Are the Penguins Built to Succeed in Today’s NHL?

Based on comments made in a recent interview with Mark Madden, it sounds as if Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford isn’t planning any more major moves, save for dealing a goaltender (most likely Matt Murray) and signing a couple of RFAs.

It makes me wonder. Are the Pens built to succeed in today’s NHL?

You see, things have changed quite a bit since our guys won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and ’17. In the wake of the Pens’ dual triumphs other clubs rushed to emulate our “speed kills” approach, mostly notably Carolina, Toronto and newly crowned champion Tampa Bay.

However, when Washington derailed the Pens’ three-peat attempt and captured the Cup in 2018 with a style that blended skill and structure with a physical edge, the pendulum began to swing back in the other direction. The trend continued to reverse when St. Louis triumphed in 2019 with a muscular, defense-first, grind ‘em down approach.

Need further proof that speed doesn’t always kill? Fueled by three 40-goal scorers and a mobile, puck-moving defense, the Lightning blew through 2018-19 regular season like an electrical storm on steroids, compiling a stunning record of 62-16-4 and 128 points. A lock to hoist Lord Stanley’s chalice, right?

Wrong.

The Bolts were swept in the opening round of the playoffs by the heavy, structured Columbus Blue Jackets. After racing to a 3-0 first-period lead in Game 1, the Lightning withered in the face of a Jackets counterattack.

The last three games weren’t even close. Columbus outscored the stunned Presidents’ Trophy winners by a lopsided 15-5 margin.

General manager Julien BriseBois recognized his team had been out-toughed and out-gritted and went about making the proper adjustments.

He parted with skill players like Pittsburgh-native J.T. Miller and Anton Strahlman and added a muscular presence in massive Pat Maroon, fresh off a Cup with the Blues.

BriseBois also signed a pair of rugged free-agent defensemen in Luke Schenn and Luke Witkowski to handle the policing chores. At the trade deadline he added two more players who embraced a hard-nosed style, power forward Blake Coleman and defenseman Zach Bogosian.

Buoyed by the infusion of muscle, the Lightning possessed the necessary underpinning of gristle to complement their front-line talent and speed. On the road to the Cup they did a little intimidating of their own against some pretty rugged competition in Columbus, Boston and the Islanders.

Anchoring a bruising, effective third line, Coleman and Maroon were front and center in the Cup-clinching Game 6, combining on Tampa Bay’s second goal. Coleman led all playoff performers with 126 hits, nine more than runner-up Jamie Oleksiak of Dallas (remember him?).

A very long-winded story to make a much-needed point.

As currently constructed, our Pens possess plenty of speed and skill. And they’re not a timid bunch by any stretch. Everyone in the lineup competes. But they’re seriously lacking in good old-fashioned snarl. Especially with kamikaze forward Patric Hornqvist now sporting the red, gold and blue of the Florida Panthers.

The Pens’ approach may work in the regular season, much as it did for the Lightning in ’18-19. But when the intensity gets amped up in the playoffs and teams really start to hit and compete, who’s going to step up and answer the bell? Brandon Tanev? Sam Lafferty (unsigned as of this post)? Evgeni Malkin?

You get my point. At present, there’s a dearth of Coleman/Maroon types in our lineup.

Perhaps prospect Samuel Poulin will earn a spot. He’s got some size (6’2” 216) and physicality and is good in traffic. Or maybe hulking Anthony Angello will work his way into the lineup, although he hasn’t been signed yet.

A side note to Rutherford and coach Mike Sullivan. The aforementioned Maroon won’t ever win a fastest skater competition. Yet he’s been a vital cog on the past two Cup winners.

Is any of this sinking in?

I sure hope so.

Without any type of real physical presence, the Pens will once again likely be Cup pretenders instead of contenders.