With momentum lost, Penguins, NHL teams would start from scratch if play resumes
In the moments after their victory against New Jersey Devils on March 10, an overriding theme expressed by the Pittsburgh Penguins was a desire to ride the goodwill from the road win to serve as a springboard for a stretch run into the postseason.
“Hopefully, we use this as a stepping stone,” is how defenseman John Marino put it.
“If we keep building on this one” goalie Matt Murray said, “we’ll be in good shape.”
It sure seemed — or, at least, the Penguins sure hoped — the 5-2 division win could change the momentum for a Penguins season that had sputtered by way of a 2-8-0 stretch prior to that night in Newark, N.J.
But little did anyone know then that that game would be the final time they Penguins would play in — at least — a couple of months. Nor could anyone have imagined the next day’s practice in Columbus, Ohio, would be the final team the team would convene in that same timeframe. Or that any of the players — who presumably have spent the equivalent of several years of their lives on ice — would be prevented from skating for several weeks as well.
By now, with coronavirus concerns paralyzing the sports world, that game in North Jersey seems more like 5½ years ago than 5½ weeks ago.
As such, the same probably can be said for any aspects of the Penguins’ game that were particularly crisp. And that goes for aspects of their play that were off-kilter, too.
“It’s like a guy that would have a 10-game point streak,” Penguins defenseman Kris Letang said this week, “and suddenly you tell him he’s not playing for two weeks. It’s going to be tough. So I imagine a team playing well for months and then you ask them to not play for a few months, how can that momentum carry over for anybody?”
Crowning a champion in the NHL, arguably more than any other sport, has as much to do with timing as it concerns the quality of a team. Look at the past 11 Presidents’ Trophy winners for proof: Four times as many lost in the first round as claimed the Stanley Cup.
Peaking at the right time is vital for a hockey team. And mid-March is just about “the right time.” But playing your best hockey on March 11 won’t do any NHL teams or players any good by the time they play their next game on, say, July 11, will it?
And by some accounts, that might be around the earliest the NHL could resume play.
Letang believes that type of scenario could lead to a wild postseason.
“You could have a playoff series with the last team of the league (against the) top team, and you will have a good series because no momentum carried over, (and) nobody is more injured than the other,” Letang said. “So it’s going to be pretty strange. No momentum for anybody. We’ll all stop back at square one.”
STARTING FROM SCRATCH
If the NHL resumes play after a lengthy coronavirus pause, Penguins defenseman Kris Letang asked how momentum could carry over for anybody. It’s a good question, and that’s probably bad news for players and teams that hit the break hot and good news for those who did not.
MOMENTUM STALLED
PENGUINS PLAYERS
• Evgeni Malkin: Leading the league in points per game in March, Malkin recorded four goals and 11 points in five games.
• Jason Zucker: Adjusting to his new team after a feeling-out process, Zucker had seven points in his last seven games before the pause.
• John Marino: Making his return from facial fractures March 3, Marino scored a goal in his first game back and led Penguins defensemen in all major analytical stats.
EASTERN CONFERENCE TEAMS
• Philadelphia Flyers: A loss to Boston just before the pause ended a nine-game winning streak.
• Boston Bruins: Going 16-4 in their last 20 games, the Bruins lead the league in goal differential (plus-53).
• Toronto Maple Leafs: Have gone 4-2-1 since losing to a Zamboni driver Feb. 22.
GOOD TIME FOR A BREAK
PENGUINS PLAYERS
• Tristan Jarry: All-star season hit some potholes. Jarry is 0-4 with a .845 save percentage since Feb. 22.
• Jared McCann: After scoring nine goals before Thanksgiving, McCann has none since Jan. 14. During the 22-game drought, he’s a minus-9.
• Jack Johnson: After a honeymoon period early in the season, Johnson’s analytics are back at the bottom of the chart for Penguins defensemen.
EASTERN CONFERENCE TEAMS
• New York Islanders: A seven-game skid before the pause might have cost them a playoff berth.
• Tampa Bay Lightning: Cup favorites followed up an 11-game winning streak with a 3-6-1 slump.
• Penguins: Winning three of five sparked optimism, but they lost six straight before that.
Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at cadamski@triblive.com.
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