++++++ Fleury
+++ OT - All of the players played a really strong OT considering the tempo of the game and the game the night before
++ Johnston's OT strategy
+ Hornqvist
+ Crosby - awesome game on offensive and defensive side
+ Malkin-Comeau
+ Sutter's PK and defensive game - I know people hate his board work, physicality and inability to maintain the puck in the OZ. But Sutter had himself a hell of a game in the NZ and DZ. His defensive zone coverage was phenomenal.
+ Letang
+/- Perron - Perron was looking better with passing and off-puck movement. Hopefully the rest will come.
+/- Pouliot - After a really bad DZ night last night, I thought Pouliot had better defensive zone coverage.
+/- Cole - Decent OZ instincts but not good in defensive coverage or transition right now. Hopefully it is just unfamiliarity with the system. He seems to ice the puck a lot.
+/- Scuderi - Scuderi still has a tendency to get beat to the puck and not be able to get the puck out of the DZ. But he actually put a couple shots on net and had a really good shift in the 3rd when the Pens needed it.
- Lovejoy - He got caught out of position at least twice tonight and a few times last night on a cross ice pass through the neutral zone to spring the off-side wing. The pass can't happen.
- Using dump-ins - The dump-in plan wasn't working because (1) the Pens puck retrieval and breakout was slow and bad, (2) the Kings are constantly running interference, (3) the Kings have a solid, disciplined structure that was virtually immune to the Pens forecheck after the first period, and (4) the Pens were too tired from the night before for good retrieval or forecheck.
-- DZ coverage - The new players and pairings are struggling to figure out the defensive coverage. Too often the defenders are getting sucked onto the same side of the ice leaving the center or occasionally off-side winger as the only net-front and back side coverage. The center is also getting pulled out of position in front of the net leaving a lot of holes in prime goal scoring real estate. Zone defensive coverage problems remain (1) not challenging for pucks because of strict adherence to the "zone", (2) failure to cover the points particularly on cross ice passes, (3) lack of communication and discipline, and (4) losing battles and not tracking players behind the net (good thing most other players aren't as effective as Crosby & Malkin from that area)
-- Puck retrieval - Pens defenders are getting caught too frequently with their backs to the ice and an opposing player barreling in on them. Watching the Kings tonight (or the Red Wings who also excel) subtle interference would help the players not get caught so frequently.
-- Break out - Pens are moving the puck too slowly and turning the puck over too frequently at the blueline. Hopefully, it is just new players and pairings adjusting.
--- PP - I think Crosby might've had the most shots for the first unit which is not good considering his normal shooting rate. However, the PPs's problems are still zone entries and not getting open shooting lanes. Work on those two things, and the shots will come.
---- Neutral zone coverage - Pens forecheck was terrible; however the Kings were waltzing through the neutral zone. I would have liked to have seen Johnston come out with a stronger trap.
----- Pens haven't won a road game against the Sharks since the 1990s
