Mike Sullivan, players praise sparring-match style win for Penguins in Anaheim
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After the Pittsburgh Penguins won a close 2-0 contest in Anaheim on Tuesday night, Ducks coach Greg Cronin made a boxing analogy.
“There wasn’t a lot of rhythm to the game,” Cronin said via the Associated Press. “There weren’t a lot of scoring chances either way. It was like two boxers just jabbing each other.”
For the Penguins, sometimes it’s good to know they can win a fight like that. Coach Mike Sullivan sure seemed satisfied with outpointing his opponent on the scorecard instead of swapping haymakers in the center of the ring like Rocky Balboa and Clubber Lang.
“What I loved about our third period is that we competed hard, that we defended well,” Sullivan said in video posted the team’s website. “It’s a good win for our team, especially to close it out in a low-scoring game against a team that’s beaten a lot of good teams lately.”
It is noteworthy for the Penguins to win any game against a legitimate opponent. The club had lost five of six heading into Saturday’s comedy act of a game in San Jose. That’s when the Pens beat the farcical Sharks 10-2.
I’d call that a win over an AHL team, but I’d never want to insult the AHL in such a manner.
So to blank the Ducks — who had won six in a row, including a victory over the Penguins on Oct. 30 — was satisfying. But to do it on a night when high-flying offense wasn’t the tone of the game was even more impressive for Sullivan’s group.
“There were some chances on both sides. But there wasn’t a lot of room out there. I was happy with our patience that we didn’t open it up. We just took what the game gave us, and if plays weren’t there to be made, then we got pucks deep, and we stayed above the puck,” Sullivan said.
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It was a good night for the Pens to be as defensively responsible as they were, because they had to aid a backup goalie who was thrown into the fray with a 1-0 lead after sitting on the bench for the first 38 minutes of the game. Magnus Hellberg had to replace starter Tristan Jarry late in the second period after Jarry suffered a cut near his right eye during a scramble in the goalmouth.
Jarry was a perfect 21 for 21 on save opportunities before he left. Hellberg stopped all 11 shots he faced in relief.
“I thought we did a pretty good job with the lead of not sitting back but also checking. Sometimes it’s human nature to do that. But I thought we handled it,” Crosby said. “(Jarry) was doing a great job. It was kind of a weird thing that happened. And (Hellberg) comes in a tight game with a lot of pressure. I thought he handled it well and made some key saves to keep us in the game.”
Before Crosby’s empty-net goal iced the game, there were still opportunities for the Ducks. Mason McTavish, Ross Johnston and Troy Terry all had chances late in the game, but no one was able to beat Hellberg.
“I just have to try to come up big for the team,” Hellberg said. “They did a really good job in front of me, communicating and letting me see the pucks. Kudos to the team for helping me out there.”
Now the Penguins have to face a Los Angeles Kings team on Thursday night that is 7-2-2, good for 16 points. That’s tied for the third-highest point total in the Western Conference behind the Vegas Golden Knights (23) and the Vancouver Canucks (19). The Kings are netting 4.27 goals per game, second most in the NHL. And they allow just 2.82 goals per game, tied with the Penguins for the sixth fewest in the league.
So — as the boxing manta goes — if styles really do make the fight, this will be another interesting test for the Penguins. Landing a knockout in L.A. to go a perfect three for three on this California swing would go a long way toward offsetting the damage done during their recent disappointing homestand.
Listen: Tim Benz and Brian Metzer of the Penguins radio network discuss the Penguins’ road trip, Jarry’s goaltending and NHL scheduling.