PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – There was an example in the Pens loss Monday night of what is really wrong with the Penguins. It’s part of what has been an issue for most of the season for a team currently not in playoff position.
There are nights the stats are good (like 48 shots on net), but often those nights the results aren’t (because of the lack of guys working hard to get in front of a goalie). These aren’t the complaints of fans or reporters or talk show hosts, rather a two-time Stanley Cup champion.
“For an 82-game schedule, they aren’t quite as invested as they used to be,” Bob Errey told the Cook and Joe Show. “They want to get to the playoffs and show what they can do come dance time. Now, just hoping you get there.”
A perfect example was Monday night when Ottawa’s Austin Watson nailed Sidney Crosby. As Errey pointed out there was no response. No response on Watson or any member of the Senators. You could tell Crosby was a little shaken up as he moved his neck around.
“You don’t think he would have loved to have seen somebody do something,” Errey told Joe Starkey and Ron Cook on 93.7 The Fan. “That’s hockey. You want this guy to play until his forties. He’s led the charge for years and he’s done it plenty of times this year. When is enough, enough.”
“I’m not saying to have to drop the gloves and fight the man that knocked him down. Surely you can go run somebody else.”
Errey noted that Jason Zucker has done that all year, Danton Heinen did the other day. It’s about changing the mentality of the entire group.
“Some of those guys can get involved too,” Errey told 93.7 The Fan without mentioning names. “Some of those guys quite frankly could get out of their comfort zone. Could try to bring a little extra to their portfolio. It takes some courage to do something different.”
“Just an extra run at somebody, Sid would not have even had to react but you know inside that he would have appreciated it because I know 66 appreciated it. I know 87 would have appreciated it. I know the way he thinks. He knows there are other parts of hockey.”
This just speaks to the larger problem with this ninth-place hockey team.
“The hockey game is won and lost in not just outshooting and outstating your opponent,” Errey said on 93.7 The Fan. “We saw that again with the Penguins there’s other qualities you can bring to the game that don’t show up in any stat book. You have to have those intangibles. You have to have those things that bring a team together and help a team win.”
Injuries are also a real issue and not an excuse. Pens are without four of the top six defensemen and losing a Nick Bonino is impactful with your forward group. That being said, Monday night was a must-win. A game you needed to get at home and while there were positives, the bottom line is once again you didn’t win. This season the Pens have lost two more games than they’ve won.
“I don’t need flash and dash,” Errey told the Cook and Joe Show. “I don’t need highlight reels. I need wins and losses, that’s what the Penguins are looking for. Those are a two points that if you don’t make the playoffs, you are definitely going to look back (to Monday).”