During an especially riotous moment of Mel Brooks’ classic 1974 western spoof, Blazing Saddles, bewildered henchman Taggart uttered the unforgettable phrase, “What in the wide, wide world of sports is a goin’ on?”
I’ve found myself asking a similar question over the past week or so about our Penguins. How the heck did this (our current hot streak) happen? More to the point, how did we manage to turn our season around so completely?
Talk about a night-and-day difference. Actually, Jekyll and Hyde is more like it. During a grisly 10-game stretch that began with a sloppy 6-3 loss to the Islanders on October 30, the Pens went on a ghastly 1-7-2 slide.
Basking in the neon glow of our present championship form, it’s hard to remember just how horribly the team played during its freefall. Honestly, I pegged them for dead and buried and pushing up daisies.
You’d have been hard-pressed to find a single positive. The power play was ice cold, guys were turning pucks over faster than gumballs spewing from a dispenser at a kid’s birthday party, penalty killing was weak and sweat equity was non-existent. Team defense was deplorable…goaltending shaky.
Bottom-six scoring? Fuhgeddaboudit.
Even the coaching was questionable, with Mike Sullivan shuffling his forward lines faster than a card shark dealing from the bottom of a marked deck. Amid rumors of locker-room turmoil and unhappy stars, some folks were even calling for “Sully’s” head on a platter.
So what happened? How did we morph from a fragile bunch in utter disarray into a well-oiled machine on a spectacular 17-5-2 run (9-1 in our past 10 games)? A few thoughts:
Captain Commendable (and Cohorts)
It’s no great shock that our turnaround coincided with Sidney Crosby’s return from an upper-body injury. The Pens were 0-2-1 during his absence, including a disheartening loss to Ottawa and an equally stunning collapse against Buffalo.
Skating with knife-blade intensity, Crosby’s pretty much willed the troops back into contention, starting with an impressive 5-1 victory over Dallas in his first game back. Since his return, he’s piled up 12 goals and 22 assists in 24 games, to go with a sparkling plus-15.
Sid’s had help. Kris Letang’s enjoyed a resurgence that has him playing arguably the best hockey of his career. With 22 points (including four goals) over the same 24-game stretch he’s clicking at nearly a point-per-game clip. Spectacular for a d-man in this day and age.
JR Takes Charge
As the team tumbled into the Metropolitan Division cellar, GM Jim Rutherford didn’t rest on his laurels…or his keister. Recognizing the need for change, he boldly stepped to the fore and pulled the trigger on a pair of mid-range deals that reaped significant dividends.
The first…acquiring left wing Tanner Pearson from Los Angeles for the immensely popular Carl Hagelin provided a much-needed shakeup. The second…dealing spare-part sniper Daniel Sprong to Anaheim for promising rearguard Marcus Pettersson excised a distraction and bolstered the defense in one fell swoop.
Sometimes You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks
Not to equate our two-time Cup-winning coach to the family pet. However, there were rumblings that Sullivan had morphed into a harder-edged version of former Pens coach Dan Bylsma, a one-trick pony who couldn’t…or wouldn’t…alter his attack-oriented style.
Following the inglorious loss to the Sabres, Sully indeed adjusted. Instead of sending the off-side wingers flying up the ice at the earliest hint of a breakout, he instructed them to curl underneath in the defensive zone to provide an extra layer of support and protection.
The move worked like a charm. In an instant, the Pens looked more settled and organized.
Props to the Massachusetts native for steering the black-and-gold through the storm. We learn through our trials. Sully’s no doubt a better coach for it.
Shaking Off the Rust
During the extended cold snap, the Pens received precious little production from the supporting cast. Since the turnaround Zach Aston-Reese, Derick Brassard, Riley Sheahan and Pearson have potted five goals apiece. Not exactly the stuff of Richard Trophy winners, but a definite step in the right direction.
The poster child for the spike in lunch-pail production is Bryan Rust. Mired in a miserable slump (one goal in his first 29 games), the speedy hustler turned it around in spades…to the tune of 10 goals in his past 13 games.
Dee-Fense
Nobody’s ever going to confuse the black and gold with Marty Brodeur’s trap-happy Devils. Indeed, only six teams have yielded more than the Pens’ pregnant average of 33 shots on goal per game. But the locals are playing better ‘d.’
During the past 10 games our guys have allowed only 15 goals. Leading the resurgence is Matt Murray.
Since returning from a mysterious (some would say phantom) lower-body injury, not to mention virtual oblivion, the Thunder Bay native’s been nothing short of amazing, as his microscopic 1.24 goals against average and .963 save percentage will attest. Ebenezer Scrooge was never stingier.
It doesn’t hurt that his teammates are paying more attention to their defensive chores. Which leads to my last point.
We’re Gellin’
To borrow from Dr. Scholl’s, we’re indeed gellin’. The bottom-six forwards appear much more cohesive. So does the defense, especially since Pettersson took up residence.
The guys seem to playing for each other and supporting each other, too. A case in point, Pettersson stepping up to defend Sheahan during Tuesday’s 5-1 pasting of Florida, even though the stork-like defender can’t fight a lick.
That kind of stick-togetherness wins games. Stanley Cups, too.
Unfortunately I’m very happy to see pens lose tonight . I’m glad to continue to see that when Crosby and Guentzel can’t score goals to win games. They will lose. Malkin and Kessel too. It has been going for too long..
I was waiting for a better team to come and play against them and better at all facets of the game on the ice. Finish their chances..
I am not a happy camper to see Guentzel and Crosby unhappy on the ice and the bench. Malkin and Kessel as well.. It sucks . Yet another great,elite season of Sidney Crosby is getting lost this season. All the stars..
Penguins been play the same way all season. Bad starts, low energy, carelessness, poor game plan, weak on 5v5, atrocious passing, impatience scared defenseman among other things… Continuously outplayed and out chances all the team. Rough in all three zones. ( it starts with defenseman)
One line team. (Crosby and Guentzel)Plenty of passengers and replacement level players that don’t belong on this team . Same ole bad habits, transition game , bad puck management and careless decisions. Defenseman cannot carry/pass the puck to the fowards. Letang always playing cute and play like foward..
Defenseman? They cough the puck up to much and don’t win puck battles.
Goaltending is the difference maker. 8 game winning streak was a fluke and showed why they never improved against weak lesser teams..
Rutherford make this team slow and never add better players on their great identity that swarmed forecheck, attention to details and attack teams in this league. He let it slip away. Pearson , Brassard, Johnson, Patterson,Wilson, Zar and Simon make this team very slow. These players are not fast players who can attack on speedy and win battles with heavy forechecking defensively abilities .. Penguins are not gonna win with these players in the lineup. Pearson does some good things, but he isn’t faster enough not that heavy on win 50/50. I thought mike Sullivan should have let Phil-Geno play with him . He didn’t. I don’t understand Sheahan promotion to Malkin’s lines…
Penguins lose their speed game to a good extent, physicality, grit, capable players that got them juice, heart and resilience to win game. Mike Sullivan doesn’t want that and Rutherford refused to bring that back to this team.
Something that is a big problem for the Penguins is that Sullivan continues to shelter Johnson and playing him with stars where it isn’t nothing sustainable to get a offensive cycle going.. Shultz needs to return quickly..
Sullivan is still one of the Penguins biggest problems.. He’s getting out coached and look like a coach who has nothing to adjust to make this team better.. He continues to call up useless players and play players where they don’t belong and demoted the wrong players..
All the flaws and glaring issues has been out on table for more than two seasons n….
There’s no way Malkin and Kessel are having a hard time like this.. Resemblance of last season with Crosby and Guentzel.. All of them should be in top 5-10 scoring in the league..
Sharks are a different team and completely outplayed and out chanced them. They let Jones have his way(no screens /driving to the net.. and could fight off heavy forecheck and structure way to defend them.
You knows it more bad when phil Kessel and other great stars on this team are wacking their sticks on the ice/bench and completely head/eyes in complete blank Stares with absolutely very frustrated with these games.. Complete despair with Jack Johnson.. I feel for them. Kessel has had enough..
Mike Sullivan has stars struggling and longer leash to players who don’t bring nothing to the table..
Penguins got a brutal half schedule.. I don’t know..
Hey ToR,
Thought?
Hey Dee,
I am with you.
I want to write a new post covering much of what you write about, so I will hold off until after work and put it all together. There will be no rose colored glasses then.
Hey TOr,
I can’t wait to read it.
Penguins need more speed supporting cast , better D , better coach and solid reliable 3C …
I never listen to Sully’s game interviews. I read some quotes.. He is just to suspect and way to lost to get this team going on many levels to be solid to win a simplified speed counter attack game details game. Penguins had two days off.. one practice was only special teams… I think..
Hello Tor,
I will reply here
You read my mind all the time.
I don’t know if you have been seeing this going trend that Penguins ( coaching staff/Rutherford)have been shooting there foot in their butts With these weak signing and trades for the past two year season. Having to much money tied up in defense that doesn’t excel on the ice enough. Riikola and Patterson are bottom pairing with low upside that should be in WB/S. I don’t understand the consistency to make a natural LHD play on right side that doesn’t fit . Then accommodate players that have no business playing on this team. So they get odd man out and traded due to the fact weak combos and defensive schemes..
Penguins seem to have no urgency to have a great identity again to get them another cup / strengthen them in key roster spots and to strengthen the weaknesses they have in front of them. They seem to make a trade for LHD like Patterson when they didn’t need to at all. Rudwedel and Prow probably would have help them til Shultz’s return.. They could’ve easily got a pick or prospect for Sprong.
I don’t think Johnson is getting better. I see no changes. He goes out his way to take the body .. etc.. he did on the Kings easy goal .. He still sucks and a player like him have nothing to offer this team long term. Johnson got his money and sully chose to accommodate him better than players that belong to be in the line up. It was no point to signing him. Big Rig should be holding down the fort on the blue line with Dumoulin. I don’t get the signing of Oleskiak and put him in a doghouse. He was fine and plus minus rating was 11-14 at one point.
Penguins are failing to reach the greatest potential to make them a strong deep team because they have to much money tied up in defense, no sustainable adjustments defensive schemes, weak play from defense in all three zones and utilize players in wrong position..
Brassard? He getting trade…
Penguins have a rough schedule for rest of the season..
We can agree Malkin, Crosby, Guentzel and Kessel can only save Sullivan and this team ..Plus Murray’s goaltending..
We don’t know what Leafs, TBL, Flames and other team can do in playoffs.. It still uncertainty on their team going full the finals…( Like you said)
Sullivan and Penguins players got work to do.. Two -three months to show they are capable of going deep and getting a cup..
Stronger adjustments , Better Defensemen play , Supporting cast , limiting Letang ice times, better powerplay/5vs3/5v4 and goaltending holds Penguins fate win a cup this season..
Right now.. I am not happy matethat honestly can grant them a full stanley cup run .. with holes.. players playing where they don’t deserve,questionable adjustments.. lackluster efforts, sloppy hockey, bad breakouts /bad transition game ,defenseman plays in three zones, bleeding shots / quality chances for teams / easy mentality/ opposition dictates territory and constantly outplayed on the ice.
Malkin, Crosby, Guentzel, Kessel , Dumoulin can only do so much…
I look foward to see how Penguins season play out .. I know it could be a strong possibility Sullivan, Reechi and Letang probably be gone after this season..
Hello ToR & Rick,
No . They did not turn around to be more to play against and to be stacked contender. To many passengers, blow leads , same costly mistakes and glaring issues lingering among other things .
I think I need to continuously say t this over and over again. Pens winning streak is ok and and nice. Flukey Against weak teams that couldn’t finish them high quality chance and didn’t have a fight to push back. … easy goals and not enough 50/50 better with structure breakouts and urgency to win a game. etc..
Maybe it’s just me. I’m over analyzing and want the team to be overall better. They will never be better cohesive on attention to details, Great structure for breakouts, defensive positioning, consistent going at crashing the net to make goalies work harder to make a saves. They give it up to easily to goalies and very bad transitioning between their net and neutral.
Penguins have to many bad consistent habits ,glaring issues and sleepwalking through games.
Coaching staff is not doing their job, imo. I see no different in tactics , players playing in the right position to succeed and strategies .. Martin seem to be only one who has a very collective grasp of going against opposition. ( Hint * Rick Tocchet was great at it.
There’s no improvement within this team. Penguins are winning with one line , so so powerplay ( Letang shouldn’t be Qb/Shultz is needed badly) and great Pk and above -average goaltending. Penguins are the day way they were earlier this season. I don’t care for disagree and the flacks given to me at all.
•Brassard needs to go. Bad trade and costly backfiring trade that will haunt the them. He hurting this team and Kessel is dying with him. I can go on and on Brassard ‘s case. He’s weak and brutal.
•Kessel is getting his points from powerplay, other linemates than Brassard, individual efforts to get something going and he’s constantly dragging with Brassard. He deserves better
• Malkin deserves better. I don’t care . He may have a little hop in strides to regain back to shell of himself. I will say Pearson has help that. Simon isn’t a long term and great winger for him. Simon does some ok stuff, But he’s a bottom 6 middle player that belongs on the bottom lines. Nothing warrants top line duties. Sorry. Pearson-Malkin-Kessel needs to be it.
•Sid and Jake has been single-handling carrying this team offensively and defensively. Pure domination on both sides of the puck. Prime example: Kings aggressively shutdown Jake and Crosby at extent periods of times Taking the sticks and blatantly interference. Rust does good enough to bring speed for entry and little weak board battles. He just isn’t good enough to finish grade A chances given to him when Crosby and Guentzel are drawn by defenders and can’t shoot the puck. He can’t keep up . He’s Warren young lite. He isn’t gonna drive offensively and defensively to get setup to help top line scoring goals. Crosby and Guentzel are setting him up to much and he isn’t finishing the play. They need a better RW.
•Patterson does good things. I’m just hesitant with him. He’s a bottom pairing guy to me . He’s getter shelter minutes and some costly mistakes where Johnson leave him dry and confused. He might excel to dive here and there for middle paring purpose for barring injuries. I don’t think we will never know with Jack Johnson anchoring him. I would rather see him with Oleskiak. He’s seems to put some points in two – three games.
•Penguins bottom 6 is weak and not sustainable. It needs to be better and simply new two to young players. I prefer to see Blueger, Angello and A.Johnson. ZaR is ok. He doesn’t bring nothing to the table and he’s Sully boy. So he will get his ice Time. He’s a bottom player that just doesn’t have a identity that meets this team expectations to go against other opponents, imo. Penguins simply do not have cohesive third /fourth lines that will help win games when stars are shutdown in a game.
•Jack Johnson needs to be ditch on a lonely island. He doesn’t bring nothing to this team to win at all. It baffles me he continues to get shelter minutes to play to with Crosby and Malkin. He drags this team. Brings down every player.. I simply don’t get the special treatment over Määttä and Oleskiak. Sully is constantly putting on the ice at odd times where they are not benefiting something to get a goal. Crosby and Malkin are constantly working hard to defend before attempting to get something going..
•Defense Corp is just all over the place. There’s no leadership and great puck management from Letang that leads this defense tactics and strategies against opposition. I won’t getting into it. I know will not toot Letang’s Horn. Im not like everyone else who Overrated him and don’t see what I see ..Defense needs to be break and certain players deserves to be on the ice. Johnson needs to go and Shultz needs to return .
•Powerplay is weak and over place with Letang presence. I don’t understand the constant ice time for him. 100% of Pens ShG are very high due to Letang inability to quarterback , bad shots and him consistent passing to nothing. He’s has very low hockey iq. Penguins powerplay is better suited to go through Crosby and Shultz. Shultz is missed .
I appreciate the reform goaltending and to collect some points against weak teams.
I appreciate the resilience win against Ducks.. Still glaring issues in that game..Urgency to play 60 minutes..
Penguins have not turning around and have not become better with every solid discipline in all facets in the game.
I just see clear glaring things that is a consistent trend ..
Lastly, Penguins want to win this year and ride into the sunset…
They needs to take excessive lingering self-inflicted wounds, stop sloppy low energy hockey remove deadweight passengers, better adjust system/better breakouts, better linemates for starts to blossom and drive the bus, stop lackluster effort to shoot the puck/cycle/win battles , coach needs to adjust and better use players where they belong basic on skill set, limit Letang minutes/take him off top powerplay, prove they can play against stronger teams and rolling deep lines every game… etc…
I repeat, repeat Penguins have not turn around at all. Pk, Solis blue line work from Dumoulin,Goaltending, 87 line is somewhat masking everything.. Penguins are still getting outplayed and out chanced on nightly basis. Hell other coaching plans and structure is better than Sully’s stuff..
We will see . Shultz return will help tremendously. New players and dumping some players will help . With including younger players that deserves a chance. I don’t see Zar, Grant , Wilson helping Penguins speed attack game…
I’m sorry .
Hey Dee,
Just as I haven’t been all that impressed with the winning streak, I am not all that worried about last night’s loss. I agree with just about all of your points, but losing the back end of a back to back without Hornqvist doesn’t doesn’t mean the sky is falling.
However, last night’s game does draw attention back to what you and I have been saying all these months;
Without spectacular goaltending, this team will hurt. I am not sold on any of the defensemen. I don’t necessarily hate any of them, but they really aren’t there. Dumoulin may be the best of what is on the roster right now but that may not be saying all that much. The high +/- numbers that several of the players hve right now is as I wrote elsewhere, is really a product of the spectacular goal tending we were seeing during the streak and not the defensive play.
I wasn’t as upset with Johnson last night as I was with Letang and Pettersson. Pettersson made a serious rookie mistake sending the Kings away on their 1st goal. Letang made several mistakes that Dumoulin found a way of covering. As a team they did keep the total number of shots down, but that may have been more a result of Crosby’s line tying up the puck in the attacking zone several times.
I do acknowledge that outside of Letang, Johnson, and Dumoulin, the rest of the Defense are pretty young and may yet grow into good players.
As you said about Malkin, 100% spot on. Pearson isn’t all that bad, but Simon is weak on the LW and abysmal playing the RW. I would rather see Sheahan or Cullen playing there than Simon. Simon is just a half a step above Sheary, who is pathetic. There is far more to hockey than wanting to play give and go with Crosby or Malkin.
Brassard I wish he would somehow have worked out. At this point he may end up making 2 trades look really, really bad. Not only will he make the Cole-Reaves-Gustavsson for Brassard-Lindberg look bad, it could eventually make the 1st round pick-Sundqvist for Reaves-2nd round pick look just as bad or worse. The Penguins will have absolutely nothing to show for that trade. Reaves is in Vegas and Luzon, the player they picked in the flip of picks isn’t even playing hockey. Sundqvist is producing somewhat equal (not quite but given the $$$ difference) to what Brassard is giving the Pens but Hague, the guy I wanted them to draft is playing fairly well in Vegas’ farm system (I wouldn’t have taken the player St Louis chose with our pick, I would have taken the player Vegas took, he was still around too).
Since putting Crosby and Guentzel on the PK, it really has gotten even better.
Even though I do concede that the team is playing better as a team, let’s face it, they could get any less team like than they were before Dupuis-gate. They still have a way to go before I really jump on the band wagon. As you say, there are lots of holes.
Hello TOR,
Absolutely.
I’m not mad about last night game. It is what it is . It has been the same way all season. Going back to two seasons ago. I don’t like Sully exceute of Johnson with top lines among other things.
Grant was bad with that sequence on Patterson. It was clearly offsides.
Letang? I’m sorry.i decided not go that into him. He’s overrated and out to lunch on the ice on the ice to much. Lacks awareness, low hockey iq and bad powerplay quarterback for the Penguins top unit. Play to much like a foward and have to many costly mistakes. I stop criticizing Letang because when I do it I feel like I’m beating a dead horse . Dumoulin cover his butt to much. Letang is brutal to me. Costly turnovers and bad passing. So so brutal defensive work. He only showed good enough two way hockey in some parts with the Jets game. Anaheim Ducks game he 6-7 turnovers among other things. That’s not the first game he’s bad turnovers and played countless bad hockey several times this season. He won’t drive this team and carry this team’s defense to sustainable elite success.
He isn’t on the Karlsson’s and Burns hockey elite level. Not true capable #1 defenseman . He isn’t in same pedigree like them . Crosby and Malkin too.. Letang is good enough player. Not a defenseman.
It nice he came back from a brutal neck injury. He playing good enough and still hasn’t matured all these years.
He’s playing ok good enough hockey behind Crosby, Guentzel and Dumoulin hiding his butt. I repeat, repeat Letang is not a Norris Trophy type player in my book. I really hope Giordano, Burns, Reilly and Karlsson are among the finalist for the award. Giordano deserves it.
Johnson is Johnson. I don’t like him on this team. He needs to go. Point Blank Period.
I will eat do poop on this opinion. I do not see Penguins win a cup with Letang in the lineup. Unless he’s hold accountable and very limited minutes on crucial situations beyond getting long leash he should not have on this team. I understand it young players and hockey culture tends to trust veterans to much . I think some young players deserve to get more ice time and let do things on the ice to help the team. Guentzel show you every game . Guentzel shoutout goal tell you why.
I would like to see coaching staff to limit Letang to 17-20 minutes a game. I would like him off the powerplay permanently.
I concur. Other players deserve more ice time and other players belong on this team.
Dumoulin? Regardless stats and plus minus rating. Dumoulin has grown tremendously and playing at high great level to lead the blue line every game. I feel sorry for him. He gets caught do his job and Letangs job to much. I still would like to see continue to blossom without be with Kris Letang.
I can’t wait til Shultz return. I guess I would understand Penguins keeping Letang. I still firmly believe they need to trade him while he’s playing good enough before significant injuries happen again or major slow declines..
Penguins needs to shore up their defense… Give Prow and Rudwedel some games .. Riikola needs to be playing a full season in WB/S.. Either way he can be swing in a deal. He’s a bottom pairing defenseman. Ethan Prow deserves a chance to get ice time.
Some Pairing retool and flopping..
Dumoulin-Letang
Määttä-Shultz
Patterson-Oleskiak
Dumoulin-Shultz
Määttä-Letang
Pettersson-Oleskiak
Dumoulin-Letang
Patterson -Shultz
Määttä-Oleskiak
Ditch Johnson.. Rudwedel 7th d and Riikola 8th D
Shultz is Penguins top powerplay Defensemen.
Overall shoring up defense needs to happen.
Dumoulin-? Or Dumoulin-Shultz
Määttä-Shultz or Määttä-?
Patterson-Oleskiak
Agree. Penguins are playing somewhat ok better at times . I prefer to see Kessel and Malkin getting what they deserve….
Hey Dee,
Like you I think Malkin and Kessel are always getting short changed. Right now the Pens do not have the forwards to support 3 offensive lines. If Brassard and Simon could step up their games then maybe the concept of a 3 headed hydra would work but for what is on this roster, Sullie keeps sending Crosby out there with one arm tied behind his back (only 1 quality wing (Guentzel), and Malkin and Kessel often with both hands tied behind their backs (When Hornqvist is injured).
Rather than trying something new (Bring up a kid from WBS) Sullie keeps sending out the same failed players who get hot for a couple of games and then revert back to their old selves (bottom 6 players at best). Maybe A. Johnson will not help Malkin, Maybe Angello will not be the net front presence the Pens need when Hornqvist is injured but what they have been using hasn’t work either.
Defensively, the real problem with R Defensemen would appear to be that Sullie et al don’t want to see competition with R D-men. that way they always have an excuse to keep throwing Letang out there, even when his lack of defensive acumen glares.
In the long run, it appears that the rest of the field in the Metropolitan is getting ready to slide back to their normal spots so that the Pens road to the playoffs stays opened. Therefore they will not make any real changes to make them strong enough to challenge for a Cup as they will assume that what they have will do the trick. Secondly, it will keep them from retooling to keep them from the traditional drop completely to the bottom once Crosby and Malkin get too old to carry the pylons that they surround them with.
Hello Tor,
Spot On.
Let be real here. I’m sorry . Sullivan and Penguins call ups are very weak. Yeah .. Yeah .. A.Johnson, Angello , Prow and Blueger has not got any chance to show what they are capable of .. that belong into Penguins speed attack game.. so that’s bs..They were playing on Crosby and Malkin before getting heavily evaluated to play where they belong..
They all had strong camp and preseason games . Put it like this Penguins will lose them.. Wilson, Zar, Simon did not have strong camp and preseason games..They are effing non factor.. if they got to play with stars to be productive on this this team then you will lose everytime ( bs on give and go) and lose your identity against faster copycat teams.. Simon and Zar are not that good and do not stand out enough.. They were bench many times on bottom lines, costly mistakes/nothing about them individual stands out at all and promoted for unwarranted top minutes..
Wilson work hard ok enough. He doesn’t bring nothing to the table. Laughable. No nhl goal and you don’t see him on the ice, he throw a unless out of position hit.. player only 6-8 minutes.Useless.
Adam Johnson has great sound speed, win battles , heavy forecheck, two way game, little goal scoring that can blossom,some pk and playmaking abilities. Work hard ..
Penguins organization? Sully? They have a tendency to not give players with great talent or two way hockey that deserve to get ice time up here. They pump up promising players and may promises they cannot keep at all.
They harping over the wrong one dimensional players that doesn’t bring nothing to the table at all. They overpaid the wrong players and ultimately that player get to comfortable to go in a mode where they don’t better to bring some significant to the table that Penguins needs to strengthen them long term. Recent Sheary’s situation get you that idea. Bad all round. Penguins have bad ways with better players and bottom useless feeders..
Always want to turn bottom feeders in top line wingers that isn’t projected that way..
Seems like to me only way a special talent will every get a chance in the lineup to play here. If they are already ready and mature to play without no need to play in WB/S
Crosby ,Kessel and Malkin I don’t think they will slow down that much they have a lot in the tank. Stars are stars gonna be your stars. They need better RW and LW ..
They will run your bus and sales. Always. Coaching staff depend on them to much and drag them down with weak supporting passengers cast. 3C is weak and useless..I don’t mind it.Stars getting their due.
At some point bottom lines needs to be better and defense core needs to be better..Because a goalie or a top defenders can stop them from scoring.. they get double team for a reason..
I hate to see weak support cast that doesn’t help them that much and significant a better identity of this team. Rutherford has missed the mark on two seasons and Sullivan’s has been pretty brutal on inability to evolve with game and give players that belongs a opportunity. I find it hard that players that belong are not getting a chance are to play , odd man outand players get trading for strange reasons. When Sullivan doesn’t like you run out of town..
Look at Oleskiak.. It’s pretty sad .. He’s younger and was improving. Does great things and all of sudden he’s a odd man out. Reminds of Ian Cole.. He was fine .. great and pretty much great blue liner .. he gotta hurt and run out of town.. Rudwedel too. Rudwedel is very serviceable and significant good on the bottom pairing..
Johnson signing hurt the Penguins organization. Riikola weak Signing too. Johnson will continue to haunt them.
Im hope they wash their hands with him.
I understand having depth for LH and wanting to get players opportunities. I don’t like that they did not strengthen RH and have weak clog Signings / Trade for LHd’s that are weak bottom pairing defenseman..
I’m sorry .. A cheap RH younger would have done magic for them and probably push Letang out more..
Brassard situation.. Penguins got robbed. I think they are now figuring that out. They wanted Pageau or Duchene. They didn’t go hard enough. All that stuff that went to Brassard could’ve easily benefited for a much better player or just better offseason acquisitions to never go out to get him..
. Brassard was damaged goods before he came here and paid much a injured prone Overrated player. They didn’t scout him that good. Pretty much look at the past production that doesn’t add up. Brassard will never work here. They are hold back with him. If they get a better you 3C that will be great for them.
I will say this. Penguins getting a younger cheap RHD / figuring their defenseman core and better 3C can help them significant to see what they can go. Add younger better WB/S one to players will work . They still needs to go after a veteran back up goalie. Putting Simon and Zar where they belong. weak Bottom six . They are vanilla fringe Nhl players.. Sheahan too. He does some ok things. But they can go cheap with someone else that isn’t vanilla and inconsistent..
Penguins don’t have nothing outside of Crosby, Guentzel, Hornqvist, Kessel, Malkin on the roster..
I don’t see ZAr lasting on this team. I don’t think he can withstand the rigors of this league. He doesn’t bring nothing to table. He will continue to get injured and players will continue to fight him. It like the Craig Adam effect in a sense. One year left on his contract. I wouldn’t give him a contract extension.. He can be swing into a deal. Give young players like Adam Johnson and Angello a chance before they walk somewhere else.
Simon is Simon . Cheap contract for another year. Odd fit that doesn’t bring that much . It will be a mistake to extend his contract in a year.
I’m waiting to see to see the trades, Shultz’s return , Stars getting more going with better sustainable linemates,and better system changes that will make them more playoff deep team..
Ultimately, I wanna see can they hang with faster , well coached, speed deeper teams..
They can’t hang with some teams right now..
Supporting cast that has Simon, Zar , Sheahan, Wilson, Brassard will not get you anywhere in the playoffs. Mostly every game stars will happen to get a lot of points to win a game. ( they supposed get all their points) . I’m fine with that. Crosby and Malkin line ms only producing a point will not win a game .. Secondary scoring is flukey. They only score when the game is out of hand and Penguins are in the position to win that game…
January and February will define them and playoffs deep runs..
Hey Dee,
Great point about Oleksiak. The Big Rig was the 2nd best D man last year behind only Schultz. Granted Dumoulin is starting to blossom so moves ahead of Oleksiak in my book, but come on, Pettersson and Riikola – both do have good upside but aren’t better than Oleksiak.
Pettersson is only getting such a hard look because of the Sprong circus – trying to justify the trade. Stop it already. The past is the past. Move on. Even if Pettersson were to become a top pairing, it still doesn’t excuse the way Sprong was ignored for the likes of Simon.
I do like Riikola and think that if he were playing regularly in WBS for 20 or 30 games, come playoff time he would be ready for NHL hockey. But as it is, he is not getting the ice time to adjust to the North American game.
And you comment about J. Johnson, I do think he is starting to get a little better, but that isn’t saying much considering how bad he was. As you say, it was a bad signing that hamstrings the team. It gives them very little wiggle room while making the Penguins D extremely over paid considering how weak they are playing. If they were playing this way while giving Oleksiak, Prow, Riikola, and Pettersson a chance to grow, than I would be okay, but when a $7+ mil and 3 ~$4 mil players are getting the bulk of the ice time and teams are getting in behind them in all 3 zones, then I am not a happy fan.
Yes, The Brassard trade is going to hurt the team for years to come. You mentioned Pageau. He was the players I wanted them to go for (from Ottawa). I would have also been okay with Grabner last playoffs. I never understood the love affair with Brassard.
He is a Penguin for the nonce, so I really am pulling for him to turn it around, but I am not expecting it.
At this point, I may be willing to ride out the year and let him just go UFA, unless I could get a draft pick for him or a true rent-a-player. I really would prefer not taking on another long term salary. I would rather see the team try and free up cap space for the off season to make a pitch for Duchene or Panarin.
Of course I also would love to see them find a way to get a top 5 pick and get a kid like Podokolzn.
AS for the Playoffs this year, the way the Metro mid level teams are playing, I do think that the Pens will have a hard time not making the playoffs but I don’t think they get out of the Divisional championship. The Caps gained confidence in themselves last year because of Sully’s bull headed over playing of Letang and Sheary.
Even if they can find a way past the Caps, I am not sure that they have enough to beat TBL or Tor. They would have to make a couple of Scurderi for Daley trades to look that good on paper. However, TBL has had a tendency to beat themselves in the Playoffs and Tor is still fairly un bloodied in playoff competition. It would take a very hot Murray to save Sully’s season for him.
If ever a coach self destructed he did. His only saving grace is that he still has Crosby, Guentzel, Malkin, and Kessel
Malkin and Kessel at least for the time being – he still hasn’t gotten his desire to trade off Malkin and Kessel. If he does strip the team of Malkin and Kessel for little trains that could like Sheary and Simon, this team will need serious divine intervention.
It seems like every December they turn it up
Good observation, Jeannine!
They do seem to sleepwalk through October and November, don’t they? Interesting that in each of our first four Cup seasons, we stumbled literally until March. Then we caught fire in time for the stretch run and playoffs. The lone exception was ’16-17.
Rick
Hey Rick,
Good Stuff!
I’m going to say the main reason is coaching and management. Sullivan was having trouble getting Kessel to accept a third line role as usual. Rutherford stepped in a said that is the way the team plays better. All of the sudden you don’t hear a peep out of Kessel and all is good.
This is where I question Recchi not being as qualified as Tocchet. Tocchet was the guy like Rutherford that emphasized that Sullivan was right. I don’t think Recchi is as strong a character as Tocchet in backing up what Sulli says and does.
Defense. Like pitching rotations, when you add a better guy, at the same time you are taking out the worst guy. It’s a two for the price of one. Pettersson is NHL caliber and looking incredible. Throw in the 9 guys for 6 spots competition and wow they are looking a lot better. They are worried about their jobs. Shultz is back practicing and that gives the Penguins 9 defensemen.
Who goes in the group. I would like to see them ditch Johnson, but right now it would seem that Oleksiak might be the odd guy out. At 5.5mil Shultz and 4mil Maatta may also be looked at as trading chips if the Pens could land a Solid winger for Malkin.
Then there is the goaltending. Desmith has been very solid, except against Chicago lol. Matt Murray is looking better. I question whether he was injured or if Sullivan told him to take some time off to straighten out his mind. His injury happened in the middle of a few days off and no media places asked him how long he was playing with an injury, what it was or anything. They never even mentioned it when he came back.
It also was also amazing that Murray came back in the middle of a super soft schedule. I think that was just great coaching. The big question is how Murray does in the next few weeks. If he is the #1 goalie, Sullivan will have him in net against Vegas.
The next nine games and which games he plays will really tell the tale of whether he is #1 goalie material or not.
*it was hard to find a picture that would make both of you happy with what the change has been.
Hey Phil,
Excellent points about Rutherford and Sullivan…and also the reference to Tocchet and Recchi.
Tocchet really was the perfect assistant. He and Sullivan had an established relationship dating back to their time as teammates with the Coyotes and they shared a lot of mutual respect and trust. Tocchet also was very generous about sharing his time with the players, which I’m sure freed Sully up while reinforcing his ‘voice’ as you suggest.
While it’s not a knock on him, it’s hard to imagine Recchi having the same relationship or influence…either with the players or Sullivan.
Agree we’re in a nice spot on ‘d.’ Barring injury, when Schultz comes back Riikola and Oleksiak are both liable to be watching from the press box…and I like them both. And, as Other Rick has noted, Ethan Prow…a right-handed shot…is having a strong season with the Baby Pens (10 goals, 23 points in 37 games) and may be ready to step up. So we’re in a position of strength back there.
Hear ya’ about a winger for Malkin, although I don’t dislike Simon. Ideally, he probably belongs on the third line instead of the second.
As I mentioned, the one guy I wouldn’t mind parting with is Brassard. He just doesn’t seem to fit. At this stage, I have no idea who you’d get for him. Most likely another veteran whose stock is down, or an up-and-comer who hasn’t panned out.
Still, I like our team overall.
Rick
PS–To borrow from Johnny Cash…nice job of ‘walking the line’… 🙂
Hey Rick,
Great stuff!
Never one to be ashamed to let everyone have my opinion, let me just say, great, great Goaltending masks many sins.
Why are our Penguins winning? Simply put, great goaltending. DeSmith started it off the Matt Murray returned to Cup winning form.
Sorry, I really don’t believe our defense really turned it around, not completely. They are a little better than before. They did hold a couple of opponents to lower shot totals, but they still give up way too many odd man breaks and leave forwards wide open (remember the Ranger game; Namestnikov’s breakaway and Fast’s multiple rebounds (3 or 4 cracks) before a Penguin D-man came to support Murray.
Look no farther back than the loss to the Hawks; DeSmith had an ordinary night, he wasn’t spectacular and the Penguins lost to the Hawks.
I said it 2 – years ago, last year, and now this year, this team will only go as far as Murray and the goaltending can carry them.
Crosby is still arguably the best overall Center in the league yet when the Murray, DeSmith, and Jarry struggled the team tanked. I understand anyone who would vote for Crosby as team MVP, but if the team even just makes the Playoffs, but more so the deeper they get, goaltending is the Most Valuable Position on the team. This team will live or die on its goaltending.
As for Sullivan and his changes – well – again, I don’t see it. It took him over a 1/4 of the season to make adjustments. Once the team goes around the league and teams get a chance to get films and adjust, how long will it take for Sullivan to adjust again?
I was trying to write something but haven’t had much time to organize it coherently so I will spew this out here instead; very recently, the NHL web site started to release their mid season reports on the different trophy races. When they released the Jack Adams, Sullivan wasn’t even close to consideration. He did get 1 vote, which was better than 17 other coaches, but he wasn’t even in the top 10. The vast majority of the Hockey world doesn’t seem to have mush respect for a coach who struggles despite having Crosby, Malkin, and Kessel on his roster.
There is nothing wrong with loving your home team and even wanting certain individuals to do well. But when no one else, particularly people outside of the city, people who can look at the situation objectively, without hometown biases, respects that person, it should cause one to pause a bit.
Hey Other Rick,
I know you’ve done your share of coaching and know the game far better from an Xs and Os standpoint than I. But I respectfully disagree with your assertion that the improvement is mostly due to goaltending.
Is it an important element? Absolutely. One need look no further than our in-state rivals in Philly to see what happens when a team doesn’t receive at least serviceable netminding.
But hockey’s a team sport. When Murray looked like he’d completely regressed early in the season, it was due in large part to the hideous team defense in front of him. Well, I think the inverse is true now. Improved team defense has helped him regain his confidence.
Likewise, I think you’re understating…if not flat-out ignoring…some of the other factors I’d pointed out. You simply don’t go 17-5-2…let alone 9-1…on smoke and mirrors. There is improvement across the board.
I think the defense has really jelled. Heck, when Justin Schultz comes back in all likelihood Jamie Oleksiak becomes our No. 8 d-man. That’s quality depth.
I do feel the bottom-six forwards have come together. I know a lot of people didn’t like signing him, but Matt Cullen’s done a nice job as the fourth line center. I think he along with Aston-Reese and Sheahan have formed an effective unit.
The one guy I’m not thrilled with is Brassard, and I’d probably try to move him. But even he’s shown flashes lately of the guy I remember with Columbus and the Rangers.
I won’t deny that Sullivan seems a little slow to adjust at times, or that he allows his personal preferences to interfere with what’s best for the team…Ian Cole being the strongest example. But he also showed the ability to stay the course and see the team through its struggles, and that’s not to be taken lightly.
Heck, at one point during the 1985-86 season Badger Bob Johnson’s Calgary Flames lost 11-straight games. He’s in the Hall of Fame.
Sometimes coaches need to be given the opportunity to learn and grow through situations and not be discarded like yesterday’s meat loaf.
Rick
Hey Rick,
I am sorry, I was really too brief yesterday. I wasn’t trying to ignore anything you wrote. Your article is very well written and very cogent. Unfortunately right now I never seem to have a lot of time.
Bottom 6 scoring, well sort of, Sheahan and Cullen are picking it up but Brassard, well actually his P/60 is pretty much the same as it was before Dec. Actually it dropped 0.01 from 1.52 to 1.51.
Rust and ZAR are up, but they have been getting top 6 ice time.
Overall, I think the Pens are scoring about 0.2 G/60 but not really from bottom 6 sources. More importantly, the increase has come at the cost of top 6 scoring. Crosby, Malkin, Kessel, and Pearson have all experienced a loss of P/60, with Malkin having the worst drop. So in affect, it would seem all that has happened was the names were changed to make it look like something good happened.
Defense, well, as I wrote above, I am still seeing break away and odd man breaks. Go on the NHL web site and look up DeSmith and Murray and you will see tons of video’s of save after save due to defensive breakdowns. (As I noted above the Ranger game). Yes there were a couple of games were the team did hold opponents to a reasonable amount of shots, but those still are rare occurrences and therefore have a higher probability of the other team having an off night. Until the lower shot totals are norm and not the exception I will not attribute it to the defense.
If you want to argue with me that this may be due to the number of kids on D, I won’t disagree at all. After Johnson and Letang, the rest of the core is young. Even as long as Maatta has been around, he is still a kid. At 27 Dumoulin may be the 3 oldest. So, there may be up side there. But then again, maybe not. Time will tell.
Coaching, sorry, I can’t buy that one. Some may say that Sullivan is patient, but when a coach plods and loses it is no longer patience. If the Penguins keep winning there will no doubt be those who will say Sullivan is just patient, even if Murray keeps bailing them out, they will gloss over the goal tending and say Sullivan is just patient. I will never buy that.
There is an old saying victory goes to the bold. I never benched a player for making aggressive mistakes. They become no brainers for teaching moments. “Look see what happens when you do that”. I sure as shipped bench players for standing around looking. You can’t fix those mistakes.
As for the whole Sprong issue, I do agree getting anything for a player the coach won’t play/coach is a win. I also will say that losing the Sprong distraction had to have some positive impact in the locker room. But no one can convince me that Dupuis gate was a bigger boost than the Sprong trade. It would also be hard to convince me that something didn’t come down from above JR on that one telling them all to grow up and stop acting like the Steelers. JR had plent yof time to address is and didn’t so even if he did try at the end, I doubt anyone would have listened until someone above him stepped in.
I do agree that sometimes coaches need to be given a chance to change. I have even said that. And if Sullivan has gown up, great!!! I would not have tolerated this long. I would have had a sit down a long time ago. As I said, I don’t believe in waiting too long.
(Another old sayng – those who hesitate are lost).
In the end, I am not unhappy with the team over all. I don’t care if they win because of great coaching, great scoring, or great goal tending. And there are more than one positive happening right now. But in the end, Murray and DeSmith really are the main culprits on this turn around and they are the key to how deep the Pens can go in the playoffs. With 2 back to back series on this road trip, if either plays as average as DeSmith played his last game, the team could come back from the trip with a losing record.