SUNRISE, Fla. -- It's a point.
"And it's a big point," Mike Sullivan was more than just mouthing late Thursday night at BB&T Center, where the Penguins were put down in overtime by the Panthers, 3-2. "And that's what I told the guys afterward: It's a big point."
They all are, and I offer that cliche-free: This maddening collection of eclectic talent is now 28-19-7, which has them, crazily, five points out of first place in the NHL's Metropolitan Division, but also in the eighth and final Eastern Conference's playoff spot, a mere three points ahead of the current bubble team, the Hurricanes.
So yeah, all of this counts. Every game. Every point. Heck, every play.
And that, to be candid, is what would have bugged me about this particular showing, regardless of outcome. Because these Penguins, after falling to that Carolina bubble team by 4-0 a couple nights earlier, had no earthly reason to emerge as flat as they did in this one. Not for a few minutes, either. Right through the first intermission.
As Bryan Rust, by far the visitors' most consistent performer on this night, worded it, "We've got to build off the things we did well in this game, but we've also got to learn from the rest."
Meaning the first period.
Meaning this:
See, the Penguins of late have worked hard, focused hard. What they haven't done, within the context of an actual playoff race, is work hard enough, focus hard enough.
There's a difference, and it's demonstrated in that faceoff up there. It came early in the second. It was the start of a 57-second, five-on-three power play. And it also was the end, essentially.
Sidney Crosby doesn't exactly outdraw Aleksander Barkov, but he does his job. On a five-on-three, the center's aim isn't so much to beat his opponent but, rather, to not lose. If the puck bounces around, as happens here, so be it. Because the wingers -- both of them -- are instructed to pounce from either hashmark to ensure possession, effectively making the battle three against one.
In this event, that's Patric Hornqvist and Phil Kessel.
Full disclosure: My one cardinal rule in writing hockey columns is that I can question anyone's effort except Hornqvist's. I've never had such a rule pre-Hornqvist, and I might never apply it again once he's gone. But while he's here, with all he's proven, that'll be the standard.
Besides, honestly, he doesn't mess up. He's on the dot right away, whirling around to try to win the puck.
Kessel ... not so much.
Scroll back up and take another look. I'll meet you back here.
See what I mean?
He's kind of there on the dot. He's kind of going after the puck. And then, once it slides back to Florida defenseman Josh Brown, he kind of tries to pry it back, only to get beaten by Brown's super-smooth chip to himself at the boards, followed by the long clear.
I'm taking nothing away from Brown here. That's an exceptional play for anyone, never mind a rookie in his eighth NHL game.
"Brownie was huge out there for a young guy with not a lot of experience in the league," Bob Boughner, the Panthers' coach, glowed. "I thought he did a great job on the five-on-three."
And yet, to repeat, the Penguins work and focus was hard, but not hard enough. As Boughner's counterpart bitterly bemoaned.
“You get almost a minute of five-on-three time, you expect to score," Sullivan fairly seethed. "It starts off the faceoff. There’s a 50/50 puck, and we don’t compete hard enough on it. So now, we lose 20 seconds going 200 feet to get the puck. Whereas, if we expend some energy on the 50/50 and win the puck battle, maybe we get more zone time."
This is what a grown man looks when he's fairly seething:
There was so much more -- and less -- to the Penguins' opening one-third of this game. But it felt that much more annoying that the power play was involved, in that they're now 1-for-18 since the All-Star break and, on top of that, they never look more lethargic in any facet than when they're piddling around with the extra man.
Solve that, and I'll bet the whole identity thing comes rushing back.
“I think we’re working toward it," Crosby replied when queried yet again about to the whole identity thing. "It’s something that we all have in the back of our mind. We want to make sure that we’re playing the same way every night. I think we know what that is. We’ve got to put games together and find a way to all do that consistently.”
Never forget that the Penguins aren't the Penguins when they aren't scoring. That's been their identity since Mario Lemieux first stared down Pete Peeters. Other factors can and do drive their offense, but they're still no one and nothing without their goals. And they've got four of those to show for the past three games, all losses.
THE ESSENTIALS
• Boxscore
THREE STARS
My curtain calls go to …
1. Aleksander Barkov
Panthers center
Florida's star shined brightest, with two assists, a plus-2 rating, 15-9 in the circles, and such a calming presence when defending. Really wish I could watch this truly elite talent more often.
2. Mike Matheson
Panthers defenseman
Scored in OT, had the primary assist on Evgenii Dadonov's icebreaker and ... well, he'd be my No. 1 if not for six giveaways, but no one will remember those now. More below in The Play.
3. Jared McCann
Penguins center
Prettiest goal of the night was the Penguins' first in two-plus games, and a shorty to boot. More below on both Florida trade acquisitions in The Good.
THE INJURIES
All players listed accompanied the team on this trip, and all participated in an informal skate here Thursday morning:
• Matt Murray, goaltender, is considered "day-to-day," Sullivan said, because of an upper-body injury that isn't a concussion. He didn't suit up. Tristan Jarry was Casey DeSmith's backup. Sullivan made clear the injury isn't long-term.
• Evgeni Malkin, center, out with an upper-body injury, is ... "I don't want to say he's day-to-day, but he's not far off," Sullivan said. That made it sound as if Malkin wouldn't be available Saturday in Tampa.
• Justin Schultz, defenseman, also is considered "day-to-day," Sullivan said.
• Zach Aston-Reese, winger, out with a broken left hand, is "day-to-day," Sullivan said.
THE GOOD
McCann and Nick Bjugstad were visibly emotional upon their returns to Sunrise, both beforehand and then during video tributes that drew stirringly passionate ovations despite the place being less than half-filled. Bjugstad, especially, had been deeply committed to charity endeavors and growing hockey in South Florida in his first seven NHL seasons, all with the Panthers.
Both appeared to channel that sentiment well.
McCann snapped the Penguins' scoreless drought at 140 minutes, 31 seconds by whipping this wrister by Roberto Luongo's blocker at 13:51 of the second to tie, 1-1:
Solid scouting there?
"Well, you get to know a little about everyone from things like morning skates and practices," McCann told me.
Bjugstad was tried as Crosby's right winger for the first time and, though that lasted only two periods with Sullivan putting a sizzling Rust there in the third, he showed flashes of meshing with Crosby and Jake Guentzel but also of creating his own offense.
Watch this power move in the first:
Bjugstad's facing Crosby, who's peeling back into the left corner and presenting a target. Nine of 10 times -- no, 99 of 100 times -- any Crosby linemate takes the obvious option. Bjugstad doesn't. Seeing over his shoulder that it's a 5-foot-9 center on his back, old friend Frank Vatrano, Bjugstad violently turns his 6-foot-6 frame back and swings out front for a stuff attempt on Luongo.
That's good hockey, but it's great ice awareness and confidence. Crosby's all that stronger when he has linemates loosening up the rink for him like that.
Of McCann, Sullivan assessed, "I think he’s getting more comfortable with how we’re trying to play. He’s getting better with each game. I thought he had a real strong game tonight.”
True to that, McCann confirmed for me, "I'm still learning the system. I'm trying really hard to get up to speed."
Of Bjugstad, Sullivan assessed, "I thought Nick had a good game. We had him for two periods with Sid’s line. We put Rusty up there and tried him with Matt Cullen and Phil on the wing. We’re trying to put him in positions where he’s comfortable. He’s a good player, he’s got good offensive instincts. You can see it when he has the puck.”
THE BAD
Marcus Pettersson's first goal with the Penguins was a top-shelf blast from the left point, tying the score at 2-2 at 8:17 of the third and, thus, bringing that precious point:
It was the second of his career, the first coming with the Ducks on March 4, 2018, and he'd been itching for this for a while, hoping to prove his offensive capabilities to his new team. Which might partially explain his ecstatic reaction, as well as that of those on the ice.
Even so, when I brought that up with him, he opted only to discuss this:
That's Pettersson uncharacteristically rushing a blind clear up the left boards, and that's soft-handed Keith Yandle picking it inside the blue line. Pettersson again rushes in trying to make up for his mistake, effectively sliding to block Riley Sheahan's shot atop the right circle. But the puck eventually makes it to Barkov, who feeds Colton Sceviour for the goal.
That was a dagger, too, putting Florida back up, 2-1, with 2:28 left in the second after the Penguins had finally found some footing.
"I've got to get that puck out," Pettersson told me. "Then I went to block the shot and kind of sold myself out. But I've got to get the first one out. That's what started it all."
Reminder: He's 22 years old.
THE PLAY
The Penguins controlled the puck in overtime slightly more than the Panthers. The Penguins took one shot, bypassed at least five others by my count, two by Phil Kessel. The Panthers took four shots and, with 46 seconds left, Matheson deftly redirected this Jonathan Huberdeau saucer behind DeSmith:
Did that highly skilled coupling decide the game?
“Huby is such a great playmaker," Matheson would say of Huberdeau. "Pretty much all you have to do is make eye contact with him and he’ll understand what you mean by it.”
Or was it Kessel and Guentzel both letting Matheson whirl right through the slot?
Or was it DeSmith curiously trying a pokecheck?
Or was it that first period?
I'm still going with the latter. By far the most controllable, avoidable component.
THE CALL
I'm not a subscriber to the Sullivan-hates-youth theory. That's always felt like a remnant of Dan Bylsma's perpetual benching of Simon Despres that fans have never forgotten or forgiven. Besides, Sullivan won not one but two Stanley Cups in Pittsburgh in large part because he trusted youth infusions late in both seasons.
That said ...
With Malkin out, Sullivan chose to bump the 42-year-old Cullen to center the No. 2 line, trusting Cullen with 17:38 of ice time, sixth-most among forwards. In return, as advanced metrics painfully painted the picture, Cullen was the worst performer at any position for either team: He was on the ice for nine shot attempts for the Penguins, 30 for the Panthers.
Meanwhile, Teddy Blueger, the kid just called up from Wilkes-Barre who's done nothing but impress, was relegated to the fourth line and, from there, nailed to the bench. He logged 8:05 of ice time, with just 6:15 of that at even-strength. And even so, he was on the ice for seven shot attempts for the Penguins, three for the Panthers. Skated like a buzzsaw, too.
Lots about this scenario needs to change. Without waiting for Malkin to make it change.
THE OTHER SIDE
As much as a hockey game can get hyped in this non-market for the NHL, this one had it because of the recent trade and the civic respect for Bjugstad. But it still ended up being mostly about the game itself, not Brassard and Sheahan each getting an assist, not about anything revenge-related.
That's because the Panthers, despite being 22-22-8 and 11 points out of a playoff spot, fancy themselves as hopefuls. And in responding to blowing a two-goal lead two nights earlier and losing to the Blues, 3-2, then blowing another third-period lead on this night, they had ample cause for some back-patting.
"I liked our response," Sceviour said. "This game, they tied it up both times. I feel like we pushed back and went at them, and that’s the way you have to play in those situations. I was proud that we did that.”
Most of their pushback came through defending. The Panthers outshot the Penguins, 42-31.
"They’re a good team, and we were all aware of them all the time on the ice," Barkov said. "We talked a lot, yesterday, about how to respond against Pittsburgh, and I think we did a pretty good job.”
THE SCHEDULE
The Penguins will practice Friday, 1 p.m., at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. Their game against the Lightning there is Saturday, 7:08 p.m. The team will spend Sunday flying to Philadelphia.
THE COVERAGE
Visit our Penguins team page for everything.
MATT SUNDAY GALLERY