This was a week of problems for the Pens.
In examining the possibility of the Pittsburgh Penguins claiming the Stanley Cup title for a third straight season, we have analyzed questions plaguing the Penguins at the start of the season. The third week of the NHL season shows that the Penguins problems are not only persisting but might be getting worse.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying anyone should panic and throw out hope that a Three-Peat is possible, nor am I saying that Washington Capitals fans don’t have to stock up on tissues for April/May. What I am suggesting is that if the Penguins want to again climb that mountain, there are some things that need mending sooner rather than later. So let’s look at those things, as well as some good things that can allow fans some comfort for the time being.
For the Penguins, it was another week with another three games, another back-to-back game situation, and another disappointment from its team defense. To their credit, the Penguins did win two out of three games, both of which they trailed in for considerable stretches of time. However, those two wins still showed some weaknesses in their overall game, and what’s worse is that the other game was a 7-1 thumping put on by the Tampa Bay Lightning, a team quickly making a name for itself as Top Dog in the Eastern Conference. These three games presented plenty of issues in the defending champs’ overall play, specifically on the defensive side of the puck.
For a second straight week, fans need to be asking themselves where the defense is. Through nine games, the Penguins lead the league in Goals Against per Game with 4.33 GA/GP. This is more than the winless Arizona Coyotes, the one-win Montreal Canadiens, and every single other team in the league. Luckily, the Penguins score more goals than the average team, ranking eleventh with 3.33 GF/GP, but giving up more than four goals a game is not a recipe for success. The entire team needs to step up: goalies, defensemen, and forwards. The goals they are giving up are not the fault of any one position, but a combination of all of them. Look at how they almost lost to the New York Rangers despite the complete lack of offense in the Big Apple until playing the Penguins. Look at how the Penguins fell behind 2-0 to the Florida Panthers, requiring a comeback and late third-period goal to come out victorious. Sure, it’s nice to end up with wins in those situations, but it would be better to see some composure and control throughout an entire sixty-minute game. The Penguins have four one-goal wins and only one multi-goal victory in their record. The only game they appeared sound defensively was a 4-0 win against the Nashville Predators. If they want a real shot at another title, they need to shore up their defensive scheme and effort.
Another area the Penguins lead the league so far this year is in the number of penalties taken. Referees have whistled Pittsburgh for fifty-three penalties so far this season. That’s just under six penalties per game. The Penguins do not want to be killing that many power plays, especially considering the fact that they are only successful on their penalty kill 78.6% of the time this year, ranking twentieth in the league. Not only are the penalties presenting a problem of opposing scoring, but they take the Penguins’ best players off the ice, as Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Phil Kessel do not kill penalties. In their most recent game, Sidney Crosby was assessed twelve minutes of penalty time in the first period, meaning they lost their best player for over half of the opening frame. This is unacceptable.
Fans can tell themselves the Penguins will adjust to the stricter enforcement of stick infractions, but the questions of depth still face this team at every position. Everyone can hope the addition of Riley Sheahan will help bolster the team’s depth at center, but the loss of Carter Rowney to injury means the Penguins are pretty much where they were before acquiring the center from Detroit. The defense might be getting along without Matt Hunwick (concussion) because Chad Ruhwedel is playing well, but one mishap to anybody else could significantly hurt a team already struggling defensively. And then there’s the goalie position. The Penguins waived Antti Niemi on Monday after a third straight disappointing performance on Saturday. It will be seen if Niemi gets another shot with the Penguins – or in the NHL at all. In the meantime, the Penguins have called up Casey DeSmith who, despite impressive numbers in the AHL, has yet to play any games at the NHL level. The concerns of depth will continue until the Penguins prove they have the players in place – possibly by winning a set of back-to-back games, which will be required of a team that will play thirty-eight games as parts of back-to-back sets. Getting points out of those games will be vital.
Even with all of those concerns, the Penguins are still in a decent position with a record of 5-3-1. Thanks to some Captain Crosby heroics, some bad turnovers by the opposition (See: Ryan McDonaugh), and some timely scoring from role players (Conor Sheary, Greg McKegg, Carter Rowney), the Penguins have been able to cling to a respectable start to the season. There are definitely still some positives from this past week. After asking where the second line had disappeared to, Malkin and Kessel combined for five even strength points in the next game (including teaming up for the winner in overtime) and eleven points overall in the first two games of the week. The third and fourth lines are chipping in with some scoring, and both power play units seem to be clicking at a high rate of success, but this team can’t only be concerned with putting pucks in the net if they want their names etched in history again. Somehow, they need to start keeping pucks out of their own net, which means keeping themselves out of the penalty box and keeping a competitive roster consistent through all offensive lines and defensive pairings.
They got a few days to practice and look in the mirror after their latest beating. They’ll have to prove they learned something, starting with a test against the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday, with the speedy Connor McDavid in town trying to wedge his way between Sidney Crosby and the hold on the title of greatest player in the game. For right now, the Penguins and their fans can point to the banners in the rafters to quiet anybody questioning Crosby’s reign, but if something doesn’t change in the Penguins’ defensive zone, the idea of a three-peat will be a laughable dream, and the life of a Penguins’ dynasty may start to wane just in time for this new wave of talent – led by McDavid – to make their mark in the league. Penguins’ fans believe McDavid, Auston Matthews, Patrik Laine, and Jack Eichel will have to wait a little bit longer because Crosby, Malkin, Kessel, and Letang aren’t ready to relinquish the reins just yet. We’ll see how right they are.
