3 takeaways: Connor McDavid steals the show as Penguins' lineup tweaks make little impact

Three takeaways from the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 7-2 loss to Edmonton on Thursday evening at PPG Paints Arena:

Pregame lineup shakeup

A routine element of the Penguins’ pregame social media ritual is tweeting their nightly lineup combinations, defensive pairings and starting goaltender an hour-plus before puck drop.

Ahead of Thursday evening’s contest against Edmonton, the Penguins’ Twitter account was notably silent with respect to such an announcement.

When it did finally tweet Thursday’s lineup, some tweaks were easy to spot, as coach Mike Sullivan altered his bottom six, elevating Drew O’Connor and Josh Archibald to Jeff Carter’s third line while demoting Brock McGinn and Kasperi Kapanen to the fourth line with Teddy Blueger.

If the final score of the game serves as any indicator, the changes did not make any discernible impact.

However, it is worth noting that in the third period, Carter scored what appeared to be his ninth goal of the season, as he deflected a shot by Brian Dumoulin past Edmonton goalie Stuart Skinner with 11:35 to play.

But officials quickly reviewed the goal and waved it off due to the high-stick deflection by Carter that put the puck past Skinner.

Had the goal stood, it would have been just Carter’s third in 2023.

Since Jan. 1, the traditional Penguins third line of McGinn, Carter and Kapanen has just five goals and four assists over 21 games, with McGinn having last recorded a point on Dec. 22.

That marked the second goal Pittsburgh had taken away in the third period, with an earlier power-play score by Evgeni Malkin being negated due to an offsides determination following an Edmonton challenge.

Mid-game lineup shakeup

The tweaks to the bottom six were not the only ones Sullivan made Thursday.

Notably, about midway through the second period, he opted to swap wingers for Sidney Crosby and Malkin, with the Penguins captain skating with Jason Zucker and Bryan Rust and Malkin working alongside Jake Guentzel and Rickard Rakell.

At that point, the score was 4-1 in favor of Edmonton.

Following the game, Sullivan described switching Crosby and Malkin as a roll of the dice done in the midst of a game getting out of hand.

“I just didn’ think we had a whole lot going on, so I was trying to be a little bit proactive and see if I could spark some energy,” Sullivan said. “That was more of a decision tonight based on the circumstance. I’m not sure where we’re going to go moving forward.”

As for the Oilers, who dressed 11 forwards and seven defensemen Thursday, Sullivan’s move did not warrant much in-game tailoring to the defensive gameplan.

“We put a focus on us or a premium on us and our game,” said Edmonton coach Jay Woodcroft. “I wouldn’t want to be taking people off the ice just because the other team put certain people on. It worked out for us tonight.”

McDavid puts on a clinic

Leading up to Crosby being chosen first overall by the Penguins in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, the then-17-year-old Nova Scotian was dubbed “The Next One” in recognition of his elite talent, which was perceived to be comparable to previous greats like Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux.

Similar hype surrounded Connor McDavid, now Edmonton’s captain, upon his selection 10 years later, also first overall, by the Oilers.

Suffice to say, both players have lived up to expectations, with four Art Ross and six Hart Memorial trophies between them, among numerous other accolades.

Thus, for obvious reasons, amplified by the irregularity in which Crosby and McDavid share the ice, it is a special treat for players, coaches and fans alike when the two generational giants face one another.

Thursday night in Pittsburgh, it was McDavid who stole the show.

He scored the Oilers’ opening goal, firing a rocket on the power play from behind the Penguins’ goal line that struck Tristan Jarry’s upper back, ricocheting into the net.

Connor McDavid from BEHIND the goal line ???? pic.twitter.com/8QICGilBlC

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 24, 2023

Jarry allowed six goals Thursday and was yanked in favor of Casey DeSmith ahead of the third period.

Later, with less than four minutes left in the third period and the Penguins all but defeated, DeSmith drew the unenviable task of stopping McDavid on a penalty shot after Brian Dumoulin tripped him on a breakaway attempt.

McDavid made easy work of DeSmith and notched his NHL-leading 46th goal. He also registered a pair of assists in the win, leaving Pittsburgh with four points on the night.

Just another day at the office for Connor McDavid (@cmcdavid97). ???? pic.twitter.com/NDuMsFlOoW

— NHL (@NHL) February 24, 2023

Crosby, outshined but not totally inactive, recorded an assist on Kris Letang’s power-play goal with 2:48 left in the game.

His 69 points so far this year (25 goals, 44 assists) rank 13th in the NHL.

As for McDavid, who leads the league with 109 points in 59 games, his coach recommended a pause to appreciate the high level at which the 26-year-old is currently playing,

“Adjectives have all been used,” Woodcroft said. “… It’s like living at the foot of Everest – you almost become numb to what you’re seeing every day. I think it’s important that everybody take a step back and understand that we’re seeing someone at the top of their craft in the prime of their career, putting out there what he’s putting out.”