Erik Karlsson's skated out of on-ice conundrums countless times over the course of his epic NHL career, and it might now be safe to suggest he's even figured out a formula for overcoming ... wow, a third period so rancid that it rightly should've cost his team the season.
Consider these three photo-assisted steps:
1. SCORE THE HOCKEY PUCK.
JOE SARGENT / GETTY
2. GO ALL THEO FLEURY ON THE CELLY.
JOE SARGENT / GETTY
3. MAKE THE PLAYOFFS?
JEANINE LEECH / GETTY
Yep. Just like that, with Karlsson's mega-blast past Alex Lyon 1:40 into overtime, the Penguins had prevailed, 6-5, over the Red Wings on this Thursday night at PPG Paints Arena, they'd popped back into a Stanley Cup playoff position, and all was forgiven, if not outright forgotten.
Or ... maybe not. Meaning maybe it shouldn't be.
Before I get to the giddy, let me break down the two breakdowns that led to the latest blown two-goal lead for this team that's so maddening it can find ways to be maddening amid a historic late-season surge:
Larkin pulls us within 1. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/x1v4DDggfJ
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) April 12, 2024
The most absurd aspect of Karlsson wholly releasing Dylan Larkin at the last second is that, just before he does so, he correctly keeps his head on hockey's figurative swivel and identifies Larkin as the lone threat at hand. After which all he needs to do is, you know, not toss down the welcome mat.
But the second-most absurd aspect, and not to be overlooked in its own absurdity, is that Karlsson's got no play behind the net. None. Marcus Pettersson's very visibly on Lucas Raymond. And, if the puck somehow pokes through them and keeps ringing around the end boards ... OK, that's when to go get it.
"Made a couple of bad reads, and it cost us," was what Karlsson had to say for both gaffes, including the following that tied the score at 5-5:
LUCAS RAYMOND HATTY. pic.twitter.com/jgb135aQCv
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) April 12, 2024
Now, the most absurd aspect here comes when Karlsson pinches up along the right boards, trying to keep possession in the Detroit zone and prioritizing that over the perils of, you know, preserving a one-goal lead late in a do-or-die game. And the individual mistake that's made, to be clear, is that Pettersson was just pinching on the left boards with Sidney Crosby smartly covering. Once the puck rings back around the end boards, Pettersson slides back, and Sid bumps up to rejoin his fellow forwards.
Think of it as an ill-timed double-pinch, one too close in time to the other. Sid wasn't about to patrol center point.
But the second-most absurd aspect, and not to be overlooked in its own absurdity, is that the Mike Sullivan system doesn't account for situational alterations. The system's the system. For the most part, anyway. He's acknowledged adding reins at times on pinching defensemen, but that's not the same as simply holding up a giant neon stop sign. Which really ought to be on call at times.
I asked Sullivan about these breakdowns afterward, because I'm exactly that guy to do that after maybe the most uplifting moment in this building in years.
“I just think it’s focus, attention to detail, just commitment," he'd reply. "I think we’ve got some learning opportunities from this game where we let them back in the game. But I give our players a lot of credit for just digging in and competing. We’re competing hard, and I love that about this group right now. Their care factor is really high and they’re doing everything they can to get into the playoffs."
Digressing back to the question, he'd proceed, "We didn’t play as smart in certain situations tonight. We talk a lot about managing the game and how important that is to winning. Your calculation of risk has to change depending on the score of the game, the time of the game, situational play. I don’t think we checked that box as well tonight as we have. But we were able to find a way to get two points. I give the players a lot of credit for hanging in there and just sticking with it. That could've sunk a lot of teams and it didn’t sink this group. I’m proud of them for that.”
No argument here on any of that. If hockey involved a ball, the Penguins would've balled out. They left it all on the ice.
But for as long as that stuff continues -- or for as long as the coaching staff can't or won't concoct a significant contingency to cut it down -- any playoff appearance that might occur will last about as long as it took anyone to read this sentence.
Now, about that giddy ...
I've always been a sap for the in-tight, get-the-blank-out-of-my-way slapper, a concept that'll forever be highlighted in my mind by a furious Evgeni Malkin blowing this puck by poor Martin Biron back in 2008:
I know, it's worth watching another hundred times. I'll wait.
All good now?
Cool, because this one comes complete with its own merits:
Karlsson’s celly is everything. He and Letang both played really ugly hockey tonight and I think at the very least EK65 knew that. Hopefully they clean it up to end the season but damn, doesn’t matter as much if you score the game winner pic.twitter.com/Ol0yifZAJE
— Jordan DeFigio (@fidgenewton) April 12, 2024
God, that's gorgeous.
Begin with the opening of overtime, when Sid's booted from the circle, only to scoop up a faceoff victory of sorts on his own by swooping behind Larkin to collect the puck the latter thought he'd won against Bryan Rust. Then add another minute and a half of mostly sound possession, sandwiched around a sharp glove save on Larkin by Alex Nedeljkovic.
“We just did a better job of holding onto the puck when we had it," Sid would say. "We didn’t force any plays. If we’re going to turn it over, it should be in trying to create a good chance or taking an opportunity that’s there."
Next came a hard charge by Karlsson across the Detroit blue line that backed off the Red Wings enough that Rickard Rakell nearly won it right then.
"I mean, just Karl holding onto the puck once he's in the zone," as Rakell would tell me, "I'm just trying to pick up speed and be ready to attack when I get it because he's so good at getting it through and getting people to come close to him, and that gives me room. Then I thought I had a little jump on the guy."
He did. But Lyon hugged the pipe and that was that.
Which is when Sid, tailing Rakell on the attempt, angled off J.T. Compher to collect the puck, spun back out atop the left circle.
"Sid's the one who made sure we kept possession," Rakell would say. "That's huge."
Yep, because he'd dish to Karlsson and, unwittingly, leave Karlsson no option but to let one fly. Which seldom seems to be his preference, as I'd bring up with him afterward:
"There was no one to pass to," came the rapid reply with a smile.
"I wasn't really planning on stepping in," he'd continue, referring to the Detroit slot. "But they played it kind of wide, and I think their guy screened the goalie, and I just figured, 'Why not?' I think I was owed one. So I took my chances and it worked out."
All right, but why the slap shot when a wrister's so much more conventional in that situation?
"I mean, I don't know. Sometimes when they don't go in, the harder you shoot, the better the chance they go in. I just figured I'd shoot as hard as I can and try to keep it just above the pad. It's usually an easier-to-control shot, and it won't leave a big bounce or rebound if it doesn't go in."
Well, I'll add this, too: That puck was pretty much on end as it arrived, so Karlsson also did well to roll his wrists to ensure the puck didn't jump up off the blade and, beyond that, it might as well have done a moondance in beating Lyon.
"A real knuckler," Rakell would say. "I was right behind Karl. Nobody's stopping that."
This is what a team gets with Karlsson. He's all offense. Even in terms of his overtime redemption, he spoke far more about his recent goal futility -- one in 21 games before this -- than about the third period. It's how he's wired, and it's all the way down.
And heck, between Karlsson and Kris Letang having nearly identical nights in that Letang also had a goal on top of multiple breakdowns of his own, it demonstrated for maybe the billionth time this season of the inherent risk at the back end.
"I needed that goal, and we needed that goal, I think," was how Karlsson would word it. "We played a really solid game and had a couple of hiccups for them to get the 5-4 and 5-5. But that’s how tight it is. You've got to be 100% focused at all times. It’s a good learning lesson."
Familiar one, too.
• I've written two full columns off this event. The other's on Sid.
• Thanks for reading.
• And for listening:
