The Pittsburgh Penguins were 10-0-2 in their last 12 games against the Columbus Blue Jackets. However, the home team scored a flurry of goals in the third period on Friday night at Nationwide Arena, sending the Penguins packing with a 6-2 loss.
Let’s discuss a few noticeable things that handed the Penguins their tenth loss of the season just 24 hours before hosting the San Jose Sharks at PPG Paints Arena on Saturday.
Goaltending Continues to be Penguins’ Achilles Heel
The Penguins continue to lead the NHL in goal against, and just when the Montreal Canadiens get close to catching them, Pittsburgh’s netminders say, “Hold my soda pop.” In the past six games, Joel Blomqvist, Alex Nedeljkovic, and Tristan Jarry have surrendered 27 goals, which equals 4.50 GAA.
During this stretch, the trio only gave up two or three goals on one occasion, routinely getting beat for four or more goals every game. Through 19 games, the Penguins have surrendered at least five goals on six occasions, accounting for 31% of their season.
Jarry got the start on Friday night after a brilliant conditioning stint in the AHL, but unfortunately, he picked up where he left off and has seen his GAA balloon to 5.36 and his SV% dip down to .847%. Jarry’s GAA ranks second to last in the NHL before Mads Sogaard (Ottawa), who played one game and has a 6.96 GAA.
Four Shots in the Third Period Ain’t Gonna Win Hockey Games
Coming into the game after a tough overtime loss on Wednesday, Pittsburgh outshot the Blue Jackets in the opening period 9-6, then trailed by one 20-19 after 40 minutes. They rallied from an early 2-0 deficit to head into the final period down by one.
Then, the Penguins disappeared.
Not only did Columbus net three more goals to blow open the game, they dominated the period with a 19-4 shot advantage. Unusually, the Penguins gave up in the final 20 minutes, letting a once inferior opponent take the game to them, and they had no answers, especially in the net.
Related: Sidney Crosby Career Goal Tracker: How Close Is The Penguins Captain To 600 Goals
Considering the veterans on the bench and the coaching staff, registering four shots in a close game that quickly slipped away is inexcusable.
No Run Support
On Friday, the Penguins fell behind 2-0 for the sixth time this season, with only one come-from-behind victory against the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 16. However, they maintain a 1-4-1 record in those situations.
Meanwhile, when jumping out to a 2-0 lead, their record hasn’t salvaged their campaign, as it stands at just 3-3-0, with those three wins accounting for half of their season total.
Related: 5 Possible Replacements For Penguins’ Mike Sullivan
Unlike the Calgary Flames, who seemingly play one-goal games every night, Pittsburgh has only played in three one-goal contests this season and lost all three. Instead, the Penguins are winning games by a 2.00 goal margin and losing them at a 2.92 goal margin.
Interestingly, they have yet to win a game by more than three goals and have already lost four contests by four or more.
Penguins & Blue Jackets Trivia Answers
How did you score in our Game Day Trivia quiz? Here are the answers.
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Sidney Crosby
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Marc-Andre Fleury
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Matt Murray
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Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel
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Jordan Staal
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Robert Lang
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Patrick Lalime
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Jack Johnson
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Tyler Wright
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James Neal
