Yohe’s 10 observations: Oilers toy with humbled Penguins in blowout
- by The New York Times
- Oct 26, 2024
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— zach (@zjlaing) October 26, 2024
Darnell Nurse immediately challenged Pettersson to a fight, and he landed some heavy shots on the much lighter Pettersson.
Pettersson wasn’t around in the dressing room after the game, so we won’t know until Saturday night if he is good to go against the Canucks. This is an important player for the Penguins.
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It was a dangerous hit by Pettersson but surely an unintentional one. He’s a clean player.
• I’ve been hard on Erik Karlsson, but he enjoyed one of his better games of the season.
He was responsible for a handful of the few chances the Penguins had in the offensive zone. Karlsson also was fine defensively.
I haven’t been impressed with his game, but perhaps this was a step in the right direction.
• I also think Jack St. Ivany has been much better in his past few games. I spoke with him before Friday’s game, and he said he hasn’t been pleased with his work early this season.
“Definitely not satisfied,” he said. “I have to be better, and I know I’m capable of it. The game in Calgary was better.”
Given whom the Penguins were playing against, I’d say his performance was pretty good Friday.
• Crosby has only 7 points in nine games this season, which includes just one goal. He does not look himself.
I wouldn’t worry about him just yet, though. He’s had many slow Octobers. But he doesn’t look right.
• The Oilers looked like men against boys. I don’t know any other way to put it.
I don’t recall ever seeing the Penguins look this physically outmatched in the Crosby era. Afterward, it was clear they knew it. And they weren’t sure what to say about it.
• The Penguins didn’t have many chances to score, but when they did, they passed up good looks. It was the wrong game and the wrong situation to look for the perfect play.
Not good.
• I can’t help but think of Tristan Jarry as the Penguins head to Vancouver, his hometown.
Last Saturday, two hours before the Penguins left Pittsburgh for this trip, this is what Jarry said: “Obviously, it’s good for me. I get to see my family. Being on the West Coast, you don’t get to see your family very often. Only get to see my parents once or twice a year. It’ll be a nice little reset to see my family and to spend time with them.”
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The Penguins sent Jarry back to Pittsburgh one day before playing in Edmonton, where he won the Memorial Cup in 2014, and two days before playing in Vancouver. Sullivan said it was part of the plan to send Jarry back to Pittsburgh halfway through the trip. Perhaps Jarry wasn’t aware of that when he was speaking with the media last Saturday.
Either way, it’s a strange story.
• The Canucks were good and rested, having not played since Tuesday. This is a brutal way for the Penguins to end the trip. Look for Alex Nedeljkovic to get the start.
(Photo of Edmonton’s Darnell Nurse getting the better of Marcus Pettersson: Perry Nelson / Imagn Images)
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Josh Yohe is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. Josh joined The Athletic in 2017 after covering the Penguins for a decade, first for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and then for DKPittsburghSports.com.
Follow Josh on Twitter @JoshYohe_PGH
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