DENVER — It took 11 days, four games, and one stern message to trickle down from their general manager.
The Penguins got the memo.
The club put together a complete game Wednesday night to close their swing out West with a 4-2 win against the Colorado Avalanche that evened the trip to 2-2.
History suggests the Penguins don’t rally from a deficit after two periods. A year ago, they lost every such game.
But Wednesday, despite being in that position, they stayed in the game, continued to create chances, got some momentum from an effective penalty-kill, and scored three third-period goals.
The reason was simple, said defenseman Olli Maatta, who has had a hand in goals in all three games since returning to the lineup Dec. 5.
“Our desperation was there. We played a full 60 minutes,” said Maatta, who has two goals and two assists since returning. “We were able to stick with it. I don’t know what it was. I think we played a full 60 minutes [Wednesday.] The second period we played well. I think we should’ve scored a couple of times, but we didn’t. I don’t think that really affected us. We came out the third period and just took the win.”
The performance lightened a tense week.
Scrutiny was mounting after back-to-back losses in Los Angeles and Anaheim. Another loss in Denver would have added up to a 1-3 trip, which was nobody’s idea of success.
The way the club started games and failed to play a complete 60 minutes, was criticized by general manager Jim Rutherford, who was perplexed how 25-plus games into the season it could still be an issue.
He cancelled his trip to join the NHL Board of Governors in Pebble Beach, Calif., and told the Post-Gazette: “The one thing that I see most of all in this first part of the season is getting out, getting a good start in a game and keep going. It was obvious on Saturday [against Los Angeles]. But it’s been quite a few games for me. It’s something that I don’t like. It’s something that has to change. Something I’m looking at real close.”
The players, said defenseman Brian Dumoulin, were seeing it, too, and wanted to change.
“I think we realized that,” said Dumoulin. “That’s something as a team we knew that we needed to get better at, playing hard every shift even if we’re down one, or things aren’t going our way. Keep playing the right way, and we’ll keep getting chances.”
A day later Pascal Dupuis retired because of his history of blood-clot issues. The club, understandably, spent time waxing nostalgic about his impact, but it was more than an emotional loss. He left a void on the ice.
Beau Bennett, who scored two of the third-period goals Wednesday, came up big in a high-profile role on the top line, taking Dupuis’ spot alongside Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz.
“There’s no moral victories right now, especially when it comes to wins and losses,” said Bennett. “In the second period, we knew we had to come out the same way and get a win, most importantly. And we were lucky enough to get a couple goals there and stick with it.”
He had earned minutes on the top line over the weekend. but will now be a more permanent fixture, if he continues to play like he has been.
“I mean, wherever you play you want to help out and contribute,” said Bennett. “I thought our line, we must’ve had 12 to 15 shots [Wednesday night]. As long as we’re getting chances and being good defensively it’s a solid thing for us.”
Jenn Menendez: jmenendez@post-gazette.com and Twitter @JennMenendez.
First Published: December 11, 2015, 5:00 a.m.
