This game is a lot less savage than it used to be, and nowhere is that more evident than around the net.
A few decades ago, a defenseman could use anything shy of a scythe to clear out opposing forwards who dared venture too close to his team's crease. Which, in some cases, meant the offending forward was guilty of the high crime of skating across the blue line.
But the days when a guy inclined to hover near the net could expect justice-by-cross-check to be delivered to his spine -- or skull -- have faded into the mists of of hockey history, and physicality has, for the most part, given way to finesse for defensemen.
Still, even though the emphasis now is on things like boxing out and tying up opponents' sticks, there are occasions when a well-timed check is called for.
Occasions such as when Panthers center Sam Reinhart, flanked by Penguins defensemen Kris Letang and Brian Dumoulin, swatted a puck out of the air and past Tristan Jarry at 12:43 of the opening period for Florida's first goal in its 4-3 victory at PPG Paints Arena Tuesday night.
And while that was an impressive display of hand-eye coordination by Reinhart, swiping that puck behind Jarry would have been infinitely tougher if Reinhart had been knocked to the ice. Or even jostled a bit.
But, like most Penguins opponents operating near their crease, he was not.
The Penguins' defense corps simply is not built to punish other teams with hitting; its members sometimes act as if every opponent who wanders near their net is wearing a no-contact jersey.
Consequently, they must execute efficiently, getting position on opponents and denying them unfettered opportunities to set screens and get deflections or rebounds.
That didn't happen often enough during the first period, which is part of the reason Florida took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission after Aaron Ekblad scored on a long shot through traffic less than two minutes after Reinhart's goal.
"I didn't like (the net-front play) at all in the first period," Mike Sullivan said. "Both goals that they scored, for example. We have to defend that area. We have to defend that area harder. On the (Ekblad) goal, we had an opportunity to get into people early and deny them the ice. ... It just boils down to (attention to) details, and then a certain compete level.
"We put ourselves behind the eight-ball a little bit when we got down two goals, where we had an opportunity to defend against them, and a lot of it boils down to the net-front."
Although the Penguins almost certainly would benefit from having a little more muscle on their blue line, toughness has to be used judiciously.
If it's not, such as when Florida defenseman Radko Gudas flattened Jake Guentzel in front of the Florida net with five seconds remaining in the second period, chances are the aggressor will spend some time in the penalty box. Gudas did, being assessed a minor for interference, giving the Penguins a power play that could have tied the game, 3-3, if they'd been able to capitalize on it.
Straying outside the rules the way Gudas did usually isn't necessary, however, if the defender has positioned himself properly as the play develops.
"You never know what's going to be called and what's not," Dumoulin said. "But if you can get to a guy early and impede his progress, make it difficult for him to get to the front of the net ... When they're already established in front, it's tough to move guys."
Especially if they're not going to be hit with anything stronger than a glare.
GETTY
Sidney Crosby skates away from Panthers defenseman Lucas Carlsson
MORE FROM THE GAME
• The loss capped a streak of three games against the teams ahead of the Penguins in the Eastern Conference; they went 1-1-1, with a 5-1 victory in Tampa, a 3-2 overtime defeat at Carolina and the loss to Florida. "It's disappointing that we lost two of those three games," Sidney Crosby said. "But at the same time, for good chunks of those games, we did some really good things, too. We're right there."
• Zach Aston-Reese was credited with his first goal in 33 games ... until he wasn't. He was announced as the goal-scorer for deflecting a Bryan Rust pass behind Sergei Bobrovsky at 3:07 of the second period, but the goal later was switched to Rust after it was determined that Ekblad was the one who steered the puck into the Florida net. Aston-Reese has not scored since Nov. 24.
• Whatever progress Sullivan felt he had been seeing in Kasperi Kapanen's game apparently disappeared by the third period, as Jeff Carter replaced him on Evgeni Malkin's right wing then. "I made that decision in the third period, to go with the guys that I went with, because we felt that we needed to get more throughout our lineup," Sullivan said. "More threats from different lines."
• Rust's goal made it 2-1 at 3:07 of the second period and just nine seconds later, Guentzel scored from the top of the left circle after Crosby won a faceoff directly to him. "Sometimes, (set plays) work, sometimes they don't," Crosby said.
• The three members of the Penguins' top line -- Crosby, Rust and Guentzel -- produced the Penguins' goals, which means secondary scoring continues to be conspicuously absent from their game.
• Although Patric Hornqvist led Florida with four hits, the most notable of the 22 with which the Panthers were credited was delivered by MacKenzie Weegar. He dropped Guentzel with a hard, clean shoulder check not long after Guentzel had tied the game.
• Crosby, on the strong two-way play of Panthers center Aleksander Barkov: "He's elite, at both ends. He's strong on pucks. He's got great hands. Really good shot. Can distribute the puck and he competes hard, defensively. He's a complete player, and he competes every night. Anytime you go up against him, you expect a good challenge."
• Rust wasn't the only Penguins player to appear in his 400th career game Tuesday. Brock McGinn hit that milestone against the Panthers, too.
• Two former Penguins executives -- Vancouver assistant GM Derek Clancey, who was director of player personnel here when Jim Rutherford was GM, and Buffalo assistant GM Jason Karmanos, as assistant GM under Rutherford -- were among the representatives of other clubs who scouted the game. The NHL trade deadline is March 21.
THE ESSENTIALS
THE THREE STARS
As selected at PPG Paints Arena:
1. Carter Verhaeghe, Panthers, LW
2. Sidney Crosby, Penguins, C
3. Anthony Duclair, Panthers, RW
THE HIGHLIGHTS
THE INJURIES
• Mike Matheson, defenseman, is week-to-week because of an unspecified upper-body injury. He has resumed skating.
• Jason Zucker, left winger, had core-muscle surgery Jan. 25 and is week-to-week. He has resumed skating.
THE LINEUPS
Sullivan’s lines and pairings:
Jake Guentzel-Sidney Crosby-Bryan Rust
Danton Heinen-Evgeni Malkin-Kasperi Kapanen
Dominik Simon-Jeff Carter-Evan Rodrigues
Zach Aston-Reese-Teddy Blueger-Brock McGinn
Brian Dumoulin-Kris Letang
Marcus Pettersson-John Marino
Mark Friedman-Chad Ruhwedel
And for Andrew Brunette's Panthers:
Carter Verhaeghe-Aleksander Barkov-Maxim Mamin
Jonathan Huberdeau-Sam Bennett-Anthony Duclair
Mason Marchment-Eetu Luostartinen-Sam Reinhart
Frank Vatrano-Noel Acciari-Patric Hornqvist
MacKenzie Weegar-Aaron Ekblad
Gustav Forsling-Radko Gudas
Lucas Carlsson-Brandon Montour
THE SCHEDULE
The Penguins have a scheduled day off Wednesday and will practice Thursday at 11 a.m. at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.
THE CONTENT
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