Game Recap: Rangers 4

The New York Rangers shut out the Pittsburgh Penguins last night to regain first place in the Atlantic Division. Henrik Lundqvist made 27 saves to earn his first shutout of the season. It was the second time this season the Penguins have been shut out. Both shutouts have come in the last seven games. Over those seven games the Penguins have scored a total of only eight goals.

Once again the Penguins power play was unable to score. They went 0-for-8 on the night and are 0-for-24 in their last six games. They were able to manage only one shot during a 5-on-3 advantage that lasted almost two minutes.

It was the Penguins fifth loss in a row and seventh in their last ten.

The last time the Penguins lost five games in a row was the 2006-2007 season when they did so twice. However, during both of those losing stretches that year they managed to take a few games into overtime and earn a point. The last time the team lost five games in a row in regulation was during the 2005-2006 season when they finished at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

I'm not sure what can be done to get the Penguins out of this slump. A few trades or a coaching change will likely not help. The players are not motivated. They have no confidence. They lose battles frequently throughout the game and the team's power play - which boasts two of the league's top scorers - has been completely ineffective.

The Penguins will try to break their losing streak when they return home to face Atlanta tonight. The Penguins have lost their last five home games.

4 comments:

Damian Romano said...: I think a new locker room presence can do a lot. I'm not sure if its a coach or if its a player. But this much I can tell you, something needs to change.; January 6, 2009 at 1:27 p.m.
Anonymous said...: Jordan Stall must go.....all I here is 'upside' and 'upside' well listen the kid is a pus*y and always will be, hes as tough as my 6 year old niece...trade him now before everyone else realizes that he has no 'UPSIDE'!!; January 6, 2009 at 1:50 p.m.
Damian Romano said...: Greg, I hate to say I just wrote something similar elsewhere. I really think that he's worth the most with the least overall impact (loss) to the team. Not to mention no doubt he'll be asking for a bigger contract soon and we don't need a 3rd line Center when we are starving for a decent winger.; January 6, 2009 at 5:11 p.m.
Penguins Experience said...: I've been a Jordan Staal fan since he was drafted and I'd still hate to see him go.

But he is the only Penguin with any value in a trade right now.

Hopefully Shero realises that none of his players have very good trade value and doesn't make a huge trade. A few small moves might be good, but the team needs to get its confidence back somehow.; January 6, 2009 at 6:17 p.m.