For seven consecutive periods, the Pittsburgh Penguins have been on their heels, chasing the game, and committing jaw-dropping turnovers en route to losing two straight games, and only a big lead against the Montreal Canadiens in the second game of the season prevented three straight defeats.
It’s not that the Penguins have lost a couple of games. It happens. No, the biggest problem is the Penguins’ extraordinary ability to self-destruct. Building on last season’s frequent meltdowns via catastrophic puck management, over the last two games, the Penguins have shown a greater destructive ability.
Fans who have poked at the goaltenders as part of the problem have missed how shockingly generous the defensemen have been with the puck. Actually, the goalies have been good with only a couple of momentary exceptions. No, the Penguins are facing some incongruities that won’t be easily solved.
But the problems aren’t confined to the blueline. The forwards remain a jumbled mix of hope and disjointed chemistry.
3 Penguins Thoughts
1. Hendrix Lapierre is the key or a red herring
Lapierre was fast, orchestrated the play, and his line with Ville Koivunen and Filip Hallander filled the net in Game 1. The difference between Game 1 and the last three contests is Lapierre’s lineup position. He was a center in Game 1, but has shuffled around on the wing in the last few games since Ben Kindel returned.
Of course, the line cannot be reunited because the Penguins traded the “expendable” Hallander on Wednesday.
The Penguins have a lot of puck possession players but not many puck retrievers, at least in the NHL lineup. The resulting imbalance has created an awkward offensive push that relied on the power play for four goals in the first two games, and some quick-strike opportunities, including a few individual plays, but very little sustained offensive zone time and pressure.
Coach Dan Muse lauded Lapierre’s ability to play all three forward positions, but he certainly looks like a more natural center.
In the middle, Lapierre showed a high-paced game and puck distribution. At wing, Lapierre has been wallpaper. But there’s no room in the middle. However, it seems finding a spot for him is a priority.
The biggest problem with the Penguins’ lines is that one move begets two. There’s not one tweak that will work. It’s an overhaul in waiting, but one twist of the Rubik’s Cube that Muse has not yet tried is Tommy Novak on Sidney Crosby’s wing. It actually worked for several games last season and would allow Muse to elevate Ben Kindel or keep Rust on Kindel’s line to see if it works. Lapierre could take the other spot, as Novak has three goals this season but has been very quiet and has not been the driver on the line.
In the search for answers, Lapierre is the great unknown. Trying to find the answer could be the key to unlocking the disorganized lineup, or the process could delay solutions. Like everything else, it might get a shot.
2. Kris Letang and Trevor van Riemsdyk
It would be easy to downgrade the defensive duo’s performance, especially after each gifted the Washington Capitals a goal Wednesday night. Their advanced analytics are an unusual mix of steady and ineffective.
Despite the Penguins’ 13 five-on-five goals this season, the pair has been on the ice for only one goal-for. However, they’ve only been on the ice together for one goal against. Adding to the conflicting info, they have a positive scoring chance ratio (58%), but a subpar expected goals ratio (48%) and a below-water high-danger chance rate (45%). All stats courtesy of NaturalStatTrick.com.
The eye test has been unremarkable. Van Riemsdyk has been OK. Letang is showing a lost step. Together, it’s bland, and it’s an honest question whether both will be among the six best defensemen by mid-season. Or next month.
Owen Pickering and Harrison Brunicke had combined for 11 shots over the first two Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins games.
3. Sidney Crosby Slow Starts
Crosby is not struggling because of age, at least not in the usual way. Crosby needs to find a rhythm, and he needs to play a lot of hockey to get there. The shortened camp and preseason expedited his process, and he’s certainly not on his game yet.
“It’s been different every day. Some games, I’ve had chances and just haven’t put them in,” said Sidney Crosby. “Other games, there haven’t been chances. I feel like if you’re getting chances consistently, eventually, they’re going in. You trust they will. I need to be better and find a way to create a little more.”
It was the same problem last season, despite him having five points (2-3-5) in the first five games. The Penguins’ captain is typically a point-per-game player in the early season, but that hasn’t always been the case. Crosby was pointless in the first five games of 2015-16, and three prior times he has been goalless in the first handful of games (2008-09, ’15-16, ’18-19).
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