Every sports formation has an easier time beating certain rivals, and with the Montreal Canadiens this season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have been a popular target.
• Also read: Jayden Struble agrees with the CH
By losing 6-4 in front of their fans on Tuesday, Sidney Crosby and his cronies missed a great opportunity to earn valuable points in the race for the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Eastern Conference playoffs.
And if they miss their shot for the first time since 2005-2006, they need to call the Habs.
In fact, the Pens managed the unenviable feat of losing their three games of the season against Bleu Blanc Rouge; On October 17 and November 12, both left Bell Center with an overtime loss.
Additionally, prior to the current season, since Crosby’s arrival in 2005, the Penguins had always managed to pick up at least one win in their annual series against the Canadian.
In fact, the previous sweep was from 2003-04 when Pittsburgh finished last overall.
However, it is true that Montreal had its share of success against the Pennsylvania franchise, winning all three playoff games (1998, 2010 and 2020) between the two teams.
Not enough
Head coach Mike Sullivan avoided commenting on his opponents’ performances and lamented a specific failure to explain his side’s troubles on Tuesday.
“Of course that’s not enough because we ended up on the wrong side of the scoreboard. I think we worked hard throughout the game. However, we haven’t always done it intelligently. Therefore on the few chances to score [du Canadien], some were of high quality, however few were, he pointed out, as reported on the team’s official website. This is an aspect where we need to improve, namely reducing the chances of being able to count on excellent quality. The structure is part of the solution and we must avoid concatenation errors.
The Penguins, who hold the first heat of the East-convened clubs with 78 points, are entitled to a much stronger opponent on Thursday and Saturday: the New York Rangers.