Mark Madden: Penguins mix old, new in sharing-the-torch season opener
Some strange things happened Tuesday night when the Penguins opened their season at Madison Square Garden with a 3-0 win against the New York Rangers.
For example, Erik Karlsson played a responsible, mistake-free game. (Except for one gratuitous turnover.) That’s been a rarity during his Penguins tenure, now entering its third campaign.
That performance will likely be the exception to the rule. But something happens to veterans when a lot of kids invade the dressing room.
Kids can bring out a teacher instinct in veterans. A right-way vibe.
New coach Dan Muse knows that. He put out a signpost when he didn’t merely start his first line and top defense pair.
He mixed and matched. It was part old firm, part new guys.
It was Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang along with Harrison Brunicke, 19, and Ben Kindel, 18.
That said something: We’re not passing the torch, we’re sharing it.
Starting Arturs Silovs in goal instead of Tristan Jarry said something, too. Muse seems to be trying to wipe away what’s stale as quickly as he can.
It didn’t hurt that Silovs pitched a shutout, though the Penguins’ defensive effort made certain he was rarely under siege on the way to 25 saves.
Will Silovs start again Thursday in the home opener vs. the New York Islanders? That, too, would make a statement.
It’s good that the Penguins won, even though the priority remains getting a top-five pick in next year’s draft, not squeaking into a one-and-done playoff appearance.
You don’t want the season’s buzz to disappear right away.
You don’t want poor home attendance right off the bat. (I’m curious about the size of Thursday’s crowd at PPG Paints Arena.)
You don’t want the team’s newfound youthful energy to be suppressed. If the Penguins are even near .500 through October and November, that energy should sustain itself all season.
Karlsson’s performance at New York was interesting.
Malkin getting two assists playing between two 6-foot-5 wingers was a different look. Maybe that’s the way to go as age slows Malkin, 39. Malkin twisting forward with the puck through an offensive-zone faceoff to set up Justin Brazeau’s winning goal was beautiful.
Kindel played an amazingly solid game.
Brunicke wasn’t great initially but played a strong second and third period.
The Penguins minimized mistakes. Badger Bob Johnson used to preach the value of fundamentals, and those were on display at New York.
These Penguins have lots of subplots and sidebars.
Let’s not leave Crosby out of the discussion.
Crosby had zero points. But over 200 feet, he was the best player on the ice. He was a buzzsaw down low and in the dirty areas. He was visibly and extremely happy after. Crosby just wants to win.
Those opportunities won’t be as frequent as he likes. It’s good to see the captain savor the flavor.
Dolphins Star Floated as 49ers Trade Target to Replace Nick Bosa
The San Francisco 49ers are in the driver’s seat regarding the NFC West division, considering they have wins over the Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals, and Los Angeles Rams.
As a result, the Niners could be pushing for a trade deadline acquisition that could catapult them into an NFC contender, if they aren’t seen as such already. With the NFL trade deadline nearing, the 49ers could go out on the market to fetch a player who can help replace the production lost by Nick Bosa, who is out with his season-ending injury.
So, who could San Francisco target? CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco believes that Miami Dolphins veteran Bradley Chubb should be a target for general manager John Lynch.
“With Bosa being out of that lineup, it’s an entirely different team,”
Does Bradley Chubb to the 49ers Make Sense?
Moreover, Prisco explained why the deal makes sense for both teams from a financial and asset perspective.
“[Chubb is] on a three-year contract, but you can get out of it — it’s not prohibitive to trade him,
Look, the Dolphins aren’t going anywhere this year. If you trade for Bradley Chubb and give the Dolphins a draft pick or whatever, then they can stockpile for next year. So I think Bradley Chubb to the 49ers would make a lot of sense.
The 29-year-old is off to a good start this season as he’s recorded four sacks in five games for Miami. As a result, this deadline could be one where the Dolphins decide to take advantage of his value right now and sell high.
49ers Ready to Replace Nick Bosa as a Group
During a September 25 appearance on KNBR, Lynch spoke about the possibility of making a trade before the NFL’s trade deadline on November 4.
“My heart just goes out to him,“ Lynch said. “He puts so much into this. This is his life… It’s a crushing blow to our team, but that’s what this sport is. One player won’t make up for Nick Bosa, we’ll have to do it collectivel
“Of course we’re always looking. That’s our job… we’re not afraid and we’ve been effective in doing that. This is no different. I do think we’re a deep group there, and that depth’s going to be tested. We’ll see what’s out there at the appropriate time.”
As Lynch noted, replacing Bosa was always going to require a collective effort, with the younger players expected to elevate their game. Without Bosa, the 49ers‘ defense needed others to step up and fill the gap.
Moreover, adding someone of the caliber of Chubb will ensure that the 49ers have the depth to replace Bosa’s production by committee rather than swinging for the fences on one player.
