Pittsburgh Penguins overwhelm Toronto Maple Leafs with 49-shot outburst in posting 4-1 victory
PITTSBURGH — Say this about the work in progress that is the Toronto Maple Leafs — when they want to, they can skate and compete with any team in the NHL, the reigning Stanley Cup champs included.
But when it comes to playing responsible, reliable defence, there are plenty of lessons still to be learned.
The Penguins peppered Leafs goaltender Freddy Andersen with 49 shots en route to a 4-1 win Saturday night at the PPG Paints Arena. It was a game that the Leafs weren’t necessarily going to win, but it could have been a lot closer if it weren’t for the all-too-familiar collapses in their own end.
“We gave up way too many shots, way too many Grade A chances,” said forward Zach Hyman, who scored the lone Leafs goal, his second in as many nights. “Freddy kept us in it for a long time. If you give them that many chances, they’re going to score.”
The frustrating thing from coach Mike Babcock’s perspective was that it wasn’t the high skill goals that the Penguins have in their arsenal that did the Leafs in on this night.
Instead, it was grinding, go-to-the net plays that helped the Pens to the title last spring. All four Pittsburgh goals came from within feet of Andersen’s crease. And for much of the net, the Leafs were far too slow moving the puck out of their own end, a proven strength of their opponent.
“We gave up two bad goals from D zone coverage and we had three tonight where we could have done a better job,” said Babcock, whose team fell to 6-6-3 and still has just one road victory (1-4-3). “We generated a lot of chances as well, but we gave up way too many chances with our D zone play. We’ve got to fix that, obviously.
“I thought we were too loose as the game went on.”
Despite playing their second game in as many nights, the Leafs were in it until Chris Kunitz popped in the go-ahead goal with 18 seconds left in the second period. Typical of the Leafs’ play in their own end, Kunitz was one of three unchecked Penguins within spitting distance of Andersen.
The Leafs opened the scoring on Hyman’s goal just 1:22 into the game and that clearly gave the team a boost. Evgeni Malkin tied it when he scooped up a loose puck off the end boards on a power play at 3:06 of the second.
“They are strong around the net and determined,” said Andersen, who had a licence to be weary after facing the Philadelphia Flyers at home the night before. “All four goals were ugly goals around there. They are first on the pucks. That’s something we can maybe learn from.
“They were hungrier than we were.”
As is so typical when the Leafs play the Pens, Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby was a factor, notching a goal and an assist as the game got out of hand in the third.
The outburst gave him 32 points in 19 career home games against the Leafs. And his goal, in which he shook loose from Leafs defenceman Martin Marincin to redirect a Brian Dumoulin shot, was his 10th of the season in just nine games and second only to Winnipeg rookie Patrick Laine in that department.
Crosby and the Pens were well aware that they could force the issue as the game went deeper and the young Leafs legs grew wearier.
“Playing a team on back-to-back nights, you just want to take advantage as much as you can,” Crosby said. “We did a good job keeping our foot on the gas and applying pressure.
With the win, the Pens improved to 7-1-1 at home this season and are 10-3-2 overall, one of just four teams in the NHL with 10 wins. The 49 shots on goal were a season high and the most by the Pens under head coach Mike Sullivan.
Pittsburgh also increased its unbeaten streak over the Leafs to 8-0-1 as goaltender Matt Murray made a career-high 35 saves to improve his season’s record to 4-0.
The Leafs certainly had their own chances, including a penalty kill in which the second period when they had three outstanding opportunities.
The shot attempts margin was closer than the shot clock itself, with the Pens holding a 73-65 edge. But many of the Leafs opportunities came from the perimeter or were fired an instant too late, affording good looks for Murray.
Though the Leafs competed much harder than they did in the blowout 7-0 home loss to Los Angeles earlier in the week, they got a first-hand look at how the Cup champs roll.
“They are a good skating team, we saw it last year in the playoffs,” said defenceman Matt Hunwick, who returned to the Leafs lineup after missing eight games due to a lower-body injury. “We played too much in our own zone. Obviously, giving up (almost) 50 shots is indicative of that.”
PITTSBURGH — Say this about the work in progress that is the Toronto Maple Leafs — when they want to, they can skate and compete with any team in the NHL, the reigning Stanley Cup champs included.
But when it comes to playing responsible, reliable defence, there are plenty of lessons still to be learned.
The Penguins peppered Leafs goaltender Freddy Andersen with 49 shots en route to a 4-1 win Saturday night at the PPG Paints Arena. It was a game that the Leafs weren’t necessarily going to win, but it could have been a lot closer if it weren’t for the all-too-familiar collapses in their own end.
“We gave up way too many shots, way too many Grade A chances,” said forward Zach Hyman, who scored the lone Leafs goal, his second in as many nights. “Freddy kept us in it for a long time. If you give them that many chances, they’re going to score.”
The frustrating thing from coach Mike Babcock’s perspective was that it wasn’t the high skill goals that the Penguins have in their arsenal that did the Leafs in on this night.
Instead, it was grinding, go-to-the net plays that helped the Pens to the title last spring. All four Pittsburgh goals came from within feet of Andersen’s crease. And for much of the net, the Leafs were far too slow moving the puck out of their own end, a proven strength of their opponent.
“We gave up two bad goals from D zone coverage and we had three tonight where we could have done a better job,” said Babcock, whose team fell to 6-6-3 and still has just one road victory (1-4-3). “We generated a lot of chances as well, but we gave up way too many chances with our D zone play. We’ve got to fix that, obviously.
“I thought we were too loose as the game went on.”
Despite playing their second game in as many nights, the Leafs were in it until Chris Kunitz popped in the go-ahead goal with 18 seconds left in the second period. Typical of the Leafs’ play in their own end, Kunitz was one of three unchecked Penguins within spitting distance of Andersen.
The Leafs opened the scoring on Hyman’s goal just 1:22 into the game and that clearly gave the team a boost. Evgeni Malkin tied it when he scooped up a loose puck off the end boards on a power play at 3:06 of the second.
“They are strong around the net and determined,” said Andersen, who had a licence to be weary after facing the Philadelphia Flyers at home the night before. “All four goals were ugly goals around there. They are first on the pucks. That’s something we can maybe learn from.
“They were hungrier than we were.”
As is so typical when the Leafs play the Pens, Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby was a factor, notching a goal and an assist as the game got out of hand in the third.
The outburst gave him 32 points in 19 career home games against the Leafs. And his goal, in which he shook loose from Leafs defenceman Martin Marincin to redirect a Brian Dumoulin shot, was his 10th of the season in just nine games and second only to Winnipeg rookie Patrick Laine in that department.
Crosby and the Pens were well aware that they could force the issue as the game went deeper and the young Leafs legs grew wearier.
“Playing a team on back-to-back nights, you just want to take advantage as much as you can,” Crosby said. “We did a good job keeping our foot on the gas and applying pressure.
With the win, the Pens improved to 7-1-1 at home this season and are 10-3-2 overall, one of just four teams in the NHL with 10 wins. The 49 shots on goal were a season high and the most by the Pens under head coach Mike Sullivan.
Pittsburgh also increased its unbeaten streak over the Leafs to 8-0-1 as goaltender Matt Murray made a career-high 35 saves to improve his season’s record to 4-0.
The Leafs certainly had their own chances, including a penalty kill in which the second period when they had three outstanding opportunities.
The shot attempts margin was closer than the shot clock itself, with the Pens holding a 73-65 edge. But many of the Leafs opportunities came from the perimeter or were fired an instant too late, affording good looks for Murray.
Though the Leafs competed much harder than they did in the blowout 7-0 home loss to Los Angeles earlier in the week, they got a first-hand look at how the Cup champs roll.
“They are a good skating team, we saw it last year in the playoffs,” said defenceman Matt Hunwick, who returned to the Leafs lineup after missing eight games due to a lower-body injury. “We played too much in our own zone. Obviously, giving up (almost) 50 shots is indicative of that.”
» 9/21/23 Militia Man & Crew IRAQ DINAR - Global Financial System - Liquidity = INTERNATIONAL EXCHA
» Parliamentary integrity aims at the governor of the Central Bank: his management is bad and his mand
» Parliamentary Services: The government is continuing to complete the New Sadr City project
» Minister of Oil: We give exceptional attention to the development of national companies and the nati
» The Prime Minister's advisor explains the spending priorities in the budget
» Parliamentary hosting of the Chairman of the Retirement Authority regarding overcoming obstacles and
» Sheikh Al-Karbalai: We seek to return Iraq to what it was before in a number of sectors, including h
» The representative of the Emir of Kuwait meets Al-Sudani: The Iraqi judiciary committed a historical
» Al-Sudani: We will direct quantities of oil to operate Iraqi refineries abroad
» Al-Sudani confirms Iraq's commitment to Security Council resolutions related to Iraq and Kuwait
» Washington played a role in the salary agreement between Baghdad and Erbil
» Foreign Minister: Iraq opened the doors of the economy to Gulf investment, and there are clear misun
» Planning discloses the details of the Baghdad-Babylon road project.
» Al-Sultani reveals violations of the number of employees in Kurdistan
» Including Iraq.. These countries dominate gold reserves in the Arab world
» A "golden opportunity" for companies.. The activities of the Erbil International Food Products Exhib
» Oil: Exporting surplus quantities of liquid gas abroad
» Seminar in Tehran on sustainable trade with Iraq
» Al-Maliki to the British Ambassador: Iraq is preparing to hold local elections that will contribute
» Al-Sudani invites the Secretary of NATO to Baghdad.. The benefits of the relationship outweigh the c
» The former Minister of Resources responds to Al-Halbousi: Iraq does not need new dams because the cu
» Sudanese to his Kuwaiti counterpart: Iraq is committed to Security Council resolutions and the sover
» Al-Sudani confirms Iraq's efforts to pursue strategic relations with the United States
» The Foreign Minister reveals the date of Al-Sudani’s visit to the White House: I will meet Lavrov so
» Kurdish MP: The reactions of Baghdad and Erbil to the Turkish bombing do not rise to the level of de
» Politician: Al-Sudani focuses on 3 points during his stay in New York
» Foreign Ministry: Our relations with Russia remain strong despite the sanctions
» Parliamentary Finance reveals three determinants for passing the salary scale
» Returning more than five thousand dismissed politicians to service
» Parliamentary services: 5 new cities will be added during 2024
» Integrity announces the value of the funds saved last August
» Parliamentary Legal: Passing a general amnesty depends on political consensus
» Mosul Dam Administration: We did not notice any technical problem threatening its safety
» The United States confirms its support for the success of the Sudanese government’s “reform” steps.
» The dollar continues to rise against the dinar in Baghdad and Erbil
» The President of the Kurdistan Region congratulates the Union of Islamic Religious Scholars on the a
» A Kuwaiti parliamentarian demands the return of his country’s deposits with Iraq: amounting to $815
» Iraqi Central Auction: External remittances increased by 80% at the expense of cash sales
» The central bank sells more than $198 million in currency auction
» Planning: 84% completion of the Baghdad-Kirkuk entrance rehabilitation and maintenance project.
» Kuwait: $815 million total deposits of the Kuwaiti government with Iraq
» Demands for the construction of a navigation dam to stop water scarcity in Basra
» Expectations that the oil and gas law will be passed after the local elections
» Demands for the construction of a navigation dam to stop water scarcity in Basra
» Specialists: The path of development is the face of the country in the next stage
» Experts: Developing electronic automation will limit smuggling operations
» Economist: Promoting investment requires implementing comprehensive strategies
» Al-Sudani meets with American companies to support gas investments in Iraq
» Agriculture: Prices of local products are within normal rates
» Basra Electricity announces that there has been a power outage in a number of areas of the governora
» Postponing the start of the electrical connection between Iraq and Jordan
» In numbers... Integrity details the money that was detected, stopping its waste, and returning it du
» Parliamentary Oil: Federal Court decisions are binding on everyone
» Iraq suspends official working hours next Wednesday
» The importance of the development path compared to other new global economic corridors
» Parliament objects to the Sudanese government: It has no right to lend without consulting us
» Parliamentary Oil: The necessity of having understandings regarding the mechanism of extracting oil
» The Prime Minister calls on Norwegian companies to work in Iraq
» Procedures for resolving problems that may arise between governorates
» Experts: Developing electronic automation will limit smuggling operations
» Baghdad hosts a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Arab Parliament
» Experts: Developing electronic automation will limit smuggling operations
» November is the date for announcing industrial investment opportunities
» Dean of deferred laws
» International expert: Promoting investment requires implementing comprehensive strategies
» Dhi Qar Oil increases the number of producing wells
» Consumer reassurance
» Experts: The lack of revenues does not affect budget estimates
» Al-Sudani invites the Secretary-General of NATO to visit Baghdad
» Oil is declining and expectations of an interest rate hike in America erase the impact of the declin
» The Federal Court rejects a lawsuit against sending 700 billion dinars to the Kurdistan Region
» Iraq announces the disarmament of anti-Iranian groups
» British website: The chances of the development route are superior to the Indian corridor
» The rise of the dollar stifles the poor class as the return to school approaches
» Minister of Labor: 7 million, the number of people covered by social protection assistance in Iraq
» Can Iraq finally become an international center for the petrochemical industries?
» Iraq's revenues are 18% less than expected in the budget
» The Labor Party remains in Iraq at the request of Tehran against the SDF and America
» A Gulf-American statement stresses Iraq’s commitment to demarcating maritime borders
» Revitalized after the cancellation of the visa.. Pictures from Qom.. Iranians taste dalimiya and mas
» Ali Hatem: We have an old vendetta with Al-Sadr and the Sunni parties supported by Iran
» Al-Sudani: The government is in the process of reviewing the form of the relationship with the inter
» Al-Maliki: Iraq is witnessing the beginning of the launch of a major reconstruction campaign
» This year...the Sudanese intends to visit Russia
» Al-Samarrai: There is no way to change the service and living reality in Salah al-Din except by acti
» President Bafel Jalal Talabani calls on the judiciary to play its role in the issue of creating Hala
» Minister of Justice Dr. Khaled Shawani receives the French Ambassador to Iraq
» America renews its commitment to the Strategic Framework Agreement: We continue to train Iraqi force
» Dollar exchange rates in Iraqi markets
» A “mysterious” postponement of the start of the electrical connection between Iraq and Jordan.. Amma
» The Federal Court refuses to issue a “state order” to stop lending to the Kurdistan Regional Governm
» Sudani from New York: The government is in the process of reviewing the form of the relationship wit
» Sudanese at the Sustainable Development Summit: We plan to achieve the goal of “zero flare” for gas
» Announcing the Central Bank of Iraq transfer auction for a period of (14) day
» Withdrawal of the license of Akkad Company to mediate the sale and purchase of foreign currencies /
» Planning Is Discussing With China The Investment And Economic Opportunities Available In Iraq
» “It is expected.” A political analysis of America’s position in support of the Gulf regarding Khor A
» Iraq begins special measures to contain water scarcity.. Video