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3 Takeaways From Penguins Brutal 8-3 Loss To Capitals

3 Takeaways From Penguins Brutal 8-3 Loss To Capitals

Yahoo23-02-2025

The Pittsburgh Penguins returned from the 4 Nations Face-off break, where Sidney Crosby, Erik Karlsson, and Rickard Rakell played. However, it appeared that the team didn't get the memo that NHL hockey was back, as the Washington Capitals steamrolled the Penguins on home ice with an 8-3 victory.
Saturday's loss marked the most goals the club has surrendered in a game this season, surpassing the 7-1 loss to the Dallas Stars on Nov. 11. Meanwhile, it was only the seventh time in the Crosby era that the Penguins gave up eight or more in a game.
Let's discuss Pittsburgh's latest setback.
Besides talking about the Crosby and Alex Ovechkin rivalry for most of the broadcast, as the game spiraled out of control for the home team, Ray Ferraro and Bob Wischusen switched topics to discuss the fact that the Penguins are not going to qualify for the playoffs.
As accurate as that may be, the topics on the day the franchise honored legendary broadcaster Mike Lange were not all that optimistic.
According to MoneyPuck, the Penguins have only a 2.6% chance of making the playoffs, but they have better odds of winning the NHL Draft Lottery at 5%. Considering they continue to lead the league in goals against, it's just about time to admit that the season is coming to a close, and the playoffs are not obtainable.
The Penguins captain missed some time ahead of the 4 Nations Face-off with an upper-body injury. He played through the aliment in Montreal and Boston to help lead his home country to a championship.
Although we will never know how much pain Crosby is playing through, his backhand goal gave Pittsburgh fans something to cheer about on a rather forgettable afternoon. As the season continues to slip away, Crosby is still doing everything he can to play at an elite level, and he continues to cement his case as one of the game's all-time greats.
Fans blamed Tristan Jarry for the team's shortcomings for most of the season. He's been gone for almost a month now, and the team went on a road trip disaster that pushed them further away from a playoff spot.
On Saturday, they gave up a season-high eight goals, and incumbent Alex Nedeljkovic was beaten five times before getting pulled. He was beaten through several holes, like under the arm, over the pad, and the shoulder. Unfortunately, Nedeljkovic looked like he had a lot of rust to shake off.
Despite making 14 saves, Joel Blomqvist couldn't slow the Capitals down either and looked like a goalie who had not played for a long time.
Even though the goalies are the last line of defense, the Penguins are not doing their netminders any favors when an opponent enters their zone, as evidenced by the numerous scoring chances the Capitals had.
Penguins Fall Apart In Second Period, Suffer Ugly 8-3 Loss To Capitals
Penguins Honor Mike Lange in Special Pre-Game Ceremony
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It didn't take DK Metcalf long to show the Steelers what they're getting in their new wide receiver
It didn't take DK Metcalf long to show the Steelers what they're getting in their new wide receiver

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It didn't take DK Metcalf long to show the Steelers what they're getting in their new wide receiver

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It didn't take DK Metcalf long to show the Steelers what they're getting in their new wide receiver
It didn't take DK Metcalf long to show the Steelers what they're getting in their new wide receiver

Associated Press

timean hour ago

  • Associated Press

It didn't take DK Metcalf long to show the Steelers what they're getting in their new wide receiver

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The scene looked familiar. Maybe that's because it was. A defender racing downfield, ball in hand. DK Metcalf in relentless — and remarkably fast — pursuit. Five years ago, it was Metcalf memorably tracking down Arizona's Budda Baker 90 yards from the line of scrimmage to prevent a touchdown, a play that would be in the NFL GIF Hall of Fame, if such a thing existed (give it time, it might). On Tuesday, in Metcalf's first official practice with the Pittsburgh Steelers after being acquired in a trade with the Seahawks in March, he nearly caught new teammate Minkah Fitzpatrick as Fitzpatrick dashed toward the end zone with a turnover. This time, the whistle blew before Metcalf's white No. 4 jersey reached Fitzpatrick's No. 39. Nobody was robbed of a score. Nobody was mic'ed up. And no video evidence of the sequence will ever reach the internet. Still, the max effort from a two-time Pro Bowler during a time of year coach Mike Tomlin describes as 'football lite' was noticeable. 'I mean, that's just football,' Metcalf said with a shrug on Wednesday. 'If you see a turnover, I'm not just going to walk and let him return the ball. Like I'm going to go get his (butt).' It's the way Metcalf is wired, one of the many reasons the Steelers made the aggressive move to swing a deal for the 27-year-old, then immediately sign him to a massive extension. While Pittsburgh has a knack for finding talented wide receivers in the draft — from Antonio Brown to Martavis Bryant to JuJu Smith-Schuster to Diontae Johnson to George Pickens — the one thing it has struggled with is finding a pass catcher who can be a difference-maker on the field without being a headline-maker off it. Metcalf will have the chance to check that box and perhaps rewrite the narrative that surrounds his career in the process. He spent six seasons with the Seahawks as an imposing (6-foot-4) and dynamic downfield threat who also happens to be a willing blocker. The fire that runs through him, however, would sometimes singe teammates and coaches in Seattle, while also occasionally drawing attention from officials. Metcalf's challenge in Pittsburgh will be channeling things properly on a team that is in flux at quarterback. Yes, Aaron Rodgers — who famously met up with Metcalf in California during the offseason for a throwing session not long after Metcalf was acquired by Pittsburgh — will have the ball this season. What happens after that, however, is uncertain. Metcalf is committed to the long haul, and that includes providing leadership to a room that is largely lacking outside of 12-year veteran Robert Woods, signed in May. While Metcalf is still in the 'getting to know you' stage in Pittsburgh, he understands the standing that his resume and his contract command. 'I'm more of a lead by example-type guy,' he said. 'I'm not a big rah-rah guy or walk up to you and say something to you on the spot (guy).' He would rather pull someone off to the side for a quick chat rather than 'blast' them in front of the whole team. That might be a step in the right direction for a group that's spent the past few years trying to weather Pickens' petulant behavior. Pittsburgh opted to move on, shipping the talented but mercurial 24-year-old to Dallas last month. While it might feel like addition by subtraction in a locker room that was over his antics, on the field, it also could create a void. Metcalf, however, cautioned against the idea that the unit can't be productive. He pledged to be an 'open book' to Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson, both of whom Metcalf called 'special.' 'I'm going to be asking them questions as well and how they see the game,' he said. 'So just piggybacking off of what they do and just bouncing ideas off each other.' He also plans to continue to bounce things off Rodgers, whose quick release combined with Metcalf's innate ability to beat defenders off the line of scrimmage could create the kind of opportunities that didn't come enough last season, when Metcalf only turned 35 of his 66 receptions into first downs, a career low. Rodgers and Metcalf have quickly hit it off and even spent some of their downtime together challenging each other by playing a trivia game. Metcalf called Rodgers 'a fun person' and believes there's an opportunity for both of them to turn the chemistry they're building into something special come late fall. 'Hopefully,' he said, 'we can put a product on the field that you know can last a lifetime.' ___ AP NFL:

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