Cutter Gauthier, according to many reports, didn’t want to play in Philadelphia.
The Pittsburgh Penguins rarely share those sentiments.
On the night the Flyers were forced to trade one of their finest prospects, they suffered another loss — this was a more familiar one — as the Penguins dominated throughout in a 4-1 victory.
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The Penguins are 32-22-5 in Philadelphia during the Sidney Crosby era and, given how tight the standings are in the Eastern Conference, this was probably one of the bigger regular-season meetings between these rivals in quite some time.
Unlike six weeks ago, when the Penguins lost in overtime and a shootout in consecutive games against the Flyers, they emerged with 2 points Monday night, and it was very much a team performance.
Rickard Rakell, Erik Karlsson, Chad Ruhwedel and Evgeni Malkin scored for the Penguins.
Alex Nedeljkovic, one game removed from a shaky albeit victorious performance in Boston, stopped 36 of 37 shots.
It was an uptempo game as the teams combined for 77 shots, but make no mistake, the Penguins enjoyed more quality scoring opportunities in one of their stronger outings of the season.
“They were the better team,” Flyers coach John Tortorella said. “We weren’t good enough in either end.”
The Penguins are stuck in a four-way logjam for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, sitting at 44 points along with the New Jersey Devils, Washington Capitals and Detroit Red Wings. Those teams sit just 2 points behind the surprising Flyers.
“It’s huge,” Drew O’Connor said. “We’re chasing them in the standings. Last time we played them, I don’t know if we had our best. It’s nice to have a full 60 minutes.”
Ten postgame observations
• Crosby typically takes center stage when Pittsburgh plays in Philadelphia, but his fellow future Hall of Fame center played leading man Monday.
Malkin started the evening by sending a beautiful feed to Rakell for the game’s first goal.
FOUR STRAIGHT GAMES WITH A POWER-PLAY GOAL! 🙌
Rakell now has a four-game point streak (3G-2A) and has points in eight of his last nine games. pic.twitter.com/Zvr6r9p6D7
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) January 9, 2024
Malkin later put a punctuation mark on the game by scoring his 15th goal of the season to put the Flyers away.
HE WILL BE FIRE 🔥 pic.twitter.com/YIFuy3WuOP
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) January 9, 2024
Not long after Malkin’s goal, things turned particularly nasty. Malkin felt the wrath of the home crowd when he engaged in some fisticuffs with the Flyers.
For good measure, he let Scott Laughton know what the score was while sitting in the penalty box.
All kidding aside, the Penguins need Malkin to play at a high level to reach the postseason and beyond. He was very good in October but then went into quite a lull. The holiday break appears to have done him some good. Malkin has his legs again and has been playing at a high level since the break.
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• Malkin’s left wing deserves some recognition.
O’Connor made a beautiful pass to set up Malkin’s goal, but that doesn’t begin to tell the story of his impact.
The Penguins have played without “young legs” for many years because, well, they haven’t had any. Many in the fan base have been critical of Mike Sullivan for not trusting young players over the years. Maybe there is something to this, though I’d suggest he simply hasn’t had any young players worth playing.
That’s not the case now. O’Connor’s speed, while always a strength, is currently omnipresent. He is an absolute puck hound, creating turnovers regularly. He’s also using his speed to create room for his linemates.
The ability to finish regularly isn’t quite there for O’Connor, but I think it’s coming. It’s often the final piece of the puzzle for young players. He is deserving of his spot on the second line. The fact is, he’s badly outplaying Reilly Smith.
It’s no secret that the Penguins could use an injection of youth. O’Connor’s play during the past few games is quite encouraging. He’s admitted on more than one occasion that his confidence is at a different level than in previous installments of his NHL career, and that sounds about right because he suddenly looks like a player who belongs. This is no small development.
• The Penguins’ goaltending situation is … a little interesting.
I still think we can consider Tristan Jarry to be the Penguins’ No. 1 goaltender. I also think it’s safe to say that Nedeljkovic has entered 1A territory.
Nedeljkovic is an impressive goaltender and his athleticism was on display against Philadelphia. He’s been solid all season. Even last week in Boston, when he looked a little off while allowing five goals, Nedeljkovic still made some key saves down the stretch to earn the victory.
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I’d also suggest that the Penguins have played better in front of Nedeljkovic this season. That could very well be a coincidence and it probably is. But who can deny how impressive he’s been?
He’s 7-3-2 on the season with a 2.62 GAA and a .917 save percentage.
Jarry, for comparison’s sake, is 11-12-2 with a 2.60 GAA and a .912 save percentage.
Both goaltenders have been good, but I’d argue that Nedeljkovic has been more steady. The Penguins’ coaching staff has always liked Jarry, but his mental lapses can prove frustrating. It’s very early in Nedeljkovic’s time in Pittsburgh, but he’s a cool customer and we haven’t seen any mental lapses from him yet.
• In something of an oddity, the Penguins had five power plays in the first period. That’s right. Five. Because it’s the NHL, neither team enjoyed a power play in the final two periods after combining for seven man advantages in the opening 20 minutes.
The Penguins only scored once on the power play, but their first two attempts with the man advantage — the first one ended in Rakell’s goal — were impressive.
More than anything, what impressed me was the Penguins’ fast tempo during those power players and the urgency they played with. They looked ravenous to score. We haven’t seen enough of that. The Penguins have been far too polite on the power play, and far too interested in looking pretty with the puck.
Those first two power plays are what they should be trying to emulate. They shot the puck. They moved it with decisiveness. They were hungry.
• Jeff Carter’s hit created a turnover that led to Karlsson’s first-period goal.
It remains to be seen if this is Carter’s final NHL season, though the smart money says it is. Thus, it may have been his final game in Philadelphia, where he started his career nearly two decades ago.
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He’s playing very good hockey for the Penguins and this was another positive outing.
• Things turned pretty violent in the third period. Garnet Hathaway? Born to be a Flyer. He was right in the middle of it. So was Malkin.
Kris Letang took a high stick to the face, giving us a classic Penguins-Flyers visual.
Looks like Letang took an Attitude Era chair shot from Stone Cold pic.twitter.com/XPuI9yl3bN
— Duane Steinel (@DuaneS39) January 9, 2024
The last few years have produced some tame games between these two rivals. This game, especially in the third period, felt a little nasty, which is good. That’s how things are supposed to go in this rivalry.
• I mentioned O’Connor’s young legs earlier. I’d say the same of Valtteri Puustinen. I’ve been impressed with his games. He’s an effective player when he’s forechecking with ferocity and creating turnovers.
The goals will come if he keeps playing that way.
• Ryan Graves was solid playing alongside Ruhwedel.
Maybe that is what Graves needs — just playing on the third pairing and working on his game.
The Penguins will eventually need more from Graves, but this was a solid performance, which marks progress.
• We’re 13 games into the 20-game stretch that Kyle Dubas said would define his decision-making. Of note, the Penguins are 9-3-1 and an impressive 4-1-1 on the road during that stretch.
Also, the Penguins are now a plus-15 in goal differential. Only the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers have a better number in the Eastern Conference.
• Some history was made in the broadcast booth Monday.
With the Penguins’ terrific radio color man, Phil Bourque, missing the game due to illness, Michelle Crechiolo filled in alongside Steve Mears. She became the first woman to broadcast a game in Penguins history.
I tuned in for some of the radio broadcast and can report that Crechiolo did a wonderful job. She was outstanding. Crechiolo made history and did it to perfection.
Can't even imagine what this little girl would think if I told her that one day, she would serve as the color analyst for a National Hockey League radio broadcast between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers 🥹 pic.twitter.com/NqAeV3KFTd
— Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) January 8, 2024
(On a side note, she’s arguably the world’s nicest person, which is why my nickname for her is “Sunshine.” Some people have positive energy, and then there is Crechiolo.)
(Photo of Evgeni Malkin grappling with Ryan Poehling: Eric Hartline / USA Today)
