GAME RECAP: Rangers Blank Penguins 1-0
Jonathan Quick shuts down the reshuffled Pittsburgh Penguins on Thanksgiving Eve.
The Pittsburgh Penguins debuted a much different lineup on Thanksgiving Eve against the New York Rangers. With Rickard Rakell and Chad Ruhwedel on the shelf for the foreseeable future and Bryan Rust out of action for the time being, they called upon their depth to take on their Metropolitan Division rival.
Despite the shuffling, the Penguins were able to create plenty of chances against the Rangers but failed to follow up and find the back of the net, getting shut out 1-0. Tristan Jarry made countless big-time saves to keep them within one, but some unfortunate puck luck kept the Penguins scoreless through the full 60 minutes.
Goal Recap
(NYR 1-0) Alexis Lafreniere (8): Mika Zibanejad (9)
Three Stars
3. John Ludvig
Ludvig returned from the gruesome injury he suffered in his NHL debut on October 24th against the Dallas Stars. He finished with 9:21 of ice time, but the Penguins were outshot 5-2 when he was on the ice.
However, the rookie defenseman did show that despite his self-inflicted head injury, he'll continue to play to the physical style that got him into the league. In the third period, Ludvig threw a massive hit on Rangers forward Kappo Kakko behind the Penguins net. The hit woke the restless PPG Paints Arena crowd and was a shot in the arm for the Penguins.
2. Tristan Jarry
Jarry continues to stack impressive performances against the Rangers on home ice. Last night was only the second time he has lost to the blue shirts in Pittsburgh, falling to 7-2-0 in his career, and a 2.00 goals against average and .934 save percentage.
After allowing the Lafreniere goal in on a breakaway five minutes into the game, Jarry stood on his head to keep the Penguins within striking distance.
1. Jonathan Quick
The Penguins aren't the only team getting significant contributions from a player over 35 years old. 37-year-old Jonathan Quick picked up his 60th career shutout, stopping all 32 Penguins shots last night.
After a handful of grade-A chances in the opening minutes, the Penguins failed to pressure Quick for around 35 minutes of game time, failing to follow up on rebounds and generally keeping their shots to the perimeter of the offensive zone. Quick stayed sharp and stood tall through a busy third period, stopping 15 Penguins' shots and sealing the victory.
Final Thoughts
The Penguins power play can't use the "not enough opportunities" excuse after last night. Pittsburgh went 0 for 5 on the man advantage and only managed five shots on goal throughout their several opportunities.
You can argue whether it's the system or the player's fault, but both are becoming an issue. The current system promotes perimeter play, limiting the quality of the opportunities and forcing the Penguins to beat goaltenders from the top of the zone.
However, it's hard to blame a power play system when the players continue to show a lack of urgency. The Penguins have the 25th-ranked power play in the NHL, and yet their top players pass the puck around as if they're entitled to success because of their collective resumes. Something needs to change on that unit because the Penguins won't get where they want to until it turns around.
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