Four lessons from Penguins’ 4-1 loss to Hurricanes

The Pittsburgh Penguins finished their mini two-game homestand with a 1-1-0 record after suffering a 4-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night.

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After a historic night on Wednesday, the Penguins came out flat and left their new goalie, Joel Blomqvist, out to dry. Leaving the city this way for a long road trip leaves many wondering what’s next.

Before we get there, let’s wrap up the conclusions from Friday night’s poor defeat.

Too many passengers on Friday evening

The Penguins entered Friday night’s game against the Hurricanes on a two-game win streak, but you wouldn’t know that unless you followed the team closely. After Wednesday’s historic evening against the Buffalo Sabres, the team just missed the effort to play 60 minutes.

Although the box score shows 26 shots on target, that is one of the most deceptive numbers a fan can read this season. Only eleven minutes into the match did the home team register the first shot on target. They ended the first period with three shots, thanks to Noel Acciari sneaking in another with 18 seconds left.

However, the score was tied at 1-1 thanks to Drew O’Connor, the closest the Penguins would get for the remainder of the game as Blomqvist was showered with 39 shots. Sure, there’s an argument that Pittsburgh was good in the faceoff circle and was the more physical team, but in the offensive zone they just never generated anything and showed it in the outcome.

Opponents have discovered Blomqvist’s kryptonite…?

Blomqvist, making his home debut, gave up a career-high four goals and finished the night with an .897 SV%, the first time he produced a sub-.900 SV% at the NHL level.

While that’s not a concern as it happens to even elite goaltenders, one thing caught the attention of the SportsNet Pittsburgh broadcast team and the fans tuning in to the game. It looks like the Hurricanes have figured out how to beat Blomqvist.

All four of their goals on Friday night were high, whether it was over the blocker, the glove or even the shoulder. Carolina just kept shooting high and finding the rope.

During the broadcast, it was pointed out that the Finnish netminder had yet to be beaten on the ice in four games, meaning that all twelve of his career goals have been scored while in the butterfly stroke.

Hopefully Blomqvist gets a chance to work on this, otherwise it could be a very long season or a short career for a netminder with so much promise.

The hunt for milestones is over

Heading into the season, Sidney Crosby needed a few points for 1,600 in his career, while Evgeni Malkin needed a few goals for 500. The chase for those moments was a big part of the storylines in each of the first five games of the Penguin. And now that they’re over, what’s next?

Of course, Crosby is getting closer to another milestone, because that’s what hockey legends tend to do. But what about the people around him? For weeks, teammates have been looking for Crosby or Malkin to get those big moments out of the way, and now that that’s done, how will they all get back to playing their games?

While the lineup has remained the same for the past few matches, the line shuffling continues whether you win or lose. How do new penguins find a rhythm when they constantly have new linemates? Additionally, will someone be able to step up and be the winger Crosby needs to remain a point-per-game player?

Unfortunately, there seems to be more questions than answers after six games, but hopefully this upcoming road trip through Western Canada will help solve some early-season issues.

When do we start talking about coaching?

In sports they often say that you cannot fire players. As the Penguins stumble through the first ten games once again under the direction of the franchise’s longest-serving coach, Mike Sullivan, at what point do they make a coaching change? Again, as they say, they can’t change the players.

Of course, general manager Kyle Dubas could change players, but now that Crosby has committed to the team for the next three seasons, will he want to let them rebuild, or can a new voice reinvigorate this veteran team for a playoff run? push?

At some point a decision has to be made about the future of the club. If these lifeless performances continue to occur, someone in the organization’s hierarchy must decide who will take charge. Ultimately, legacies and past achievements can only provide one with so many opportunities.

Penguins and Hurricanes Trivia Answers

How did you score in our Game Day Trivia quiz? Here are the answers.

1. Ron Francis & Jordan Steel

2. Jussi Jokinen

3. Six (Adams, Cullen, Hutchinson, Nordgren, Reechi, Zigomanis)

4. Mario Lemieux

5. Tom Barrasso

6. Ron Francis, Grant Jennings, Ulf Samuelsson

7. Gordie Howe

8. 2009

9. Kevin Stevens

10. Evgeni Malkin

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