The Pittsburgh Penguins looked to build on the momentum they built in their last two wins against Vancouver and Boston when they faced the Calgary Flames on Saturday.
It’s safe to say they got the job done.
The Penguins were the dominant team all night, decisively defeating the Flames 6-2. The second power play unit scored three times – Michael Bunting, Philip Tomasino and Kris Letang scored the points – and Anthony Beauvillier, Rickard Rakell and Blake Lizotte also scored for the Penguins.
Just like in Boston, it was a complete team effort, especially on defense. They faced a barrage from Calgary for a few minutes late in the third period, but other than that they were the better team all night and frustrated the Flames by taking penalties as well.
And it all starts with responsible play from both the blue line and the forward units.
“We make better decisions when we actively go off the walls,” head coach Mike Sullivan said. “I also think we are more disciplined with our forwards. They are reloading and working on getting above the puck when our ‘D’ is active. If we play the game we have played the last three games,” “We’re going to give ourselves a chance to win. I think it’s a lot harder to play against us, and we’re not going to compromise on offense. We’re just going to play a fairer game.”
Here are some thoughts and observations from Saturday’s game:
– I don’t think I have enough good things to say about Beauvillier this season.
Before he even opened the scoring in the first period, he stood out. He’s so smart in the defensive zone. He made some nice plays early to help the transition game and breakout. He had an excellent offensive zone shift late in the first period, a few minutes before scoring his goal.
The Penguins are getting the very best version of Beauvillier. This is some of the best hockey he has played during his career. Whatever the Penguins decide to do to keep him or trade him, having him play at this high level is no small feat for them.
– Complementing Beauvillier, I really like Lizotte in a third-line middle role. With tonight’s total he now has four goals in ten games on the season.
“I think he’s playing a tough game,” Sullivan said. “He’s a tough guy, he’s a north-south guy, and I think he just plays the game the right way. He’s on the pucks, he’s a good puck chaser, he also has a defensive conscience .We give him a lot of d-zone starts, d-zone faceoffs, things like that.”
He added with a smile: “He’s on a 40-plus goal pace. If he can keep that up, that would be great for us.”
The Penguins may have something to do with that line. Lizotte and Beauvillier certainly seem to have developed some chemistry, and their speed, foresight and defensive zone awareness are really starting to make that line look like a two-way threat. Bunting’s role cannot be underestimated either. He goes to the dirty areas and does what he does when he’s at his best.
This could be a huge revelation for the Penguins if they continue to click.
– The Penguins second power play unit was on fire tonight and it was hot. But Bunting was extremely popular.
He now has a team-leading three power-play goals this season, and he recorded three points in this game. Normally, I would be in favor of him moving to the first unit. In a way, I think that should still happen.
But the power play has been a strength lately. And I’m not sure who you get from the first unit that Bunting fits into. My choice would probably be Rust, but the first unit mostly clicked as well.
Honestly? Don’t fix what isn’t broken. The Penguins appear to be freezing out the second unit for an extended period of time, which is probably the best way to optimize the power play at this point, as both units have been quite good.
The Penguins are now clicking on the power play at nearly 25 percent, which is good for the top eight in the league. They need this to remain a force if they want to progress in the standings.
– GM and POHO Kyle Dubas did a dirty job grabbing Tomasino from Nashville for just a fourth-round pick in 2027.
This guy is such a smart player. He is rarely out of position, has great instincts and anticipates well. He knew exactly where to position himself on his goal, but there was one action right after he scored that caught my attention.
The second line rushed into the offensive zone. Tomasino stopped and he gently delivered a cross-ice pass from the half wall to Malkin, who set up a good scoring opportunity. His teammate also pointed to another opportunity Tomasino generated as a good example of what he has to offer.
“He’s good,” Bunting said. “He’s ready with the puck and has a great shot. One of the moves that stood out, and maybe he didn’t score, was dragging the toe around the ‘D.’ He snapped the ball to the goalkeeper and he made a good save. He clearly has that in his toolbox, especially in the power play. He finds that weak spot and uses that shot to his advantage Looking forward to keeping it going.”
Tomasino’s vision is on display. Again, he’s a high IQ player, and I think this could be a great fit for the Penguins, especially along the lines of Malkin.
– Nedeljkovic played a hell of a game. And his best save of the night came from Rasmus Andersson near the end of the first period.
A juicy rebound off the back wall squirted to Andersson, and Nedeljkovic went post-to-post in the butterfly and made a high-glove save, committing a highway robbery on Andersson:
It’s no coincidence that the Penguins’ three-game winning streak occurred with better team defense And score better goals. Nedeljkovic followed the precedent Tristan Jarry set against Boston. He was very good at this game.
– Owen Pickering continues to prove he deserves to stay in this NHL lineup.
He only played 13:24 tonight after missing two games due to illness, but he had tremendous blocking early, he saw some time on the penalty kill and he was committed and smart in the offensive zone.
Forward Cody Glass is expected to return from injury soon. Don’t be surprised if Jack St. Ivany – who is also waived – is sent back to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton instead of Pickering.
– Over the past three games, the Penguins have started to look like a hockey team. They did concede some chances late in this game – as well as two late goals – but there is not the panic in their play that has been evident for much of the season.
And I don’t think it’s a coincidence that they’re also largely healthy.
As of now, Glass is the only player still waiting to return to the lineup. They were better with Lizotte in the mix. They are better with Hayes in the mix. They are also better with Pickering in the mix.
Since returning to the lineup, Hayes is 16-5 on faceoffs (76.2%).
— Bob Grove (@bobgrove91) November 30, 2024
Fans may complain about young players and call-ups not getting opportunities, which is somewhat justified. But the Penguins appear to have some defensively responsible players on their fourth line in Acciari and Nieto, and as previously mentioned, Lizotte has provided a two-way spark for that third line.
This is really good stuff from the Penguins, which will certainly be tested in the coming week. They play the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Tuesday before playing back-to-back against the New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday and Saturday.
Things aren’t going to get any easier for the Penguins, but they’re ready for the challenge.
“I think we feel pretty good about our game,” Beauvillier said. “We feel like we can compete with anyone at this point in the season. It will be a good challenge for us. It doesn’t get any easier, and it won’t get any easier as the season goes on, so we just see it as a good challenge and we’ll go from there.”
