PITTSBURGH — Every week in the past, the Pittsburgh Penguins had been in first place in arguably the NHL’s hardest division.
Not a lot anymore.
Sidney Crosby and firm are sliding, the most recent setback a 6-1 loss at residence Thursday night time to last-place New Jersey, which pounced on the Penguins for 3 objectives within the first seven minutes and cruised.
“We’ve simply received to be higher,” Crosby mentioned after the Penguins dropped their third straight to slide into third within the Metropolitan Division behind Carolina and the New York Rangers. “We’re not enjoying the way in which we’re succesful proper now.”
Pittsburgh has been outscored 14-5 throughout its present skid, one wherein the Penguins haven't led at any level. They’ve additionally given up 5 objectives in every of their final 5 contests at PPG Paints Enviornment. That’s not the sort of hockey that tends to result in prolonged playoff runs.
“I feel we’ve received to play the sport smarter,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan mentioned. “We will’t beat ourselves in sure cases and I feel that’s been the case the previous couple of video games.”
The Penguins are nonetheless in wonderful form to succeed in the postseason for a sixteenth straight season. The injury-ravaged Devils, in the meantime, have been in a three-month tailspin. For an evening at the very least, New Jersey flashed a touch of what might need been as Jesper Bratt scored twice within the first six minutes and rookie Nico Daws made 37 saves.
“Clearly, anytime a group scores as a lot as we did, it makes it a bit of simpler on the goalie,” Daws mentioned. “I assumed all of us did an awesome job tonight.”
The Devils wasted little time giving their 21-year-old goaltender some respiration room.
Bratt tapped in a free puck simply 1:16 into the sport for his fifteenth purpose of the season and adopted along with his sixteenth lower than 5 minutes later to present the Devils a jolt in his return after lacking two video games with an upper-body harm. Yegor Sharangovich made it 3-0 simply 57 seconds after Bratt’s second purpose and the Devils had been firmly in management.
Dawson Mercer, Damon Severson and Nico Hischier additionally scored for the Devils, who received for simply the third time of their final 12 video games. Daws withstood a second-period surge by the Penguins to win for the primary time since his NHL debut in October.
“It ought to give (Daws) numerous confidence,” New Jersey coach Lindy Ruff mentioned. “His reads had been good. He received there. He was fast. I assumed his east-west motion was pretty much as good as we’ve seen this yr out of any goaltender. So he must be fairly pleased with himself.”
Evgeni Malkin scored his seventh of the season for the Penguins however Tristan Jarry was pulled for the primary time in 41 begins this season after Severson’s blast from the purpose made it 5-1 simply previous the sport’s halfway level.
The All-Star stopped 14 of the 19 pictures he confronted, although his greatest drawback was shoddy protection that supplied the Devils with loads of open seems.
“We gave up some fairly good alternatives,” Crosby mentioned. “That’s one thing, we’ve received to be higher defensively as a bunch and restrict these possibilities.”
Two of New Jersey’s first three objectives got here instantly after defensive-zone turnovers. Sullivan known as timeout and instantly ripped into his membership. The lashing appeared to present his group a carry, however Daws, who got here in with a modest .862 save share in 4 appearances, stood his floor.
The German’s greatest work got here within the opening half of the second interval. Pittsburgh pinned New Jersey in its personal finish for prolonged stretched and fired off 10 straight pictures. Daws turned apart each and Mercer made it 4-0 when Hughes pressured a turnover by Marcus Pettersson behind the Penguins internet and fed Mercer racing in entrance.
Whereas Malkin’s power-play purpose briefly gave Pittsburgh life, Severson’s blast from the purpose chased Jarry and the Devils had been on their approach.
“There’s undoubtedly frustration,” Penguins defenseman Mike Matheson mentioned. “Our job is to win hockey video games and whenever you’re not doing it, it’s irritating.”
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