Penguins, Johnston Win First Game of Season
Game Review- Anaheim Ducks vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
As far as an opening night goes, there is not a lot to dislike as a Penguins fan. They came out fast, aggressive and unrelenting. Their determination to prove that they are still an elite team was evident and their line up had a different feel to it. There were not a lot of east-west passing plays. There were no pretty drop passes or spinorama dekes; it was north-south, passes and shots towards the net, no nonsense plays.
Mike Johnston's system fits this Penguins' roster to a tee and it was fun to watch. Now, despite it being the first night, there were some pluses and negatives in their 6-4 win over the Anaheim Ducks.
First, the pluses:
Now, some negatives:
The Pittsburgh Penguins were exciting once again. They played very similarly to how they did five, maybe even six years ago. They were aggressive on the forecheck, put the puck on net every chance possible and were deadly on special teams and on five-on-five play. Having Dupuis and Maatta back is incredibly important for the future success of this team. Defensemen Paul Martin and Christian Ehrhoff were nearly invisible on the ice tonight and that's not a horrible thing. I don't recall hearing Rob Scuderi's name once during the broadcast; that's an even better thing.
If this first game is any indication, this 2014-15 season will be a fun one to watch if you're a fan of the flightless birds.
Mike Johnston's system fits this Penguins' roster to a tee and it was fun to watch. Now, despite it being the first night, there were some pluses and negatives in their 6-4 win over the Anaheim Ducks.
First, the pluses:
- Sidney Crosby was absolutely flying, recording two goals and an assist.
- Pascal Dupuis and Olli Maatta look to be 200%, combining for one goal and six assists on the night.
- Patric Hornqvist and Blake Comeau scored in their Penguin debut in front of a raucous crowd. They should become favorites.
- Marc-Andre Fleury made some Marc-Andre Fleury trademark saves.
- Zach Sill proved why he deserves a permanent spot on the squad with an impressive fight against Clayton Stoner.
- Simon Despres looked comfortable on the back end and had a quality game.
- The powerplay looked dangerous at times with Hornqvist in the slot/in front of the net.
Now, some negatives:
- The penalty kill was awful (3-for-6).
- Evgeni Malkin was a liability every time he took to the ice (Two penalties).
- There was some sloppy play in the defensive zone the led to quality opportunities.
- Marc-Andre Fleury made some Marc-Andre Fleury trademark mistakes (First Corey Perry goal).
- While scoring six goals is great, allowing four is not.
The Pittsburgh Penguins were exciting once again. They played very similarly to how they did five, maybe even six years ago. They were aggressive on the forecheck, put the puck on net every chance possible and were deadly on special teams and on five-on-five play. Having Dupuis and Maatta back is incredibly important for the future success of this team. Defensemen Paul Martin and Christian Ehrhoff were nearly invisible on the ice tonight and that's not a horrible thing. I don't recall hearing Rob Scuderi's name once during the broadcast; that's an even better thing.
If this first game is any indication, this 2014-15 season will be a fun one to watch if you're a fan of the flightless birds.