The Pittsburgh Penguins (23-27-9) are on pace to have one of their worst finishes in the Sidney Crosby era, losing again to a Metropolitan Division rival, the New York Rangers, 5-3 on Sunday afternoon.
After getting blown out (8-3) by the Washington Capitals on Saturday, it seemed the team had turned the page, dominating long stretches of the contest against New York, only to give up some costly goals in the third and drop to 4-11-4 against their divisional opponents.
Making Every Shot Count
New York was outshot 19-4 in the second period but somehow managed to escape to the dressing room with a 2-1 lead. Pittsburgh countered in the third with two goals to regain a one-goal lead, but once again, goaltending let the team down as rookie Joel Blomqvist could only carry his team for so long.
Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn ImagesWithout much action, the 23-year-old had a rough final 40 minutes, giving up three goals on 11 shots as the Rangers capitalized on their limited opportunities in the final two periods, including one into an empty net. They departed the Steel City with a 5-3 win despite being outshot 39-16, including 27-11 in 40 minutes.
Overall, the Penguins lacked the killer instinct on Sunday afternoon, an occurrence that has happened too often this season. There are 22 games left for them to compete for a wildcard spot. However, they must find ways to maintain leads and stop opponents from capitalizing on limited opportunities to get wins.
Penguins Didn't Have the Same Level of Desperation
Any fan could look at the scoreboard and say the Penguins threw everything but the kitchen sink at Igor Shesterkin, and they only lost because a former Vezina Trophy winner stood on his head. Although that is one way to look at it, that’s not the whole story.
Yes, Shesterkin did everything he could to stop pucks, including several key moments on the penalty kill. However, he was run out of the building in Buffalo on Saturday, giving up five first-period goals. Unfortunately, Shesterkin had an excellent bounce-back performance against Pittsburgh, but it seemed like the Penguins didn’t get into his face or make him work hard for 36 saves.
Considering New York, the reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners, are on the verge of missing the playoffs, they just waited for their opportunities and made their shots count. Whether it’s desperation or not, the Rangers just did everything they could as a team to preserve the win and get a valuable two points.
Meanwhile, the Penguins have looked good and then lost in the last six periods of hockey. With the NHL trade deadline only two and a half weeks away, they can’t decide whether they are in it to win it or ready to wave the white flag.
How Bad Do You Want It?
As mentioned, Pittsburgh has had a disastrous season against the Metro Division. It won't get any easier, as they open a home-and-home set with the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday and Thursday.
After that, they host the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs before a three-game trip through the Central Division against three elite teams.
Even though the Flyers and Bruins are not Stanley Cup contenders, their four opponents after are all top-12 teams in the league, which means their inability to win games earlier in the season has turned into must-win ones in late February.
Since returning from the break, the Penguins have looked like a playoff team but imploded like a house of cards within minutes. Ultimately, outside of Crosby's passion for the game, this season's team lacks identity, and that was on full display on Sunday afternoon in one of the most gut-wrenching losses of the year.
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