Empty Thoughts: Penguins 5, Maple Leafs 2

Observations from the Penguins’ 5-2 win against the Maple Leafs:

First things first, Evgeni Malkin was a very late scratch for this game after he fell ill in the late afternoon. He participated briefly in warmups but was ultimately ailing far too much to participate in the game.

In his place as the No. 2 center was Jared McCann, himself replaced on the left wing of that line by Dominik Kahun, returning to the lineup after missing the previous eight games due to a concussion.

McCann also filled in for Malkin on the top power-play unit.

As far as replacing Malkin in the lineup, if such a notion is truly possible, rookie forward Anthony Angello played after being a healthy scratch for three games.

Sure enough, McCann and Angello found ways to contribute to the offense in what was a thorough beating of the Maple Leafs.

Make no mistake, Sidney Crosby carried most of the freight on this one. But he had quite a bit of help.

It even goes beyond who’s scoring goals.

• Zach Aston-Reese has been a key component to the Penguins’ sturdy third line and the penalty kill. He goes down with an injury on Sunday and in steps Patric Hornqvist, a rough-and-tumble 20-goal scorer who fits that line’s identity.

• Brian Dumoulin logs 20-plus minutes a game, usually against the opposition’s top forwards. He’s been out since late November. His place in the lineup has largely been filled by Chad Ruhwedel, a player who couldn’t stay in the lineup with some rotten Buffalo Sabres teams. But with the Penguins, he’s a quietly consistent defender who makes the safe plays, rarely with mistakes.

• Matt Murray has some hiccups in November and is replaced, to a certain degree, by Tristan Jarry. In the process of fulfilling his potential, Jarry developed into an All-Star.

In a lot of ways, this game was a great representation of the Penguins’ season. Despite so many injuries and absences, they just keep plugging along.

In contrast, the Maple Leafs have some considerable absences on the blue line in Morgan Rielly as well Cody Ceci and they looked almost crippled against the Penguins’ aggressive attack due to a lack of depth.

“Just different guys stepping up,” Crosby said when asked about how the team has been so resolute through various maladies. “Guys that have been thrown into bigger roles and opportunities, they’ve made the most of them. It’s been different things, but all through the lineup, everybody’s found a way to contribute.”

What happened

A power-play goal opened the scoring 11:41 into regulation. Settling a puck at the left point, Penguins defenseman Kris Letang shoveled a backhanded pass to Crosby in the left circle. Turning to his left, Crosby snapped a cross-ice pass in front of the crease to forward Bryan Rust who lifted a wrister past the glove of goaltender Frederik Andersen for his 23rd goal of the season and first in six games. Crosby and Letang collected assists.

(Video courtesy NHL)

They made it a 2-0 game at 17:03 of the first period. From the left point, Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson snapped a forehand pass to forward Sam Lafferty above the right circle. Taking a moment to allow a screen to develop, Lafferty released a wrister. Angello was planted above the blue paint and deflected the shot down through Andersen’s five hole for his first career goal.

Lafferty, occasionally a linemate of Angello with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, essentially tackled him in celebration. Assists went to Lafferty and Pettersson.

(Video courtesy NHL)

The Penguins made it 3-0 2:52 into the second period with a second power-play score. Controlling a puck above the right circle, Rust fired off a cross-ice pass low in the left circle for Crosby. The Penguins’ captain slid a pass across the front of the crease to forward Jason Zucker who knocked a one-timer that fluttered into the cage past Andersen’s glove for his 17th goal of the season and third in four games since joining the Penguins on Feb. 10. Crosby and Rust recorded assists.

(Video courtesy NHL)

They connected for yet another power-play goal at 7:11 of the second. After Crosby gained the offensive zone, McCann fed a cross-ice pass from the left point to forward Patric Hornqvist streaking up the right wing. Approaching the cage, Hornqvist fed a forehand pass to the left of the crease for Crosby to pat into the cage for his 12th goal. Hornqvist and McCann netted assists.

(Video courtesy NHL)

Following the Maple Leafs’ unsuccessful efforts to capitalize on a five-on-three power-play opportunity which lasted a robust 1:19, Andersen misplayed a puck behind his own cage, turning it over to a forechecking Rust who dealt it to a trailing Crosby. Hanging onto the puck and drawing Andersen out of the crease, Crosby veered to the left of the cage and fed it back to Rust. From the right of the cage, Rust tapped a pass to the slot for forward Teddy Blueger who netted his ninth goal at the 12:35 mark of the second. Rust and Crosby had assists.

(Video courtesy NHL)

Toronto finally got on the scoreboard at 16:35 of the second. Controlling a puck on the right half wall, Maple Leafs forward William Nylander fed a cross-ice pass to the wheelhouse of forward Auston Matthew just above the right faceoff dot. Matthew uncorked a blistering one-timer which blew past Jarry’s glove on the near side for his 43rd goal. Assists went to Nylander and defenseman Jake Muzzin.

(Video courtesy NHL)

It became a 5-2 contest at only 86 seconds later. Controlling a puck low in the right circle, Maple Leafs forward Jason Spezza drove a partial slapper towards the crease. Maple Leafs forward Kyle Clifford was battling with Penguins defenseman Jack Johnson in the blue paint and redirected the puck with his right skate past Jarry’s right leg for his seventh goal. Spezza and defenseman Martin Marincin had assists.

(Video courtesy NHL)

Statistically speaking

• The Maple Leafs led in shots, 36-24.

• Zucker and Maple Leafs defenseman Tyson Barrie each led the game with six shots.

• Letang led the game with 25:32 of ice time on 28 shifts.

• Barrie led the Maple Leafs with 22:08 of ice time on 28 shifts.

• The Maple Leafs had a 32-25 lead in faceoffs (56 percent).

• Matthews was 13 for 18 (68 percent).

• Crosby was 14 for 24 (58 percent).

• Muzzin, a former Penguins prospect, led the game with three blocked shots.

• None of the Penguins had more than one blocked shot.

Historically speaking

• Angello, who also netted his first career point, became the 531st player to score a regular season goal for the Penguins.

• McCann appeared in his 300th career game.

• Even in a lopsided defeat, Spezza found a way to get his obligatory point against the Penguins. He now has 52 points (19 goals, 33 assists) in 47 career games against the Penguins.

Randomly speaking

• The Penguins got quite an effort from forward Brandon Tanev, Blueger, Lafferty, Johnson and, most importantly, Jarry, on that five-on-three. If the Maple Leafs get a goal there, it’s a 4-1 game and they potentially have momentum to get a second goal. Instead, they get turned away by the Penguins who go down the other end and put the game away with Blueger’s goal.

• Interestingly enough, the Maple Leafs used five forwards on that five-on-three sequence: Matthews, Nylander, Tavares, Zach Hyman and Mitch Marner.

• Crosby spoke in recent days about his skating “getting there” in terms of his recovery from the core muscle injury which sidelined him for two-plus months. If he’s still “getting there,” he’s going to be pretty scary to opponents where ever “there” is. His skating was arguably the most impressive part of his excellent game on Tuesday.

• Jarry held serve in his “competition” with Murray. He was very sturdy and did more than enough to let his team win.

-Kahun looked okay in his return to the lineup. He wasn’t noticeable in a good or bad sense. Just kind of there. He logged 14:47 of ice time on 20 shifts and recorded one shot on one attempt. He was also 2 for 3 (33 percent) in faceoffs.

• Letang extended a scoring streak to six games.

• Pettersson extended a scoring streak to three games.

• Blueger extended a scoring streak to three games as well.

• Zucker has four points (three goals, one assist) in four games with the Penguins.

• The Penguins’ power play was 3 for 3 and has goals in five consecutive games.

• Conversely, with Aston-Reese sidelined, the penalty kill went 3 for 3 as well.

• Penguins defenseman Justin Schultz hasn’t exactly lit it up since returning from his knee injury which sidelined him for much of December and January. He’s gone eight games without a point since rejoining the lineup. If you go back before the injury, he hasn’t recorded a point in 18 games dating back to Nov. 12.

• The Penguins (80 points) moved ahead of the idle Washington Capitals (79 points) for first place in the Metropolitan Division.

Publicly speaking

• Penguins coach Mike Sullivan on Crosby:

“I think this is his favorite time of year also. He tends to play his best when the stakes get high. He’s enjoying this group of players and this team this year. He was really good tonight. He’s been really good since he’s come back from the (All-Star) break in my mind. He has the ability to change the outcomes of games with his influence on the game. Tonight was an example of it. He’s so good on both sides of the puck. … He’s just such a conscientious player. He’s the most complete player in the game. He’s so explosive offensively but he’s so conscientious defensively too. It doesn’t surprise me that he elevates his game the way he does at this time of year.”

• Sullivan on Crosby’s impact on the power play:

“He such great instincts and he makes great plays. He’s one of those guys that just has vision, he can see the play or anticipate the play two or three passes in advance. We always talk as a coaching staff that Sid plays chess when some of the other guys are playing checkers. That’s the kind of player that he is. He’s such a smart player and he has such great vision. He can create offense different ways, he’s dangerous off the rush, he protects the puck so well. And some of the passes that he made tonight, they’re just an indication of it. That’s just a great player that sees the ice in making great plays.”

• Rust was asked if he was feeling any weight on his chest after going six games without a point:

“No. That’s how hockey goes sometimes. Sometimes, you get chances and things don’t work for you. Then other nights, like tonight, it seems like every chance goes in.”

• Sullivan on Angello:

“I said to Anthony Angello on the bench right after the national anthem, sometimes when you get a call out of the bullpen like he did, I said ‘Sometimes you play your best games.’ Then sure enough, he goes out and scores a goal. We were thrilled for Anthony that he scores his first NHL goal.”

• Angello on getting back into the lineup:

“One of the things my dad taught me growing up was the harder you work, the luckier you get. I’ve been working really hard to get in the lineup. Then when you get that unknown bounce where you get in the lineup then you get a nice bounce off your stick for it to go in. So, I’m just going to keep my head down and keep working hard.”

• Rust on Malkin:

“I give him credit. He was going to try and gut it out but he didn’t feel great enough to go. We had some guys step up in here big time.”

• Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe on the difference between his team and the Penguins:

“You see the difference between the team that’s good some days and not so good others and a team that’s good all the time no matter who’s in the lineup. Then you see that in the game tonight, the difference between them and us. They just work. When you do that, the skilled players, they have the puck a lot more and good things are happening.”

• Keefe was blunt in assessing Andersen:

“Fred is a part of our team and he’s another guy that needs to be better. I thought their goaltender was better than ours today. (Jarry has) been an elite goalie for their team all season long for them. Kind of a backbone of their group. We need Fred to be that for us as well. But I don’t put this on him tonight at all.”

Visually speaking

-Game summary.

-Event summary.

-Highlights:

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