Final Four Reinforces Penguins Need for Change

There’s been much written and much analysis concerning the Penguins latest first-round playoff exit. The consensus is goaltending let us down, big time, along with flaws in our overall defensive structure. (The 19 forwards approach, as Other Rick so succinctly puts it.)

However, some sites (I won’t name names) seem to pooh-pooh the notion that the Pens need to add size or alter their speed-first-and-everything-else-be-damned approach.

I beg to differ. A quick glance at the four teams left in the Stanley Cup chase tells the story.

Tampa Bay…the Islanders…Vegas…Montreal. Each team employs a style that blends size, speed and a degree of skill with aggression, structure and grind.

The defending champion Lightning are the poster child for the hybrid style. Kayoed in the first round in 2019 in devastating fashion following a monster regular season (126 points) by the then-heavy Blue Jackets, they added Zach Bogosian, Blake Coleman, Pat Maroon and Luke Schenn to the mix. Better able to withstand the rigors and physicality of Stanley Cup competition, they won a Cup last season and seem a solid bet to repeat this year.

If they match our feat of back-to-back Cups? The aforementioned Maroon, all 6’3” and 225 pounds of him, will have played on three Cup champions in a row.

For the record, the Lightning feature a collection of redwoods on defense. Their top-seven d-men average 221 pounds. The Pens’ top seven, including Chad Ruhwedel, 195 pounds. You tell me who’s more difficult to play against.

Vegas? They feature a rock ‘em, sock ‘em fourth line of William Carrier, Keegan Kolesar and our old friend Ryan Reaves. A line black-and-gold coach Mike Sullivan wouldn’t touch with a 10-foot pole. Yet the rugged trio combined for a staggering 379 hits during the regular season. Think they softened up the opposition a tad?

We’re most familiar with the Islanders, who recently ground a physical Bruins squad to dust thanks to a relentless, structured style that’s almost perfectly suited for the playoffs. Montreal, likewise, plays a solid team game that features a number of sizeable players, especially on ‘d.’

Meanwhile, teams that rely heavily on speed and skill such as the Pens, Hurricanes and Maple Leafs have been eliminated. Colorado, arguably the most talented team in the league, is the latest casualty.

I think it’s safe to say the stylistic pendulum has swung. Small and fast won’t cut it any more. At least not in the postseason.

Yes, goaltending is a huge factor. An area the Pens are sure to address this off-season by acquiring a proven front-line starter (John Gibson) or a reliable 1-A guy (Frederick Andersen) to support and perhaps push incumbent Tristan Jarry.

But there’s no question that trying to build a team to our Cup-champion specs no longer works. The other clubs, or at least the successful ones, are following a different blueprint.

We need to do the same.

The good news is, some of the pieces for a transition may already be in place. Among the forwards Anthony Angello, Radim Zohorna and top prospects Nathan Legare and Samuel Poulin possess size, speed and skill to varying degrees.

Defense is another matter entirely. Pending UFA Cody Ceci’s a budget (but soon to get richer) version of Islanders stalwarts Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock. Aside from Ceci, there’s precious little brawn and even less aggression on our backline. Our most “physical” defenseman beside feisty Kris Letang is Marcus Pettersson. The Ichabod Crane-ish Swede tries to move guys out from around the net. But at a rail-thin 177 pounds, he’s not enough.

The Pens need a legit banger (or two) on defense to provide some muscle and balance. Ex-Pens Erik Gudbranson and Jamie Oleksiak, both pending UFAs, come to mind. So does fellow UFA Ian Cole.

In addition to personnel changes, Sullivan will need to alter his approach if the Pens are to return to postseason glory. Something, at least at the present, he seems loathe to do.

Adams Snub

Speaking of Sullivan, the Pens’ skipper was once again overlooked in the running for the Jack Adams Award despite leading a banged-up team to a division title. Rod Brind’Amour (Carolina), Dean Evason (Minnesota) and Joel Quenneville (Florida) are the nominees.