Lightning serve Penguins a humbling loss: 'They outworked us and outsmarted us'

AtlanticBruinsCanadiensLightningMaple LeafsPanthersRed WingsSabresSenatorsMetropolitanBlue JacketsCapitalsDevilsFlyersHurricanesIslandersPenguinsRangersCentralAvalancheBlackhawksBluesJetsMammothPredatorsStarsWildPacificCanucksDucksFlamesGolden KnightsKingsKrakenOilersSharksScores & ScheduleStandingsPodcastsFantasyNHL OddsNHL PicksPlayoff projectionsNHL Draft rankingRed Light NewsletterNHL Regular The Penguins got thoroughly outplayed against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Nathan Ray Seebeck / Imagn Images Share full article4TAMPA — The Pittsburgh Penguins were playing with house money in Tampa Bay on Thursday. The Penguins sleepwalked through portions of their Eastern Conference showdown against the Lightning and were appropriately dismissed in a 6-3 decision. “It was one of those nights where we just didn’t come to play,” Erik Karlsson said. They didn’t particularly hurt themselves in the standings as Metropolitan Division rivals Columbus, Philadelphia and Washington — the Flyers and Capitals had a real opportunity to gain ground on an unlikely playoff spot — lost in regulation. Still, the Penguins had very little to be pleased about regarding their performance. The Penguins led 2-1 through 20 minutes but were ambushed by three Lightning goals in the second period. And as far as Karlsson is concerned, the Penguins didn’t deserve the lead at the first period’s conclusion. “They outworked us and outsmarted us right from the start,” Karlsson said. “We were up 2-1 in the first, but they were the better team. In the second, I don’t know if we even played the game or if they were just that much better than us.” The game turned 11 seconds into the second period when the puck took a bad bounce over Bryan Rust’s stick and sent Anthony Cirelli on a breakaway. As coach Dan Muse noted, it was a bad bounce, but the Penguins weren’t in a position to prepare for such a bounce, either. “You can still react,” Muse said. “It’s been too much. We have to continue to look at it, address it.” Karlsson, a key power-play performer, gave his two cents on the Penguins’ recent tendency of allowing far too many short-handed looks. “It’s probably different each time,” he said. “I think it’s just certain situations when the puck is in certain spots, we’re just a little bit reckless sometimes.” Brayden Point and Zemgus Girgensons also scored in the second period to make the score 4-2, at which point the game was essentially over. Egor Chinakhov scored twice for the Penguins, and Rickard Rakell added a goal. Stuart Skinner stopped only 27 of 32 shots in the loss. “This is a different time of the year,” Karlsson said of the playoff race. “This was a good eye-opener for us. The really good teams are really starting to shape up. Tampa is one of them.” Victories over the New York Islanders and Detroit Red Wings earlier this week would suggest the Penguins are another one of those teams. Losses against the Lightning, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars and Carolina Hurricanes (three times) in recent weeks might suggest otherwise. The Penguins will have a chance to write the script of their choosing soon enough. • This was perhaps Sidney Crosby’s most ineffective game of the season. The captain simply didn’t look himself. He didn’t have a shot, didn’t have a shot attempt and didn’t have anything all night. I think it’s safe to assume Crosby is operating at less than 100 percent. We know he’s been dealing with two leg injuries in the last six weeks. Moreover, just watch him play. There were two instances in Monday’s game in New York when Crosby, in a battle for net front position, was knocked over. That never, ever happens, because he’s in possession of two of the strongest legs in hockey history. • The top line of Crosby, Rust and Chinakhov struggled most of the evening despite combining for a goal in the first. I don’t like those three together. It doesn’t seem to be clicking. But Tommy Novak showed flashes of coming out of his funk, and were I coaching the Penguins, I’d put Novak, Evgeni Malkin and Chinakhov back together. When that trio was together for about a month earlier this season, it was a spectacular line. Chinakhov was asked about playing with Crosby a couple of nights ago, and he said he naturally enjoyed it but that they were still searching for chemistry. Fair enough. That’s perfectly reasonable. But the thing is, Malkin and Chinakhov already have chemistry and we know it. Sometimes it’s best not to overthink line combinations. I’d reunite those three, I’d have Crosby play between Rust and Rakell, and I’d place Ben Kindel in between Anthony Mantha and Justin Brazeau. • The short-handed goals are becoming an epidemic. Tampa Bay also enjoyed a short-handed two-on-one in the third period, though that didn’t result in goal. The Penguins are allowing breakaways and two-on-ones with great frequency. Why? Lots of reasons. They’re making bad decisions. They aren’t working hard enough. Malkin playing high in the zone is often a problem because of his relative lack of foot speed. The short-handed goal tonight was the result of bad luck more than anything, but Muse noted there were a couple of other shorthanded opportunities for the Lightning that he didn’t like. “Our recognition, it hasn’t been good lately,” he said, “We have to fix that part.” • The Lightning used the stretch pass to ignite their rush all game, and it gave the Penguins considerable problems. We’ve seen this in all three meetings between these two teams this season. It’s unlikely these teams will meet in the playoffs, but if they do, it’s something to keep in mind. • Rust missed Tuesday’s game against Detroit with an injury. Given how he struggled in this game, like Crosby, I have to wonder if he’s 100 percent. It was an uncharacteristically off night for a player who almost never has them. • There was some good news to come from this one: Sam Girard finally looks comfortable with the Penguins. He was good in the final two periods against the Islanders on Monday, he was even better against the Red Wings on Tuesday, and he enjoyed his best game with the Penguins on Thursday. Girard looks like he’s no longer over-thinking. He had two assists in the first period, skated with conviction and was a positive on a night when there weren’t many for the Penguins. His defense partner, Kris Letang, also enjoyed a fairly strong game as he continues to play better. • Chinakhov now has 20 goals on the season, and his goal in the first period was a work of art. He danced his way around veteran Ryan McDonagh and then fired a laser of a backhand shot over Andrei Vasilevskiy’s right shoulder. That wasn’t even a goal scorer’s goal; it was just the kind of goal only the most talented of players produce. • Skinner wasn’t overly sharp in this game. The numbers are what they are and I didn’t like a couple of the goals he allowed. But I can’t emphasize enough that the Penguins were utterly dominated in most of this game and blaming the goaltender would be foolish. They were beaten by a more physically gifted team and even worse, as Karlsson said, were outworked. • The Eastern Conference playoffs are going to be fascinating because of how evenly matched so many of these teams are. In the end, I still think the Lightning deserve to be considered the favorite entering the playoffs. They have the best player in the East in Nikita Kucherov, perhaps the best goalie in the league in Andrei Vasilevskiy and perhaps the best coach in Jon Cooper. Their attention to detail in their breakouts — and in how they defend the Penguins’ breakouts — was so impressive in this game. When you’re that well-schooled, have that much top-tier talent and your goaltender is that good, you deserve to be the favorite. Tampa Bay seems to have a different gear than anyone else in the East. We’ll see how it goes, of course. The playoffs haven’t been kind to the Lightning in recent years, but that’s an impressive team. • Up next for the Penguins is a crucial weekend at PPG Paints Arena. They’ll be hosting the two-time Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Saturday at 5 p.m. and on Sunday at 3 p.m. in a strange scheduling quirk. About half of Florida’s regulars are out with injury, but don’t assume those will be easy victories. The Panthers are as prideful as it gets and have beaten the Bruins and Senators in their most recent games. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Josh Yohe is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. Josh joined The Athletic in 2017 after covering the Penguins for a decade, first for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and then for DKPittsburghSports.com. Follow Josh on Twitter @JoshYohe_PGH