Penguins rookie defenseman P.O Joseph steps up in Kris Letang’s absence
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It wasn’t a new theme for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Far from it.
In fact, if they were a band, it could be classified as one of their classics.
Playing without All-Star defenseman Kris Letang.
They’ve done it quite a bit over the past decade and particularly so this season as the franchise blue liner has missed 18 games, including five while recovering from a stroke in late November and early December.
His most recent absence came through an undisclosed illness Friday. Despite being deprived of his considerable skill, the Penguins pieced together one of their most one-sided victories of the season as they diced up the Anaheim Ducks, 6-3, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
In the process, the Penguins set a franchise record for most shots in a road game with 59.
Two of the shots that mattered the most came off the stick of P.O Joseph, who joined a fairly select fraternity by becoming only the eighth rookie defenseman in franchise history to score twice in a game.
His predecessors:
• Olli Maatta: at Sharks 5, Penguins 3 — March 6, 2014
• Alex Goligoski: Penguins 4, at Sabres 3 (OT) — Dec. 22, 2008
• Maxim Galanov: Flyers 4, at Penguins 4 — Nov. 3, 1998
• Paul Stanton: at Penguins 9, Jets 2 3 Dec. 19, 1990
• Zarley Zalapski: at Whalers 8, Penguins 6 — Feb. 26, 1989
• Dennis Owchar: Penguins 8, at Maple Leafs 5 — Nov 20, 1974
• Darryl Edestrand: at Bruins 4, Penguins 4 — Mar 12, 1972
While speaking with media who traveled to Anaheim, Joseph largely deflected his individual success to the group of defensemen as a whole being able to compensate for Letang’s absence.
“Whenever a big defenseman like that is sick, you just want to make sure you protect the good ice and you step up as defensemen,” Joseph said. “I think we did a pretty good job tonight.”
Joseph opened the scoring at 9 minutes, 3 seconds into regulation with his third goal of the season.
After Penguins forward Josh Archibald slammed Ducks defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk to the ice in Anaheim’s left corner, Penguins forward Teddy Blueger claimed the puck on the end boards, skated to the right of the cage and dished a pass to the high slot for Joseph. Surveying for a shooting lane, Joseph stroked a wrister that rung off the left post and hit twine behind goaltender John Gibson, a Whitehall native.
Joseph’s second goal at 14:55 of the second period proved to be the winning score.
After Ducks forward Isac Lundestrom fumbled a puck in his own high slot, Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin settled it above the right circle, retreated a bit to the right point and fed a pass to Joseph at the center point. Walking up the slot against minimal resistance, Joseph fired a heavy wrister that toasted Gibson’s blocker.
Always humble, Joseph credited the team’s forwards with putting him position to have success.
“It was just opportunities created by forwards,” Joseph said. “A good play by Teddy there. A good pass by (Malkin), also. It’s just opportunities created in front of me. I just had the chance to put it in.”
Letang’s current malady doesn’t appear to be serious. Penguins coach Mike Sullivan suggested Letang was “just ill.”
Regardless — for one night, at least — the Penguins and Joseph found a way to make up for his absence.
“For a guy like P.O to score a couple of goals is huge for us,” Sullivan said. “I’m sure he’s thrilled. When we can get some offensive production from our blue line like that, it just makes us that much harder to play against.”