Yohe's 10 observations: Without Rakell, Penguins dominate Kings for impressive victory

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LOS ANGELES — The Pittsburgh Penguins had lost four of their previous five games and, before Monday’s game in Los Angeles, learned that they’d be without their leading goal scorer as Rickard Rakell was forced to fly back to Pittsburgh because of a family matter.

Meanwhile, an emotional Los Angeles Kings team was playing at home for the first time since wildfires have devastated portions of Southern California.

It had all the makings of a difficult night for the visitors. Instead, the unpredictable Penguins played one of their finest games of the season, beating one of the NHL’s best teams in a thorough 5-1 victory.

“I think we knew that coming into this game,” Marcus Pettersson said. “And we came together because of it. I thought we were so good tonight, one of our best games of the season.”

Kevin Hayes, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Cody Glass and Anthony Beauvillier scored for the Penguins.

Alex Nedeljkovic, fresh off making history by becoming the first goalie in NHL history to score a goal and record an assist in the same game on Friday in Buffalo, stopped 25 of 26 shots to earn the victory.

The Penguins were the better team from the game’s opening minutes, defeating a Kings team that historically gives them trouble for the second time this season. Coach Mike Sullivan has been frustrated by his team’s defensive work in recent weeks — well, all season, really, but especially in recent weeks — but the Penguins were airtight defensively most of the evening.

“I thought it was one of the better games we’ve played all year,” Sullivan said.

The game was especially important given that the Penguins have fallen a few points out of playoff position. They’re now 2-1 on their current trip.

“I think we did some good things in Washington, too,” Crosby said. “But, just getting a couple (of goals) gave us a confidence boost.”

Ten postgame observations

• This was a stunningly good performance from the Penguins, maybe their finest of the season.

I do wonder if the Kings simply had no energy because of everything they’ve been through recently. This can’t be discounted. Sometimes, when teams are emotional, they are gangbusters and don’t have a chance of losing.

Other teams are flat, which is certainly how the Kings appeared.

Still, I can’t take anything away from the Penguins. This was an exceptional two-way effort. I didn’t expect this kind of performance after their last two outings, especially with Rakell out of the lineup. You never really know with this team.

• Nedeljkovic wasn’t challenged a ton in this game, but still, he was sharp as can be.

“Man was he good,” Glass said. “So good. How about him?”

In particular, his rebound control was outstanding. I’d give him the start again in Anaheim on Thursday. He was pretty much in the zone all game.

This marks only the second time all season that the Penguins have received three straight games with a save percentage better than .900 from their goaltenders.

“The puck was just sticking to him all night,” Pettersson said. “You could see from the very beginning of the game that he was feeling good.”

Nedeljkovic can be a bit streaky, and if he’s entering a hot stretch right now, the Penguins need to ride him. The season is obviously on the line at the moment.

• Hayes opened the scoring for the Penguins and, while the finish was a bit fluky, the power move he made to put himself in position to score was not.

Later in the game, Hayes delivered a pretty feed to Glass, who scored his third goal of the season.

Hayes has been an interesting player during his time with the Penguins. His lack of foot speed is impossible to ignore. So, too, is the touch and creativity he showcases in the offensive zone.

He’s been a very good player since returning to the lineup on Jan. 3 in Florida. He has four goals during that span and has made some positive contributions to the Penguins’ offensive attack.

Speaking of which, Glass has a goal in two of his last three games after only having one goal before that. Something seemed to click for him in Buffalo and he’s looked like a different player since.

“It’s nice to get some points, especially when you’ve been close,” Glass said. “It adds some confidence to your game.”

• I didn’t think Crosby looked himself in the first two games of this trip against Buffalo and Washington, but this performance was more Crosby-like. He scored on a pretty deflection to give the Penguins a 2-0 lead in the first period.

He later picked up a helper on Beauvillier’s 11th goal of the season.

Crosby was dynamic in both games against the Kings this season, which is no small feat given that he spends much of his time dealing with the great Anze Kopitar in these matchups.

This was the first time in a while when Crosby and Malkin had the A-version of their legs in the same game. Needless to say, it makes a pretty big difference.

Malkin has had his legs for three straight games, perhaps a good sign of things to come. Crosby was impressed with his game.

“Yeah, he was dancing there,” Crosby said of Malkin. “Eventually the puck finds him again and he scores.”

• Sullivan was asked before Monday’s game about Philip Tomasino’s recent performance. He gave a rather revealing answer, essentially explaining that, while Tomasino possesses significant talent and has enjoyed some stellar moments in his brief time with the Penguins, he needs to work on the finer points of the game. He mentioned facets of the game such as his work on the boards.

Just because Tomasino puts up a couple of points in a game, this doesn’t mean that the coaching staff is pleased with how he played. They need to see more from him, his play without the puck, his work in the defensive zone.

He’s not wrong.

Of course, when you consider the play Tomasino made to set up Malkin’s goal, you come away appreciating the talent this guy has.

It will be interesting to see if he can put all of his considerable attributes together as a member of the Penguins. He certainly shows flashes.

• Beauvillier enjoyed quite a game, firing six shots on goal.

It’s no small thing that has scored 11 goals this season. I don’t think expectations were very high for him entering the season, and he’s been quite good. He adds plenty of team speed to the Penguins’ attack and he’s simply been a good two-way player all season.

• Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang were both close to flawless in this game.

It goes a long way when they play like that. Good stuff from them.

• I don’t have any information on Rakell on than what Sullivan said on Monday morning, which is to say, he left the team because of a family matter back in Pittsburgh. Hopefully, nothing is seriously wrong.

On a less important note, the Penguins won this game without Rakell, but that doesn’t figure to be a regular occurrence if he needs to miss more time. Rakell has been an exceptionally consistent, dynamic performer for the Penguins all season. The sooner he’s back, the better it is for the Penguins.

• Up next for the Penguins? A much-needed day off.

Consider their schedule during the past five days. The Penguins practiced on Thursday and then traveled to Buffalo. They played in Buffalo on Friday night, traveled to Washington that night, and played on Saturday against the Capitals. They took a cross-country flight to Los Angeles on Sunday and then played on Monday.

That’s a taxing schedule. Typically when the Penguins play in California, they have a couple of days off before the trip, which allows them to fly two days before the game in an attempt to acclimate to the time change.

They’ll be off on Tuesday and practice in Anaheim before taking on the Ducks on Thursday.

• The Kings hosted a stirring pregame ceremony, honoring the first responders and, in particular, members of the Los Angeles Fire Department who have fought the recent Southern California wildfires.

It was all very tastefully done. I should also add that the Penguins very much embraced the spirit of everything happening in Los Angeles on Monday. Kyle Dubas and other front office members wore Los Angeles Fire Department shirts during the game, while players and coaches fully embraced the LAPD by wearing hats and shirts during and after the morning skate.

While it’s corny to say that the hockey world is a small community in and of itself, it really is. It was a beautiful pregame tribute for a community that has dealt with such hardship this month.

(Photo of Kevin Hayes celebrating his first-period goal: Kiyoshi Mio / Imagn Images)





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About The Author

Avatar of Silvia Elder
Ronda Baker is a news writer who specializes in arts, automotive, travel, and fashion. She has been writing since she was a child, and her passion for the written word has only grown since then.

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