James Neal and Patric Hornqvist, traded for each other last summer, duel along the boards Sunday. — GETTY
BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC
News: The Penguins fell hard to the Predators, 4-0, in a faceoff with the NHL’s best team.
Views: This was a strange game for a slew of reasons.
Chief among them was that the home side largely dictated the flow, while the visitors sat back in Peter Laviolette’s standard 1-2-2 and waited. The Penguins mostly — and rightly — pressed the attack, and they created their share of chances, even outright breakaways on Nashville backup Carter Hutton. Maxim Lapierre and Nick Spaling clanged clean shots off the pipe behind Hutton. There were three power plays, too. Didn’t matter. Five shots, zip to show for them. This opponent, built on powerhouse defensemen Shea Weber and Seth Jones, blocked, saved and cleared.
“We talk about competing, but you’ve got to compete offensively, too,” Mike Johnston said afterward. “A team like Nashville, they’re going to keep you to the outside.”
Parkes brings size, confidence to Hounds
7:47 pm Friday
Heath was the perfect Pittsburgh player
7:31 pm Friday
Multimedia: Picturing the past and present
7:15 pm Friday
Quiet Cullen valuable addition for Penguins
5:46 pm Friday
February 1, 2015
News/views: Penguins fall to NHL’s finest
by Dejan Kovacevic • Coverage • Penguins
James Neal and Patric Hornqvist, traded for each other last summer, duel along the boards Sunday. — GETTY
BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC
News: The Penguins fell hard to the Predators, 4-0, in a faceoff with the NHL’s best team.
Views: This was a strange game for a slew of reasons.
Chief among them was that the home side largely dictated the flow, while the visitors sat back in Peter Laviolette’s standard 1-2-2 and waited. The Penguins mostly — and rightly — pressed the attack, and they created their share of chances, even outright breakaways on Nashville backup Carter Hutton. Maxim Lapierre and Nick Spaling clanged clean shots off the pipe behind Hutton. There were three power plays, too. Didn’t matter. Five shots, zip to show for them. This opponent, built on powerhouse defensemen Shea Weber and Seth Jones, blocked, saved and cleared.
“We talk about competing, but you’ve got to compete offensively, too,” Mike Johnston said afterward. “A team like Nashville, they’re going to keep you to the outside.”