Showing posts with label Evgeni Malkin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Evgeni Malkin. Show all posts

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Penguins rediscovering Evgeni Malkin is bigger than replacing Phil Kessel


By Tim Benz
https://triblive.com/sports/tim-benz-penguins-rediscovering-evgeni-malkin-is-bigger-than-replacing-phil-kessel/
September 13, 2019

 Image result for evgeni malkin 2019
(Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
There were roughly six months of happy talk about how the Steelers would benefit from addition by subtraction.
Subtract Antonio Brown’s shenanigans and Le’Veon Bell’s constant contract uncertainty.
Benefit by getting a more harmonious locker room, fewer distractions and game plans that weren’t hindered by needing to pacify egos.
Nice concept in theory.
What the Steelers are learning, however, is that while subtracting negatives is a good idea, someone needs to supplement the positive contributions of those troubled-but-productive stars.
See where I’m going with this, Penguins fans?
The narrative around the hockey team in Pittsburgh is similar.
The Steelers missed the playoffs last year, and the Penguins got swept in their first-round series against the New York Islanders. But this year will be better because the team will have better chemistry.
Brooding winger Phil Kessel has been traded to the Arizona Coyotes. Evgeni Malkin is breaking out of his depressive funk of a season ago, which allegedly was augmented by having to play on a line with Kessel. So they won’t be fighting with head coach Mike Sullivan. Therefore, Sullivan, by extension, will be able to implement the structure and discipline he needs to get his club playing the right way.
Great idea. Now, how do you restructure the power play and replace Kessel’s 82 points?
Oh. Right. There’s that.
The Penguins opened up training camp Friday at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry, taking the first steps toward answering those questions and putting those grand plans into practice.
The easy answer is that Alex Galchenyuk, part of the Coyotes return for Kessel, gets back to being the player that tallied 30 goals and 56 points in 2015-16. That was nearly identical production to Kessel that season (26 goals, 59 points), his first in Pittsburgh.
It ended with a Stanley Cup title.
The problem is Galchenyuk hasn’t hit 20 goals since then.
“I’m not trying to think about (replacing Kessel),” Galchenyuk said. “I’m just trying to get my game back. Compete. And get ready for Game 1. Keep working (on my game). That’s what training camp is for.”
It is. It’ll also be for figuring out the power play without Kessel’s presence.
“With his shot, the way he could see the ice over there, he played that spot for a long time,” captain Sidney Crosby said. “We are going to need to find some chemistry and some different looks. The good thing is, we have a good chunk of guys who have played together here in the past. It helps it’s not totally new. I am sure there will be different looks. We’ll have to find different identities just like we do five-on-five.”
Galchenyuk could be the fifth guy on that unit. But he’s a left shot as opposed to Kessel. The team could also go with two defensemen and have Justin Schultz man the point and put Kris Letang on the left side where Kessel used to patrol.
What does all this matter, though? Who cares if Galchenyuk, Dominik Kahun and/or Barndon Tanev combine to replace Kessel?
The real question is whether Malkin can replace Malkin.
Can the No. 71 we have seen in Hart Trophy and Conn Smythe seasons return to replace the guy in the same jersey who slugged through a minus-25, 89 penalty minutes and just 21 goals a season ago?
The Athletic recently published a story that chronicled Malkin’s downward emotional trend in 2018-19. Feuding with Sullivan. Not seeing eye-to-eye with Kessel. Missing his family in Russia. Still struggling with the English language after all these years.
OK. Maybe all that’s true. But I feel like we always read these types of stories about Malkin after the fact, following bad years.
Coming off a good year, or even during good stretches in mid-season, we frequently hear about how much of a vocal leader he has become. How mature he is now after being tagged as petulant, too reactionary and sometimes difficult to coach during extended spells of his career.
On Friday, Malkin acknowledged it’s high time for all of that to stop.
“Every day, I need to come here to do all my best,” Malkin said. “On ice. Off ice. Talk to coach more. Be professional. I’m 33 years old. I want to (show) leadership here. We have a great team again. We have a couple, two, three, four chances to win again. (It’s) just, like, not many more years maybe I have to play in the NHL. It’s just — have fun and enjoy it every day.”
Malkin is off to a good start by saying all the right things there. He also said all the right things by suggesting he was working on his power skating, stick handling, defensive-zone work and his faceoffs.
When does Malkin ever say the wrong thing, though? One of his best attributes is his honesty and verbal accountability. He often shows leadership in that regard.
It’s carrying that accountability and leadership to the ice during slumps and down times that have been sources of angst for Penguins coaches and fans.
Addition by subtraction? Subtract last year’s Malkin and add a healthy version of him from the previous three seasons.
That equation matters far more than anything else.
Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at tbenz@tribweb.com or viaTwitter. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.

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Wednesday, June 12, 2019

10 years after 1st Cup, expectations change for Crosby, Malkin


By Tim Benz
https://triblive.com/sports/tim-benz-10-years-after-1st-cup-expectations-change-for-crosby-malkin/
June 12. 2019

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(AP)
Penguins fans have had a lot of fun anniversaries to celebrate lately.
• The 35th anniversary of drafting Mario Lemieux was Sunday.
• The end of this season marked the 30th anniversary of Lemieux’s 199-pointcampaign in 1989.
• Today is the 10th anniversary of the 2009 Stanley Cup championship victory in Detroit.
Fair warning. Your heart may jump at roughly the 8:27 mark of that video. Relax, though. Marc-Andre Fleury still makes the save.
I remember walking down from the press box to ice level that night and having a sense of relief for the franchise.
Because whatever was going to happen over the next 10, or 15, or 20 years of the Crosby-Malkin era, at least it reached its ultimate goal.
And fast, too. It took just three years of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin playing together in Pittsburgh before hoisting a banner. The eventual championship we all assumed when the duo first hit the ice together in October 2006 was quickly fulfilled.
These Penguins wouldn’t have to wait until Detroit’s dynasty was dismantled. Crosby and Malkin wouldn’t be like John Stockton and Karl Malone in Utah — a legendary pair that simply couldn’t get over the top.
The team wouldn’t be the Bills of the ’90s — or the Pirates or the Steelers of the ’90s, for that matter.
They ended a 17-year Stanley Cup drought in Pittsburgh. Whatever happened next, the Crosby-Malkin era was going to be worth it because they were champs.
At least once.
But, I mean, there were going to be more. Right? If the two-headed monster got one Stanley Cup before either player was older than 22, they were going to win at least three or four more together.
At least!
By the time I arrived on Joe Louis Arena’s ice surface that night, that idea was the exact thought in my mind. It took me all of three minutes to go from “What a payoff!” to “How many more can we expect?”
I wasn’t alone. A lot of Penguins fans assumed the same thing. That’s what made the next seven years so frustrating. Crosby and Malkin were surrounded by so many good players for so long, yet they kept losing to lesser teams in the playoffs.
They kept on getting injured. Melting down emotionally. Blowing playoff series leads.
Thankfully, though, there are now more anniversaries to add to that list. Like another one today for the 2016 Cup team, and the one yesterday for the 2017 championship.
Now the era truly has been fulfilled. Without a doubt. Wallow in those memories. Because technically, the Penguins are as far away from a Cup as they have ever been since No. 87 and No. 71 first began skating together. This is the first year in their partnership that the Penguins couldn’t boast at least one playoff victory.
Even when they got bounced in previous first rounds in 2007, 2011, 2012 and 2015, they at least won a game.
Not this year. And a team that the coach and general manager openly wanted to rearrange back in April may return nearly the same in October because of some onerous contracts that are too difficult to move.
Was it unfair to assume that Crosby and Malkin had multiple championships in them after 2009? I don’t think so. With those two phenomenal talents and the vast assembly of young skill surrounding them in that locker room, you could see it.
You could feel it. They’d get at least one more.
It was a more circuitous route to get back there than I expected. But they did it.
Twice.
And with very few of the complementary parts from the ‘09 team still around them. However, it would be unfair to assume a fourth title for the tandem.
Expecting two or three rings out of Malkin and Crosby when they were in their early 20s may have been greedy. Assuming a fourth now that they are both in their early 30s, like many other mainstays on the team, would be stupid.
Let’s avoid assuming, then. That’s different than doubting, mind you. Because I won’t rule out another championship.
The Penguins have six men on their roster for next season over 30. The Bruins have eight between 31 and 42 right now. They might win the Cup against St. Louis Wednesday in their Game 7.
So maybe these Penguins can reboot, retool and squeeze out another parade. Crosby and Malkin are still special. They are still coming off a 100-point season as a team.
But 10 years changes a lot of things. Perspective, for one.
Expectations, for another.
But not appreciation for what they’ve accomplished. That should always stay the same.
Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at tbenz@tribweb.com or viaTwitter. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.
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Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Penguins trading Evgeni Malkin is a very real possibility


By Mark Madden
https://triblive.com/sports/mark-madden-penguins-trading-evgeni-malkin-is-a-very-real-possibility/
April 29, 2019
Evgeni Malkin #71 of the Pittsburgh Penguins handles then puck in front of Scott Mayfield #24 of the New York Islanders in Game Three of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG Paints Arena on April 14, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images)

Last week, GM Jim Rutherford would not commit to keeping Evgeni Malkin in a Penguins uniform for the rest of his NHL career.
It’s not a bluff. It’s not fake news. The Penguins are willing to trade Malkin. That’s for two reasons:
• The Penguins are very unhappy with Malkin’s performance this past season and with his attitude.
Malkin averaged more than a point per game but was a team-worst minus-25 , made a team-high 84 turnovers and had a team-most 89 penalty minutes. He too often dangled pointlessly and frequently made mistakes at both blue lines. Malkin scored just 21 goals, his fewest in a nonlockout year besides 2010-11, when a knee injury ended his season after 43 games (and 15 goals).
Malkin was insubordinate to Coach Mike Sullivan on one documented occasion. He shows zero inclination to fix his errors. Malkin wants to play as he likes.
• The Penguins feel that return gained by trading Malkin could be the cornerstone of a mini-rebuild around Sidney Crosby.
Crosby, 31, got 100 points this past season and is a Hart Trophy (NHL MVP) finalist at 31. He is closer to the top of his game than Malkin and a better bet to remain there longer. Crosby plays 200 feet. Malkin doesn’t. Gathering youth and speed around Crosby might lead to another good run for the Penguins in a few years.
If the Penguins choose instead to stick with the current core for old time’s sake, they could hit a wall like Chicago and Los Angeles after their Stanley Cup seasons. (That may be happening already and may be inevitable.)
So the Penguins are willing to investigate trading Malkin, if not outright shop him around.
But two factors likely will prevent a deal:
• Malkin has a full no-movement clause and shows no inclination to leave Pittsburgh. When he does depart, it likely would be to finish his playing days in his native Russia.
• Return offered for Malkin — coming off a disappointing year and who will be 33 at the start of the 2019-20 campaign — probably will not be enough for the Penguins to make such a major move. It’s not like Malkin’s age and recent subpar play are a secret.
The Penguins must be careful about attempting to trade Malkin. Once the topic is broached with Malkin because of his no-movement clause, the relationship between team and player might fracture. If Malkin declines to be dealt, or the Penguins can’t make the swap they want, what is Malkin’s attitude like? It’s already not great.
The Penguins may well rethink this. Executing a deal like this would not be easy nor popular. (But make no mistake, Crosby sells the tickets. Not Malkin.)
It would be better if Malkin fixed his game and performed better. But the Penguins hardly are convinced that will happen.
If the Penguins adopt more structure, which might be the best bet for improvement if they stick with a lineup that’s slowing down, Malkin surely would balk mightily.
How this plays out seems utterly up in the air. Perhaps Rutherford can finagle what adjustments he desires through other means.
At one time, the Penguins would have hesitated to deal a superstar because of the damage the franchise sustained when Jaromir Jagr was traded to Washington in 2001. But the Penguins do not feel the current situation with Malkin is comparable.
Categories: Sports | Penguins | Mark Madden Columns
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Wednesday, March 13, 2019

Spotlight shines on Evgeni Malkin as Penguins star scores 1,000th point


By Kevin Gorman
https://triblive.com/sports/kevin-gorman-spotlight-shines-on-evgeni-malkin-as-penguins-star-scores-1000th-point/
March 13, 2019

Evgeni Malkin #71 of the Pittsburgh Penguins poses with his 1,000 NHL point puck after the game against the Washington Capitals at PPG Paints Arena on March 12, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images)

Even after his milestone moment, Evgeni Malkin expression was more of relief than reward, more exasperation than celebration.
Scoring the 1,000th point of his NHL career had become more burdensome than anything for the Pittsburgh Penguins center, who prefers to play in the shadows instead of the spotlight but was a shining star in the 5-3 victory over the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night.
“I feel overwhelmed, like, ‘Finally,’ ” Malkin said. “These last couple weeks, I was a little bit nervous. Finally, over 1,000 and I can breathe normally.”
Although it wasn’t pretty, there was something poetic about the way Malkin made history. He entered the game Tuesday night with 998 points, so Malkin and the Penguins were trying to get two points against their first-place Metropolitan Division nemesis.
The importance of the opponent should be underscored. For all of his magical play, Malkin has been something of a mystery to the hockey world, his career overshadowed by two superstar contemporaries. One is his teammate, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, the other his countryman and counterpart, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin.
“He doesn’t get the credit that he deserves outside of Pittsburgh in the hockey world,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “He has been one of the elite players in this league for a decade-plus, and he deserves more attention for that. His body of work speaks for itself, with what he’s accomplished.”
Even though Malkin has won three Stanley Cup championships and a treasure trove of trophies — from Conn Smythe to Hart to Art Ross (twice) to Calder to the Ted Lindsay Award — it’s an insult he wasn’t named one the NHL’s top 100 players of all time.
“That top-100 player thing, that was pretty outrageous, in my opinion, that he wasn’t part of that,” said Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik, who spent his first 11 NHL seasons with the Penguins. “He’ll say he doesn’t care. I’m sure he cares a little bit about that kind of stuff. I know the guys who’ve always played him appreciate what he does.”
Ovechkin has reigned as Russia’s greatest star, so it only made sense that his closing in on 1,200 points coincided with Malkin going for his 1,000th. This time, Malkin overshadowed Ovechkin while joining him, Sergei Fedorov (1,179), Alexander Mogilny (1,032) and Alexei Kovalev (1,029) as the fifth Russian to crack the NHL 1,000-point mark.
Never mind both points came on secondary assists. More important is both came on the power play, which Sullivan had tried to jolt by moving Malkin and Phil Kessel to the second unit Sunday against Boston and to start the game against Washington.
The first assist helped set up the tying goal, as Malkin passed from the high slot to the goal line, where Kessel fed Crosby in the right circle to give the Penguins a 3-2 lead at 14:25 of the second period.
Malkin scored his 1,000th point on what proved to be the winner, passing from the right circle to defenseman Justin Schultz for a slap shot from center point that Kessel poked in on the rebound at 11:56 of the third. When the goal horn sounded, the PPG Paints Arena crowd responded with a roaring ovation. Malkin got a group hug from his teammates.
“I don’t know if he thought I might have touched that,” Crosby said. “I’m just glad that I didn’t, and he got that. It’s a special moment. You don’t see that happen very often. To be teammates this long and to be on the ice when he got it was just really special.”
What was really special is Crosby has factored into 303 points with Malkin, the most of any teammate, and Kessel ranks second with 151 points. They are the Penguins with whom Malkin forever will be associated, especially Kessel as a linemate. They have shared struggles this season, so it was fitting they got to share this memory.
“He wants that,” Malkin said. “We talked before and he said, ‘I hope I score your 1,000th point.’ He’s unbelievable. It’s special for him, too. We’ve played a long time together. It’s not an easy year for him, too. We try to play better every game. I’m glad he scored and gave me a chance to get 1,000 points.
“It’s a huge goal for him and huge point for me.”
This is the biggest point for Malkin: Reaching the milestone should allow him to stop pressing and start playing the way he can, with highlight-reel plays that make opponents marvel at his talent and a touch envious of his effortless approach to making it appear so easy.
“Now I hope I breathe normally, am able to relax and play a little bit better,” said Malkin, who has 21 goals and 70 points this season. “It’s been a tough year for me, but every game the team plays better and I feel like my game gets back. I feel so much better every night. My confidence is back.”
So is his scoring touch. His two points led the Penguins to two points on a night when Malkin escaped the shadows and shined in the spotlight, when he wasn’t the biggest-name superstar but was deserving of the first star. Crosby had a two-goal game, Ovechkin scored his 1,200th point.
But this night belonged to Malkin.
Kevin Gorman is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Kevin by email atkgorman@tribweb.com or via Twitter .
Categories: Sports | Kevin Gorman Columns | Penguins
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Thursday, April 26, 2018

Evgeni Malkin’s injury opens the door for a Capitals’ breakthrough


Malkin being hurt dulls the Penguins’ sharpest edge.


April 26, 2018

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Evgeni Malkin is not playing for the Penguins in Game 1 of their second-round series against theCapitals on Wednesday. Neither will speedy winger and penalty-killer Carl Hagelin. But Malkin’s injury is the most significant development for both Pittsburgh and Washington.
The Penguins don’t get specific about injuries during the playoffs. Malkin traveled with the team to Washington, as he did to Philadelphia for Game 6 in the first round, when he also didn’t play. It’s widely believed he got hurt going to the ice on this play in Game 5:
Whatever ails Malkin is serious, because he’d be playing if it weren’t. The Penguins have played a league-high 163 playoff games since Malkin’s rookie season in 2007. Malkin has suited up for 154 of them, and seven of the nine he missed were when he was out for the season with a grisly knee injury in 2011.
Malkin has played 3,061 playoff minutes since 2007, more than anyone but teammate Sidney Crosby and the Blackhawks’ Duncan Keith. Lots of guys get nicked up in playoff runs, but Malkin has played through just about everything.
Maybe he returns by Game 2. Maybe he doesn’t. But any amount of time Malkin misses makes the Penguins a lot weaker and improves the Capitals’ chances of getting past the team that’s beaten them in this round of the playoffs time and time again.

Losing Malkin is significant, obviously. He’s a great player.

He’s one of the five best forwards in the world by whatever measure you prefer. He has been for more than a decade. He’s a playoff horse, too. Among players to appear in at least 40 playoff games since Malkin’s rookie year in ‘07, only Crosby has scored more points per game than Malkin’s 1.05. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy for the Penguins’ 2009 Stanley Cup run and had a case in each of the last two seasons.

The Penguins have great center depth, but replacing Malkin reverberates around their lineup and makes a bunch of players worse.

The Penguins’ third-line center is Derick Brassard, a trade deadline pickup for Columbus who’d be the second-line anchor for most teams. Their fourth-line center is Riley Sheahan, a trade pickup from Detroit who’s more like a typical third-liner. When Crosby and Malkin are atop the depth chart, the Penguins have a trump-card advantage down the middle. When one of them’s injured, they go from great to good.
The biggest trouble is the Penguins lose a huge matchup advantage. Malkin is better than every center in the world not named Crosby or Connor McDavid. Most teams’ second-best defensive pairings and second-best checking lines aren’t equipped to handle him, but they have to because Crosby’s on a separate line. (Teams might choose to use their best defenders against Malkin and chance it with Crosby. Whatever works for them.)
But when Malkin leaves, the Penguins’ biggest advantage starts to dissipate. Crosby can still dominate, and he did even after Malkin got hurt during Game 5 against the Flyers. Possession stats like shot attempts and scoring chances still show brilliance from Crosby and linemates Jake Guentzel and Patric Hornqvist. Those players are so good anyway, and they were already going to face the best defense.
But Brassard and Sheahan have it a lot harder when Malkin’s out. The fourth line also needs a new center. That’s Carter Rowney, who watched the Flyers take about 75 percent of the shot attempts during his first game back in the lineup against the Flyers in Game 6.

The Capitals already matched up fine against the Penguins everywhere except center. And without Malkin, they’re in better shape.

Evgeny Kuznetzov and Nicklas Backstrom are both stars. Neither is Crosby or Malkin, but both are better than any centers the Penguins have after their big two.
The Capitals still have the scoring wingers to hang with anyone, mainly because Alex Ovechkin is so good that he lifts up an entire group. Washington’s defensive corps has been iffy at points this season, but it was rock-solid in a four-game winning streak to close out the Blue Jackets in the first round. (The Penguins were mortifyingly inconsistent on D against Philly, helping Matt Murray to two shutouts but letting up 15 goals in the other four games.) In goal, Murray and Braden Holtby have both been up and down, though each can be great.

This series should be really close. Malkin’s injury just might tip it.

It wouldn’t feel Hollywood for the Capitals to finally get over their Penguins hump only when Malkin was on the shelf or limited. But that’s not the Capitals’ problem.
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Thursday, April 12, 2018

'You can call it a statement': Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin show why Penguins are chasing history


By Kevin Allen
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/columnist/allen/2018/04/11/sidney-crosby-evgeni-malkin-pittsburgh-penguins-game-1/509472002/
April 11, 2018

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Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby celebrate Crosby's second goal of the game. (Photo: Charles LeClaire, USA TODAY Sports)

 PITTSBURGH — On a night when you can’t decide whether Sidney Crosby’s goal or Evgeni Malkin’s tally was more spectacular, you aren’t going to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins.

 On a night when Crosby records his third career playoff hat trick you aren’t going to beat the Pens.

 The Penguins put on a magic show Wednesday to down the Philadelphia Flyers 7-0 in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal. While it’s too early to draw any conclusions about how this series will play out, the dynamic performance is a reminder that the Penguins, despite several roster changes, still boast the offensive might and defensive commitment necessary to win a third consecutive Stanley Cup.

 “You can call it a statement,” said Penguins center Derick Brassard, who joined the team at the trade deadline. “I’ve seen this from the other side. There are a lot of guys who are trying to be first on the puck, using their speed and they are hard to handle.”

 Crosby and Malkin were near-impossible to handle in this game. They remain the top two reasons why the Penguins have a shot at a three-peat.

 In the first period, Malkin, fresh from serving a two-minute penalty, roared down the ice and beat Philadelphia goalie Brian Elliott cleanly with a precision backhander to make it a 3-0 game. It was a magnificent dash and memorable shot.

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Evgeni Malkin scores in the first period. (Gene J. Puskar/AP)

 In the second period, Crosby scored his first goal by backhanding the puck into the net with a baseball-like swing.

 “They are two highlight-type goals by elite players,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. “There aren’t too many guys who can make those plays.”

 Malkin looked more dazzling in the second period when he stickhandled through multiple defenders to fire a shot off the post.

 The level of play displayed by Crosby and Malkin, particularly because it came in Game 1, makes one wonder whether they see themselves on a special mission to dramatically lead the charge to a third title.

 Crosby knows the history of the game, maybe he is trying to do what Mark Messier did in 1990 when he made it his personal mission to lead the Edmonton Oilers, then without Wayne Gretzky, to their fifth Stanley Cup title in seven seasons

 “Sometimes we marvel at what (Crosby and Malkin) do out there,” Sullivan said.

 “Their talent level. Their instincts. Those two goals are an indication of how talented they are. As coaches, sometimes you take it for granted because we’ve seen it a number of times over the course of a few seasons. Every once in a while they come up with the highlight reel goals. They are exciting to watch and they are certainly inspirational type goals for our team. That’s what these guys bring.”

 Crosby registered four shots, was plus-5 in this game and won 57% of his faceoffs.

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Sidney Crosby redirects a shot past goalie Brian Elliott in the second period. (Gene J. Puskar/AP)

 The Flyers weren’t at their best, and they will undoubtedly play better in Game 2. But this game was more about how well the Penguins played than how poorly the Flyers performed.  

 Elliott, Philadelphia's starter, was pulled after giving up five goals, but coach Dave Hakstol said after the game that his “first instinct” is to say that Elliott will be in the net for Game 2.

 It’s not as if this Pittsburgh offensive display is a surprise. The Penguins posted a 27-11-3 record in the second half of the season, and scored three or more goals in 33 of those 41 games. They scored five or more in 17 games.

 The Penguins beat Philadelphia four times in the regular season and scored five goals a game in all four victories.

 On a night when 12 different Penguins recorded points, the secondary story was that they limited the Flyers’ scoring opportunities. Team defensive play is supposed to be the Penguins’ weakness, but they only gave up 24 shots on goal.

 “I think it was a commitment to defend the right way,” Sullivan said.

 Sullivan said there’s risk that goes with the Penguins’ creative playmaking skills. “We don’t discourage our guys from playmaking because we think it’s the identity of the group,” Sullivan said.

 Sullivan said what he liked about his team’s defensive performance was when the Penguins turned over the puck “there was urgency and effort from the puck to track and recover.”

 Hakstol said his team’s undoing was the inconsistency of their efficiency.

 “You can’t play in spurts against this hockey team at this time of year,” Hakstol said.

 The Penguins have 33 playoff wins over the last 24 months to prove the validity of that statement.


 More: How Penguins can become first team in 35 years to three-peat 
More: Ryan Shazier fires up Pittsburgh crowd at Penguins' playoff opener
More: Stanley Cup predictions
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