The Pittsburgh Penguins opened their preseason with a 2-1 shootout loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Monday night. Even in the loss, it was an all-around solid effort. The rookies were solid, showing just how bright the team’s future can be if they continue to develop well. Harrison Brunicke and Ben Kindel were very noticeable last night. However, two names really stood out in Tristan Broz and Sergei Murashov. Broz had the lone regulation goal on a beautiful power-play setup. He also scored the Penguins’ lone shootout goal. At just 20 years old with no NHL experience, Murashov looked like a veteran between the pipes.
With Game 1 of the preseason wrapped up, let’s take a look at three takeaways from the game.
Penguins Played With an Edge
One key thing general manager Kyle Dubas wanted to address over the offseason was the lack of physicality the team displayed last season. If the first game of the preseason is any indicator of that being addressed, then Dubas accomplished that.
Last season, there were too many instances of the Penguins passing up on hits, which made them an easy team to play against. There were glimpses of that being changed. Guys like Connor Clifton and Matt Dumba, who are known for being physical, were just that. But guys like Sam Poulin and Robby Fabbri were also contributing with hits, with Poulin also dropping the gloves. While there may be concerns about getting themselves out of position, they were smart with their selections of when to go in for a hit, and when to just put stick on puck.
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Putting sticks on pucks and using their body made the Canadiens’ lives difficult trying to get to the net. Shots and goals against were major talking points over the last few seasons. Through 40 minutes on Monday night, the Penguins held the Canadiens to just 15 shots, 11 of which came in 30 minutes of play. It was refreshing to see the team be difficult to play against again. If they can carry this over into their next few preseason games, it could be a sign of more to come when the regular season starts.
Goaltending Battle Will Be Fun to Watch
At his first media availability of the preseason, Dubas had some strong words when it came to answering a question about the goaltending logjam. Pittsburgh Hockey Now’s Dan Kingerski reported Dubas saying, “the best two goalies, the way that they perform in camp and we deem as best for their development, but notably the way they perform at camp and preseason, will determine who the two goalies are that start with the Penguins.” If Dubas is going to decide his goalie tandem in the NHL on that and not just veteran presence, Monday night showed it will be a tight battle for the starting and backup spots on the Penguins’ roster.
Joel Blomqvist played the first half of the game against the Canadiens. In that time, while he wasn’t extremely busy facing 11 shots, he continued to look good between the pipes. He showed that poise that’s highly touted about him. It’s something he struggled to consistently have in his regular season appearances last season, but he is still learning and growing.
In the second half of the game, Murashov was certainly the busiest of the two Penguins’ netminders. In 34:55 between the pipes, which included overtime, he made saves on 19 of the 20 shots he faced. Though he did allow the game-tying goal, it wasn’t on him entirely. Murashov is a fast goalie down low, similar to Jonathan Quick in his prime, which took him out of position. Despite that, he made the first two saves before getting tied up with a stick, forcing him to fall backwards, allowing Owen Beck to bounce the puck off of him and into the net.
There was a lot to like about his game outside of his quick lateral movement. His vision is solid, and his ability to track the puck made him look like an NHL veteran, even without having played a single NHL game. He came up with a number of big-time saves, including robbing Ivan Demidov of what should have been a goal. In the shootout, he showed his ability to catch himself sliding one way to stretch back the other way to get a toe on the puck. His potential isn’t seen just by fans or management, but also by his teammates. As reported by the Penguins’ team reporter, Michelle Crechiolo, Broz had this to say after the game: “He’s such a stud. I love him so much. I wish we could have got that win for him. He deserved it. He’s such a great player and such an inspiring person. So, it was fun to see him do his thing out there.”
Third-Period Collapse Could Be an Issue Again
The first two periods, from a defensive aspect, had all the signs of the Penguins’ defensive system being fixed. They were blocking shots all over the ice and making it difficult for the Canadiens in the offensive zone by taking away time and space. Alas, thinking they could keep up that great performance blew up in my face.
The third period collapse haunted them last night, with defensive breakdowns leading to 14 shots and one goal against through the final 20 minutes. While the effort was there for 40 minutes, it was a good reminder that they need to be on top of things for a full 60 minutes. Luckily for them, these games don’t count towards the standings, so there is still some time to find a way to fix that issue to carry into the regular season.
The Penguins will play their second game of the preseason on Sept. 24 when they take on the Columbus Blue Jackets. It will be interesting to see the roster that will be making the trip to Columbus.
