It has been a rough few days for the Pittsburgh Penguins. A few losses and only a couple of goals have caused some to grit their teeth, a few to look to the positives of outplaying opponents, and a general sense frustation.

The Penguins are winless in three, but have played a couple of energetic games.

And for an added degree of difficulty, they will try to keep their season afloat without Erik Karlsson for at least a couple of weeks. Karlsson was seen hobbling around the UPMC Lemieux Complex over the last few days, so hopes of a quick return are not high.

The changing dynamics of the Penguins roster, both without Karlsson, and the rigors of a compressed NHL schedule, have now created a gauntlet for the Penguins to keep their playoff aspirations.

Monday, the team begins a nine-day roadie out west through Seattle, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver. Despite the decreased level of competition in three of those games, it will be a tough trip that will send the Penguins into the Olympic break feeling good … or not.

Penguins Slappers

**It might be a little hard to believe, but the Penguins’ defensive pairing with Kris Letang and Brett Kulak is statistically the third-best in the NHL in terms of goals allowed at 5v5.

“I think when they’re at their best, I think from the defensive side, it starts just with taking away time and space. You know, getting those gaps early,” Muse said of his new top pairing. “You know, the guys in the defensive zone, they can close space. And then also, I think anytimeyou’re not allowing a lot, then you’re doing something right with the puck to get out of your zone.”

A few statistical oddities can be parsed in different ways, pending the desired conclusion. Letang and Kulak have been on the ice for only five goals against in 198 minutes, but have been on the ice for only five goals for, too. Their expected-goals for ratio is a nice, but not overwhelming, 52%, and the Penguins’ goalies have a .933 save percentage when they’re on the ice.

They’re doing a lot well in the defensive zone. From there, their performance might be a matter of interpretation.

**Ville Heinola. The Winnipeg Jets prospect defenseman is 24-years-old and appeared on our recent Penguins Trade Watch board, comprised exclusively of young players thought to be available.

Heinloa is an elite skating defender who needs work on the finer points of his game. The Penguins’ absence of defensemen able to skate the puck out of trouble and lead the rush was suddenly and very apparent Tuesday.

The Penguins’ defense did a solid job of both defending and getting out of their zone, but there wasn’t a lot of offensive coming from the back.

Now might be a great time to explore finding a defenseman with some wheels and offensive accumen.

Everyone will learn the results of this season’s unique development path of Harrison Brunicke and where he stands next September. He might need a year or two in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to matriculate. And Karlsson only has one season left on his contract after this, too.

The Penguins could use some fuel in that pipeline.

**I don’t get the Tristan Broz call-up and almost immediate demotion a day later. It looks like Ben Kindel could use a game or two in the press box. He was noticeably not his best against Calgary, Boston, and Tampa Bay.

There have been a lot of games played in a short time period, and the games are getting tougher, too.

Kindel hasn’t scored since Dec. 14, a span of 14 games, and has just three goals since Thanksgiving (Nov. 27).

A couple or few games for Broz in the middle of Evgeni Malkin and Egor Chinakhov or Anthony Mantha and Justin Brazeau could jolt the team, and those games could fuel Broz’s pursuit of an NHL career, too.

**It surely seems like Evgeni Malkin is still nursing his shoulder injury. He’s not even taking faceoffs when Tommy Novak or Ben Kindel get waved off the dot (he took one on Tuesday, and so did Egor Chinakhov).

PHN watched closely Tuesday night, and Malkin isn’t shying from contact, and he obviously can shoot the puck, but it’s something to consider as the Penguins scrounge for offense and one of the game’s best centers is learning to play the wing.

A banged-up Malkin is still better than no Malkin, but perhaps he is limited. That’s now the perception from here.

**Arturs Silovs is very much improving.

Silovs and PHN had a friendly chat Wednesday about goaltending. For the record, he seemed unimpressed with tales of my street hockey goaltending ability. But he also downplayed his rebound control, which seems to be greatly improved.

Silovs shrugs off a lot. Perhaps that’s the goalie in him, but he didn’t feel like he’s doing a significantly better job at rebound control. No, he’s in better position now, which allows him to more capably direct rebounds.

But if he ever plays street hockey, he won’t be the goalie.

Tags: erik karlsson Evgeni Malkin Kris Letang Pittsburgh Penguins

Categorized: Penguins Notebook PHN Blog