Carrying the momentum of a win over Edmonton on Thursday, the Penguins failed to capitalize in their back-to-back games over the weekend, dropping two, to Ottawa and Tampa Bay. Paul Steigerwald recaps yesterday’s loss to Jake Guentzel and the Lightning.
Coach Mike Sullivan says the Pens deserved a better fate yesterday.
The Penguins played without Evgeni Malkin, who was placed on injured reserve yesterday with an upper body injury. Also missing from the lineup was forward Michael Bunting, who was in a car crash on his way to the game. He was not injured but was unavailable to play.
Sullivan says it’s tough losing top players, but it opens the door for the younger Penguins to play in leverage situations.
Penguins’ captain Sidney Crosby says the breaks aren’t going their way.
Goaltender Tristan Jarry stopped 14 of the 17 shots he faced. Even though the Lightning had no power play chances yesterday, Jarry says the Penguins’ penalty kill is not playing at the level it was a few weeks ago, and that’s a key for the team to start winning again.
Phil Thomasino was activated from injured reserve before the game and played in Bunting’s place on the second line. Cody Glass continued to replace Malkin on that line, as Malkin missed his fourth straight game.
The Penguins are in fifth place in the Metro Division, two points behind Columbus and two points ahead of the New York Rangers. They’ll play Seattle tomorrow night to cap off their five-game homestand, then play seven in a row on the road, in Buffalo Friday, in Washington on Saturday, then out west to Los Angeles, Anaheim, Seattle, San Jose, and Utah.
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