In my never-ending quest to figure out what happened to our Penguins, a thought occurred to me. You need Cup-caliber players to win Stanley Cups. I know…what a ridiculously obvious statement. Indulge me if you will.
All men may be created equal, but hockey players most assuredly are not. Some thrive in the cauldron of postseason play. Some don’t.
Rick Kehoe was one of the Pens’ all-time greats. With 312 goals and 636 points, the two-time All-Star ranks sixth on the club’s all-time goal scoring list and fifth in points behind some pretty select company.
The sharpshooting right wing reached or topped 30 goals five times in the ‘Burgh, including a career-best 55 in 1980-81. He won the Lady Byng Trophy that same season, emblematic of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high level of play.
But in the playoffs? Kehoe fizzled big time. He failed to score a goal in his first 25 postseason games as a Penguin and tallied only four in 39 career playoff games.
Talent-wise, Max Talbot paled by comparison. He was a lunch-pail guy of modest skills who relied heavily on passion and grit to carve out an NHL career. Yet “Mad Max” was a giant slayer come playoff time. At his best in pressure situations, the son of a construction worker notched 14 goals in 66 postseason games with the black and gold. Eight during the 2009 Cup run—including both of the team’s goals during an epic Game 7 in arguably the most clutch performance in franchise history.
Likewise, our back-to-back Cup champions were loaded with guys who rose to the occasion. Phil Kessel led the team with 18 goals during the dual Cup runs, but he had plenty of help. Chris Kunitz was fading as an offensive threat, yet he tallied nine points during the final seven postseason games in 2017—including a pair of huge goals in Game 7 of the conference final.
Patric Hornqvist, Carl Hagelin, gritty Nick Bonino and team dad Matt Cullen also had a knack for scoring big goals on a big stage.
Add in Bryan Rust, who has a Talbot-esque 17 goals in 66 playoff games while filling mostly a bottom-six role? You had a very formidable team. One that didn’t rely solely on Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin to shoulder the offensive load.
In fact, during the ’16 and ’17 Cup runs 17 different players scored game-winning goals, including bit players Eric Fehr and Tom Kuhnhackl.
Contrast that with this season’s crew. Brought back for an encore at the trade deadline, Conor Sheary hasn’t scored a goal in his past 17 postseason games despite seeing considerable ice time with Crosby and Jake Guentzel.
He’s not alone. Kids such as Jared McCann and Marcus Pettersson have yet to notch a postseason goal. In fact, most of the present supporting cast is short of playoff experience…and playoff production.
Even Jason Zucker, who notched a couple of goals and performed well against Montreal, is short on playoff mojo (six goals in 35 postseason games).
The poster child for the new breed of flightless waterfowl? Zach-Aston Reese. I’ll digress for a moment and mention that Zach was a vital cog on an excellent shutdown line with Teddy Blueger and Brandon Tanev during the regular season. In fact, when ZAR went down on February 16 with a lower body injury, it coincided almost precisely with the team’s precipitous 3-8 pre-COVID slide.
However, in the playoffs it’s a whole other matter. In 17 career postseason games, Zach has no goals and a paltry two assists to go with a minus-6.
In fact, the only time he seems to draw attention to himself is when something bad happens. Like getting reefed by the Capitals’ Tom Wilson two years ago, arguably the turning point of the series. Running interference on Jack Johnson during the qualifying round opener, which dug us an early hole. Exiting the zone too quickly on the Habs’ winning goal in Game 4.
It adds up a team that doesn’t rise to the occasion come crunch time. Exactly what we’re seeing.
Among his list of off-season to-dos, GM Jim Rutherford may want to set the WABAC machine to 2015 and give special priority to adding a prime-time player or two with a proven track record of playoff production.
It could go a long way to curing what’s ailing our Pens.
Hey Rick,
That’s a rhetorical question, yes?
No one really knows, but let’s face it, all the things that have to go right — go your way — are too numerous for even the most astute hockey minds to get their heads around. You pick the best players you can get, make them a team, then the rest is not entirely up to you, or the team. You gotta get a lot of bounces to get to the cup.
— 55
Hi Rick.
All men are not created equal when it comes to hockey. Fully agree.
Take the draft for instance. The real difference in most cases is that in the First Round these players have all been into Regional,National and various International Tournaments and have competed in may high pressure situations.Some at the young age of 12 years old. A lot of it comes down to elite level Coaching as well. Makes a big difference.
So when you have a team that has several First Round picks on their roster, or in their farm system, these players have a higher Hockey pedigree and do better in NHL settings early on. As time goes by some players who were not first round picks learned those skills playing in the NHL and go on to have great careers. But my example is that if you constantly draft in the 3rd and 4th round for your team, you are NOT GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
Our Pens need to desperately upgrade the over all talent level of the team in all areas. I think they need to let Sullivan go,( might be a mistake) JR as well and keep Sidney, Jake,Byran,Jason,Brandon,Sam,Tristan,John, Brian,Marcus,and the Young center Teddy ??? Hopefully Poulin makes it next year. Then build from there.
Cheers my friend…
Sorry to go off topic, but I just wanted to share a little research for all the people who whine about JR signing Jack Johnson. You know, the guy who was on the PK that completely shut out Montreal in the play in and was on one of the league’s better PKs for the last couple of years.
People make it sound like signing JJ was an anomalous mistake and that other GM’s are perfect while Rutherford is a disaster. Well, here’s some contracts that other GMs signed:
Sergei Bobrovsky $10 (6 more years)
Jeff Skinner $9 (7 more years!)
PK Subban $9 (2 more years)
Bobby Ryan $7.25 (3 more years)
Brent Seabrook $6.875 (4 more years)
Jonathan Quick $5.8 (4 more years)
Johnny Boychuck $6 (3 more years)
Martin Jones $5.75 (4 more years)
David Backes $6 (1 more year)
Loui Eriksson $6 (2 more years)
Corey Schneider $6 (3 more years)
Justin Abdelkader $4.25 million (3 more years)
Milan Lucic $6 (3 more years)
Carl Alzner $4.625 (3 more years)
Loui Eriksson $6 (3 more years)
Andrew Ladd $5.5 (4 more years)
Marc Edouard Vlasic $7 (8 years)
Brandon Dubinsky $5.85 (2 more years)
Kyle Turris $6 (5 more year
Bryan Little $5,291 (3 more years)
and let’s not forget
Marc Andre Fleury $7 (3 more years)
and recently expired
Scott Darling $4.125
Andrew McDonald $5
Dion Phaneuf $7
And then there is John Moore. Received $2.75 5 year contract from the Bruins the same week as JJ was signed for slightly more. Moore managed to be a minus player on the President’s trophy winner, the limited timer he was not in the press box. So the Bruins GM was smart enough to assemble the best team but stupid enough to sign a contract almost as bad as JJ. And a least JJ can kill penalties well.
Hey Stratton,
Very astute observations, and thanks for compiling and sharing the list. It definitely provides some perspective.
I know I’m guilty of being Penguin-centric…like the entire hockey world revolves around us. Which tends to put the performances of our GMs and coaches in a fishbowl. It’s all too easy to forget they’re human, too, and prone to lapses in judgment…again just like the rest of us.
I can only imagine the skill it takes to assemble a Cup team, especially in the salary cap era. So many things have to fall into place.
I’m going to go off-subject a bit, too, and address some of JR’s “mistakes.” One of them was dealing a first-round choice for David Perron, an established scorer who for some reason couldn’t hit the red side of a green barn when he was here. Yet since he left town he’s been a highly effective player for Vegas and St. Louis.
Tanner Pearson is another. Everybody was pretty down on him when he was here (one writer referred to him as “the Missing Pearson.”) But he’s sparkled for Vancouver. Funny how guys can thoroughly wash-out for one team and be so good for another.
Anyway, I’m rambling. But it’s funny how perceived mistakes aren’t necessarily mistakes.
Rick
PS–I do have to say, I think the Pens need to find a way to shed Johnson, either through a trade (unlikely) or buy-out. I know he gives it his all and he’s not afraid to do the dirty work and heavy lifting. But he’s been a liability at 5-on-5 throughout his career, and he had a rough second half and playoff. Frankly, he and Schultz were a disastrous pairing.
When is comes to the king bad contracts it’s hard beat Polie with his trifecta of Johansen, Duchene and Turris.
Johnson is a problem. Everyone seems to forget that at the beginning of the season, he was playing OK with a decent partner. The injuries unaccountably moved him to the first pair, which was a disaster. Then he moved to the third pair with Schulz and both were disasters. Funny how everyone constantly cries about Johnson’s contract but Schulz’s contract was the real disaster. The $5.5 could have gotten the Pens are real defenseman. Now, they have no money to replace him.
The people who scream about Johnson also ignore the fact that he fills a specific need that no one else in the system, including stringbean POJ can fill. He’s the big body that keeps forwards away from the crease. He does that well enough, as evidenced by his value on the PK (which myopic detractors always ignore). They could buy him out, of course. It’s only a million for most years, and the last few years occur when then Pens will be toast anyway. Subtracting that from Johnson’s 3.25 million leaves 2.25 for a replacement 3rd pair guy. But the replacement is going to have to be a Johnson clone. It’s doubtful that they can get anyone significantly better for that money.
Also, I’d like you comment on something. Colby Armstrong was asked about trading the core members to extend the window. His reply was that “the core is the window.” The more I think about, the more I think he’s right. That unfortunately is why the window is probably closed. To me, the moment it closed was when Phil Kessel turned down the Minnesota trade. That cost the Pens more than most realize. Obviously, they lost an 80 point scorer for and key PP guy for nothing. It also cost them a first that they could have traded for a useful player as well as a good prospect in Addison. (As far as POJ is concerned, I’ll believe a 160 lb defenceman can be effective when I see it. Despite all the praise from inside the organization, outside all view POJ as a fringe player.)
On the subject of the aborted Kessel-Zucker trade, the myth needs to die that the deal also involved Johnson and Rask needs to die. It didn’t. The myth started when Minnesota writer Russo first broke the story that a Kessel-Zucker deal was on the table. In his last paragraph, he noted that there had also been some talk of a Rask-Johnson trade. But it was a separate deal that had not impact on Kessel-Zucker. Both Rutherford and Fenton both confirmed this. Yet, somehow, the urban myth was born.
Hey Stratton,
Sorry to be so late getting back. Excellent points, as always, and thanks for the clarification the the dual deals with Minnesota. Not sure Johnson for Victor Rask would’ve done us much good.
To digress, most of us at PenguinPoop feel the way you do concerning our absolute lack of muscle on the back end. I personally like my teams to play with a little more bite a la Boston (I think just about the perfect blend of skill and sand) and even Washington. I’ve long coveted the Blue Jacket’s trio of Boone Jenner, Nick Foligno and Josh Anderson, who can really fly for a big guy. And we were one of the few blogs to embrace the Gudbranson acquisition.
Some of it’s a long-standing organizational bias toward talent over toughness. But some of it ties back to Sullivan, too. He prefers mobile defensemen who can make quick reads and get the puck to the forwards fast, and I understand it…to an extent. But you still need guys who can cover your arse in your zone and, if the situation arises, knock the other guy on his.
Without stand-and-defend types like Ian Cole and Ron Hainsey, we would’ve never won that second Cup. Especially when a very good Caps team forced us to play in our end almost the entire series (something like 63 percent of the shot attempts).
Now, to answer your question. Yes, I believe when the core goes your window closes. Usually you’re shedding these guys late in their career and you’re simply not getting equal value in return.
Also agree about Kessel. He gave the Pens a Three-Headed Monster (a hockey version of Ghidorah if you will) that other teams simply couldn’t match.
Rick
Hey Rick,
Let me throw Tyler Kennedy’s name out there as a clutch guy in the Playoffs.
He only scored 12 G in his 76 Playoff Games as a Penguin, less than teammate Talbot, but 6 of them were GWG, 3 during the 09-10 Cup run. When the game was on the line, he could find the back of the net.
I still blame the loss of grit guys like Loney and Errey that sunk the 92-93 team.
To win a Stanley Cup, you first need grit guys.
However, once again, it comes down to GM and Coach. It was GM JR and Coach Sully that chose to spend money everywhere else but on Bonino, dump Cole and Reaves, and denude the team of all the grit players. In the end, even this thought comes right back to the front office has to the pace to start cleaning house.
Hey all,
As I wrote this piece, it occurred to me just how difficult it is to build a Stanley Cup winner. All the stars have to align…literally. And it takes a good bit of luck, too.
Our back-to-back Cup teams had star power (Crosby, Malkin, Kessel, Letang, Fleury). They had grit and veteran leadership (Hornqvist, Bonino, Hagelin, Kunitz, Cullen, Fehr, Daley, Cole). They had a bunch of enthusiastic kids (Maatta, Rust, Sheary, Kuhnhackl, Dumoulin, Murray).
They literally had the perfect blend of everything you need to win a Cup. So hard to come by, especially in the cap era.
No wonder so few teams ever win a Cup. Miss the mix by just a bit and you’re scheduling early tee times.
That’s why the work that Rutherford did, especially in 2015-16, should not be overlooked. He literally pushed all the right buttons to get us there.
Rick
PS–Sorry I haven’t been responding to comments (all good). Just up to my eyeballs writing new stuff.