sidney Crosby was the one who sprung Rust for the breakaway, and his assist on the tally gave him sole possession of eighth place on the NHL's all-time assists leaderboard. The Penguins had some momentum, and they were pressing pretty hard.
However, few minutes later, Matias Maccelli fired a puck in the direction of Penguins' goaltender Stuart Skinner from around the left wall, and - in an attempt to stymie the shot - Penguins' defenseman Parker Wotherspoon got his stick on it. But, unfortunately, he essentially ended up redirecting it into the net, and the Leafs went back on top, 2-1.
Again, the Penguins were playing pretty well for most of the second period, even if Toronto had picked up the pace a bit. But another mistake came back to haunt them. While cycling in the offensive zone, Erik Karlsson got the puck at the point, and he tried to go around Leafs fourth-line forward Steven Lorentz. Lorentz pickpocketed Karlsson - who blew a tire afterwards - and he was off to the races.
Skinner made the initial save on the breakaway shot, but Lorentz buried the second-chance opportunity to put the Leafs up, 3-1. But, once again, the Penguins responded well, and - in particular - their third line of Rutger McGroarty, Ben Kindel, and Ville Koivunen started to generate some chances.
McGroarty - who looked dangerous for most of the game - happened upon a puck that trickled out to him in the high-slot area, and he sniped a top-shelf rocket past Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll for his second of the season to make it 3-2.
And the Penguins continued their momentum into the third period. Anthony Mantha struck exactly one minute into the third to tie the game, and Pittsburgh controlled most of the play. However, the Leafs pushed a bit midway through the third, and Domi - who had not registered a goal in 20 games and was coming off a healthy scratch - scored a highlight-reel goal when he split the Penguins' defense in the attacking zone and scored his fourth of the season to hand the Leafs a lead they would hold for the rest of the game.
Skinner stopped 25 of 29 Toronto shots, and he has an .831 save percentage in three starts with the Penguins so far.
Pittsburgh dropped to 15-12-9 on the season, and they are now both three points out of a wild card spot and three points out of the basement of the Eastern Conference. They next play Dec. 28 against the Chicago Blackhawks following the holiday break.
Here are a few takeaways and notes from this one:
- The Penguins played well enough to win in this one in terms of possession, scoring chances, and controlling play in a general sense.
But they certainly cannot make the kinds of mistakes they were making and expect to win.
These kinds of mistakes were, simply, not being committed by the Penguins early in the season. They happened at times, but not multiple times per game, and not the glaring mistakes that come back to bite them almost every time.
There were a lot of positives to take from this game, but the Penguins are simply making way too many reckless mistakes right now.
- This was not a good game from Karlsson at all. Not for Wotherspoon, either.
They have been on the ice for a lot more goals against recently - and the first three even-strength goals in this game. There have been a lot more defensive zone lapses and an abundance of bad turnovers. They're not nearly on the level they were earlier on as a pairing, and it's affecting the entire landscape of the Penguins' defensive corps.
It has often been said in a lot of different spaces that the Penguins go as Kris Letang - and now Karlsson - goes. And, right now, we're seeing a lot more of the Karlsson of old. And it doesn't help that Wotherspoon's game - although still quite steady - has declined in the last couple of weeks.
- It was nice to see McGroarty break through in this one. I thought he was one of the best players for the Penguins in this game, if not the best.
Prior to scoring his goal, he had helped generate several chances on the third line with Ben Kindel and Ville Koivunen. He had even passed up a couple of good shooting looks, too.
McGroarty has easily been one of the better Penguins' players over the last several games. It feels like a breakthrough of sorts is on the horizon. The third line has been doing a pretty decent job generating chances, but the finishing has to come at some point.
If McGroarty keeps playing like this, the production should follow - and it may even earn him a lineup promotion at some point.
- Goaltending has sure been letting the Penguins down as of late, and it does help explain why their month-plus stretch has gone the way it has.
Skinner's goals-against average since becoming a Penguin is not something that can keep up. Arturs Silovs has an .815 save percentage over his last six appearances. Sure, the Penguins have been playing much worse defensively as of late, but they're not getting the goaltending to help bail them out, either.
Both things were better for the Penguins earlier on. If they expect to stay within reach of a playoff spot, both need to improve organically. And - if the Penguins are still serious about trying to win this season because of their advantageous start - they'll be keeping a keen eye on the tandem that is dominating the AHL in Sergei Murashov and Joel Blomqvist.
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