There were plenty of things about the Penguins 3-2 overtime loss to the Bruins that could be upsetting to Penguins fans.
A questionable call in overtime (and even worse handling of that call), a flat-out bad call for goaltender inteference that wiped out a goal, the power play’s continued struggles (0-4 with only five shots), and plain old bad luck (Zdeno Chara’s goal went off two posts and in. Sideny Crosby’s shot hit the post and the back of Tuuka Rask but couldn’t find it’s way across the line, and neither could Beau Bennett’s chance from the doorstep in overtime) all plagued the Pens.
There are no easy fixes for most of those problems. There is one glaring problem, another questionable call if you will, that Mike Johnston, Gary Agnew and the Penguins staff can fix immediately.
While watching the video over and over to determine whether or not Patrice Bergeron played the puck with a high stick, one thing became obvious (other than it sure looks like it was a high stick).
[youtube width=”560″ height=”315″ link=”http://youtu.be/SB7i8lONzD0″]
What on earth was Rob Scuderi doing out at the point trying to cover Milan Lucic? What was Scuderi doing on the ice at all?
Scuderi, the Penguins old warhorse of a defenseman, was never the fleetest of skaters. At age 36, it’s pretty clear that whatever speed he once possessed is mostly gone. With regular-season overtime games being played four-on-four, thus putting skating at a premium, Scuderi should leave the bench only in an emergency.
Kris Letang has averaged 25:43 of ice time this season, Paul Martin 22:18 and Christian Ehrhoff 22:11. Martin and Letang took the first shift of overtime, and Ehrhoff and Robert Bortuzzo took the second. Only Letang was over his season average, albeit just barely, when Scuderi stepped over the boards 2:01 into the overtime period.
If the next shift had been Letang alongside Simon Despres do the Bruins still score? Of course, there is no way to know. However, on the other side of the ice, Boston head coach Claude Julien double-shifted Chara, Torrey Krug, and Dougie Hamilton, and left stiffs Adam McQuaid and Kevan Miller planted to the bench.
The Penguins would wise to follow suit in the future.
Photo credit: NHL
