The Duck is Mightier Than the Pen(guin)

Physicality in hockey comes in many forms. At its most basic level, manifested through a big hit or even a fight. Doing the dirty work in the trenches or along the boards. Playing through a nagging injury.Or planting yourself in the opposing crease.

Why am I writing about toughness in the wake of our Penguins heartrending 4-3 loss to Anaheim last night at PPG Paints Arena?

On three separate occasions I referred to our lack of net-front presence in my game notes. I wasn’t the only one. TV color analyst and former Pens heavyweight Mike Rupp stressed it as well, in particular during our final 5-on-3 power play when Evgeni Malkin was blasting away and none of his teammates ventured into the…