Rask has caused the NHL’s best offense to be non-existent – via Hockey Blog Adventure
by Brian Bobal
A goal by Patrice Bergeron in the later stages of the second overtime in Game 3 has the Penguins facing elimination, after just three games.
Boston’s top line has continued its dominance throughout this series as David Krejci alone has scored twice as many goals as the entire Penguins team. His linemates, Nathan Horton and Milan Lucic, have combined for 2 goals, 6 assists, and a +10 rating. The whole Boston team continues to roll, although the Bruins did suffer a loss to their fourth line as Gregory Campbell went down with what turned out to be a season-ending broken right fibula.
As for Pittsburgh, the high-flying offense that powered the Penguins’ engine through the first two rounds has been grounded.
Only two pucks have found their way past Boston goalie Tuukka Rask in the entire series. In Game 3, Rask had what should stand as the best game to date in his career, stopping 53 of the 54 shots he faced. Through the first three games, Rask has a miniscule goals against average of 0.56 and an incredible .982 save percentage.
As a result of Rask’s brilliance in this series, the Penguins’ offensive numbers resemble golf scores more than hockey scores. Penguins’ superstar Evgeni Malkin has gone goal-less. In fact, he hasn’t registered a point in this series while carrying a horrendous -5 rating. The other superstar forward, captain Sidney Crosby, also has yet to score a single point in this series with a -2 rating. Those two aren’t the only ones struggling. Jarome Iginla has 0 points and a -3 rating. James Neal also has 0 points but with an even worse rating of -7.
What else has gone wrong for Pittsburgh?
Their powerplay has gone dry. In Game 3, the Penguins’ powerplay went 0 for 6 including three powerplays in overtime. In the series the powerplay has gone 0 for 12. Those numbers are polar opposites from the powerplay that worked at 28% in the first two series. The powerplay in this series has zapped any momentum the Penguins have had and given it straight to the Bruins.
Rask’s play has been a contributing factor to the Penguins’ powerplay being non-existent, but the play of the penalty killers in front of him has been stellar. For the first time in a long time, the Penguins powerplay actually appears to be rattled.
Another area the Penguins have had tremendous trouble with is the physical game. The Penguins are built to be a mostly run and gun style team with the star-power they have. They don’t like being hit. The Bruins have hit them and hit them hard. The run and gun style is good during the regular season, but the grinding style of play leads to playoff success.
Just take a look at the last three Stanley Cup Champions. The Kings, Bruins, and Blackhawks all were very physical teams. The Penguins can be a gritty team and the players they traded for shows that, but the grit has not been there enough. The grit and physicality is always there from the Bruins. Through the first three games, the Bruins have, for the most part, imposed their physical will on the Penguins.
This has gotten the Penguins off their game. Case in point, the end of period skirmish that occurred at the end of the second period in Game 1, where Malkin dropped the mitts with Bergeron and at the same time, Crosby tried stirring trouble with Zdeno Chara. That was Malkin’s second fight in the playoffs.
Outside of these playoffs, you have to go back to September 25, 2010, in a preseason game, to find the last time Evgeni Malkin got into a fight. He does not lose his cool very often.
The Bruins have convincingly frustrated the most potent offensive unit in the playoffs. The Penguins are frustrated that they cannot score and they are frustrated they are giving up goals. If the Penguins are going to have a chance to roar back and win this series, they need to regain their confidence. This series still has the potential to go six or even seven games, but the Penguins as a group need confidence and need their scoring touch back.
The Penguins are going to get their chances offensively, but they must patch up the holes in their defense or else the brooms will come out Friday night in Boston.
