NEWARK, N.J. — It might not have regarded just like the Penguins cared on Tuesday, however they do. It is a proud group. These Penguins all the time care.

Possibly they simply aren’t ok anymore.

The younger and gifted Devils left the Penguins within the mud early and sometimes in a 5-1 route at Prudential Middle.

“We simply by no means generated sufficient momentum to vary the sport in our favor,” Kris Letang stated.

That will have taken some critical doing.

From the opening minutes, it was the Devils who bullied the Penguins with their unrelenting pace and suffocating group protection. The Penguins entered the sport one level away from a playoff spot and in want of a minimum of a degree.

It turned clear within the first interval that the Penguins weren’t going to smell a degree.

“We simply weren’t ok tonight,” Letang stated.

The Devils loved an unlimited quantity of odd-man rushes all night time, always making the most of the Penguins’ carelessness.

They knew coming into the sport that the Devils had been a dynamic group on the frenzy.

“Oh, we had been conscious,” Letang stated. “We’re a group that likes to carry onto the puck within the offensive zone, and we simply didn’t do nicely sufficient. They backed us up and unfold us out.”

The Penguins had been down 2-0 by means of 20 minutes and 4-0 by means of 40 minutes, successfully eliminating any likelihood of a comeback in opposition to the Devils, who possessed the puck for a lot of the night.

They discover themselves one level behind Florida and the Islanders for the ultimate playoff spot within the Jap Convention. All three groups have 4 video games remaining.

Letang insists now isn’t the time to be obsessing over the standings.

“I can’t take into consideration that proper now,” he stated. “We simply want to fret about our subsequent recreation.”

If their most up-to-date recreation is any indication, their worries are significantly higher than that. The Penguins at the moment are 4-8 of their previous 12 video games. They’re now 2-10-4 in opposition to the Hurricanes, Rangers, Devils and Islanders.

10 postgame observations 

• Sidney Crosby was as sad as I’ve seen him following a loss in a few years.

I requested him if he was involved in regards to the Penguins’ present route.

“I don’t know,” he stated. “That’s a fairly normal query. What do you imply?”

I responded that the Penguins aren’t enjoying their finest hockey on the season’s most vital juncture.

“I imply, that’s your opinion,” Crosby stated. “I feel we’ve achieved some fairly good issues. There have been some video games the place we felt like we might have grabbed a degree, if not two. Tonight was simply errors. I’m not going sit right here and speak to you in regards to the final month. We’ve acquired some vital video games developing. I’m going to fret about that.”

That is about as aggravated or as combative as you’ll see Crosby following a foul loss. Personally, I feel it’s good to see that his aggressive hearth burns as brightly because it nonetheless does.

I do surprise what he actually thinks about this group. He’s been on many championship groups. He is aware of what it takes and what championship groups appear to be. Certainly he is aware of this group isn’t one.

• The Penguins’ incapacity to maintain up with the Devils was actually one thing to see.

I feel it’s well-known that the Penguins, as soon as the NHL’s quickest group, not can preserve tempo with the younger weapons of right now. Hardly ever, nonetheless, have I seen them totally outclassed on this regard the best way they had been in opposition to the Devils on Tuesday.

It might be simple to notice the Devils’ group pace by the outrageous quantity of odd-man rushes that they had, particularly within the first interval. That is noteworthy. What I actually seen, nonetheless, was how briskly the Devils had been to imagine defensive place in opposition to the Penguins on this recreation. The Penguins, even their finest gamers, had been typically unable to fabricate something resembling creativity as a result of the Devils had been instantly of their faces.

The Devils are actually good and are going to be for a very long time. As for the Penguins, hardly ever have they regarded so gradual and inept.

• It might be simple to conclude, after witnessing this recreation, that the Penguins merely didn’t care sufficient.

That’s the way it regarded, unquestionably.

I’m not defending the Penguins within the least. It was their greatest recreation of the season and arguably their worst efficiency of the season. It was a horrific show.

Understanding among the folks in that locker room the best way I do, nonetheless, I discover it onerous to imagine that they don’t care. I believe that it merely could look that means and, in actuality, the legs simply aren’t there anymore.

That is hockey’s oldest group. The Devils are younger and exceptionally quick. That’s a harmful mixture and it’s in all probability one that may make a group appear to be it doesn’t care.

The hassle was actually weak. I can’t ignore it.

Letang regarded overwhelmed on Dawson Mercer’s second aim.

Dawson Mercer does the double pic.twitter.com/UjL92WsmWy

— x – New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) April 5, 2023

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I didn’t see a complete of desperation from Bryan Rust on Mercer’s hat-trick aim, both.

HAVE YOURSELF A NIGHT! 🧢🧢🧢 pic.twitter.com/W9LddzxeId

— x – New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) April 5, 2023

I deliver these two performs up for a particular cause. Letang and Rust are two of the hardest-playing Penguins in franchise historical past. They by no means cheat you on effort. However on these two targets, I believed Letang and Rust, respectively, regarded totally defeated.

The Devils saved coming in waves all night and the Penguins finally regarded as in the event that they had been unable to deal with what was taking place.

Not by a protracted shot.

Whereas the Penguins had been already down 1-0, I felt like the sport had settled down a bit within the first interval when Petry inexplicably jumped into the play, giving the Devils a two-on-one that gave them a 2-0 lead.

Simply doing dawg issues. pic.twitter.com/9HjuWVg0Hn

— x – New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) April 4, 2023

There was merely no want to contemplate pinching on that play. It’s only a horrible basic play.

The Penguins are paying this man $6.25 million yearly for 2 extra seasons after this one. He’s already beginning to look previous and gradual.

• The Penguins had been at their worst within the first interval.

They gave up one odd-man rush after one other. It was a porous show however, frankly, it was nothing new. We’ve been seeing this act all season.

It is a remarkably cavalier group, one with no actual concept of situational hockey or defensive accountability. Certain, the Devils are quick and a really, superb group in transition. So, even when you’re paying attention defensively, they’ll get some appears to be like.

The Penguins’ utter negligence, nonetheless, was in all of its glory.

Their defensemen, to a person, made huge errors on this recreation. Evgeni Malkin had a few atrocious turnovers within the first interval.

Nothing about this efficiency was turning into.

• I’m beginning to choose up on one thing.

Watch good groups on this league and the sense of urgency they play with on the facility play. You’ll word that groups transfer the puck with a goal and are all the time on the lookout for an open look.

Then, watch the Penguins on the facility play.

Perimeter move. Perimeter move. Perimeter move.

The shortage of urgency has turn into nauseating. Particularly, the highest unit appears to assume the purpose of an influence play is someway rooted in a abilities competitors and never placing the puck at the back of the online.

(Additionally, for these of you preserving monitor at dwelling, the Penguins’ high energy play allowed 5 odd-man rushes in opposition to on this recreation, and that’s not simple to do.)

Sullivan defended the facility play’s effort, not its execution.

“I don’t (know) if urgency is the proper phrase,” he stated. “When our energy play is at its finest, there’s motion, movement, a shot mentality. It’s not a scarcity of care. Typically, possibly to the fan, it might seem that means. However I can guarantee you that’s not the case.”

I can’t fault him for any of the targets that New Jersey scored. Certain, it might have been good if Jarry placed on a present and preserve the Penguins inside putting distance.

That, nonetheless, would have required a herculean effort.

Chad Ruhwedel and Mark Friedman are completely advantageous No. 7 defensemen. However extra instances than not, they’re being uncovered.

• The Penguins not management their playoff future.

Nevertheless, if the Penguins win their remaining 4 video games, the percentages point out they’ll in all probability get right into a playoff spot. The ultimate three video games are in opposition to Detroit, Chicago and Columbus, theoretically video games they’ll a minimum of be favored to win.

On Thursday, nonetheless, the red-hot Minnesota Wild come to city. I don’t know if Marc-Andre Fleury will play, however it might be some critical theater if the Flower is the one standing between the Penguins and a playoff spot.

(Photograph: Bruce Bennett / Getty Pictures)