Cook: Signs from Penguins all negative
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The company line coming from the Penguins' room Tuesday night was surprisingly upbeat. It sure seemed as if coach Dan Bylsma told the players to keep things positive despite the ugly 5-1 home loss to the Ottawa Senators, the team's fifth consecutive defeat. The players talked of liking their effort but hating their execution in key spots. They came across as lying through their teeth. Bylsma did his part, talking mostly about "some serious gaffes" that led to a couple of early Ottawa goals that made for a long night.
It really was a crock.
The effort stunk.
It's one thing to lose a big game at home. It's something inexcusable to not show up. The Penguins weren't ready to play at best and didn't seem to care at worst.
Shame on 'em.
Going in, Bylsma talked of the game having almost a playoff feel even though it marked the official halfway point of the Penguins' 82-game season. They started the night in eighth place in the Eastern Conference. Only the top eight make the playoffs.
Certainly, Bylsma coached the game as if it were that important. He called his timeout at 14:03 of the first period -- after a goal by Bobby Butler put Ottawa ahead, 2-0 -- and gave his team the business on the bench. He pulled goaltender Brent Johnson at 1:15 of the second period -- after a goal by Jason Spezza nudged the Senators' lead to 3-0 -- and replaced him with Marc-Andre Fleury.
Nothing worked.
Maybe it was that early 2-0 deficit that put the Penguins in a funk. Defenseman Brooks Orpik had talked of the team wilting in the face of adversity after its 3-1 home loss to the New Jersey Devils Saturday. Now, that was truthful, painful as it was for Bylsma and a lot of the other players to hear.
The same curling up and quitting happened in this game.
The 2-0 hole must have seemed deep and dark for a hockey club that had scored two, one, one and one goal in the first four games of the losing streak.
Another injury couldn't have helped, either. Young defenseman Simon Despres left early in the game with a lower-body problem and did not return. It seems like a different player is going down every day.
But enough with the excuses.
A good team doesn't check out the way the Penguins did.
A playoff-caliber team continues to fight.
Playoffs?
We have come to take a playoff spot for granted for the Penguins. It is hardly a lock this season.
First Published January 11, 2012 12:00 am
