Hextall’s Patience Paying Off for Penguins

I confess. When Vancouver recently hired Jim Rutherford, it made me a bit wistful for the ex-Penguins exec. Purely from a fan’s standpoint, I thoroughly enjoyed his tenure in the ‘burgh.

Now just as then, Rutherford is so wonderfully candid and open. A true breath of fresh air in a sport that seems to value secrecy more than the KGB. When JR was running the Pens, he always kept the pot stirred. And if the team stumbled, even just a bit, you knew a trade was coming. In fact, that was rumored to be the reason he quit so abruptly last January…that he was blocked from making a deal.

Contrasted with current GM Ron Hextall’s measured, methodical approach? Other Rick suggested the “Odd Couple,” with JR cast as messy, bombastic Oscar Madison to Hextall’s tidy, neat-as-a-pin Felix Unger.

Hextall’s patience is clearly paying dividends. He’s given this group a chance to coalesce and they’ve responded to the tune of a 10-2-1 record over the past month, including a pair of five-game winning streaks. Indeed, a team that appeared to be teetering on the edge of the playoff chase only a few short weeks ago is now in the thick of the hunt.

I can’t say enough about the work Hextall did over the summer. It hurt like hell to lose players like Cody Ceci, Jared McCann and Brandon Tanev. And I’ll be the first to admit I thumbed my nose at Hextall’s replacements.

But each of the guys he signed, and on the comparative cheap, are doing a great job. Danton Heinen, Brock McGinn and Evan Rodrigues all are on pace for 20-plus goals. Whodda thunk it? Certainly not I. Even oft-maligned Dominik Simon is doing what he’s supposed to do…drive possession (59.8 Corsi).

Patience has certainly been a virtue with goaltenders Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith, both of whom are thriving under new goalie coach Andy Chiodo.

While I’m at it, I’ll slip in some praise for Mike Sullivan and the coaching staff. Anyone who’s read PenguinPoop over the years knows I’ve had issues with the Pens’ skipper on matters of personnel choices and style. But Sully seems to have adjusted.

The Pens have eschewed the frenetic, all offense, all the time style that left them wide open and vulnerable on the counter. Rather, Sullivan has us playing with just the right blend of abandon and structure. It’s been a long time and maybe never since I’ve seen a black-and-gold squad play such effective team defense.

All the while, Sully’s speed game is having the desired effect. More than one opposing coach…Toronto’s Sheldon Keefe and Winnipeg’s Paul Maurice come to mind…mentioned his team had difficulty handling our speed.

Bottom line? A team that on paper didn’t look nearly as good as last season’s bunch may prove to be every bit its equal and then some.

Credit Hextall and Sullivan.

E-Rod for President

I can’t say enough good things about Rodrigues and the way he’s playing. In a word, he’s been terrific.

No matter where he plays or who he plays with, the former Boston University Terrier excels. In fact, terrier-like is a good way to describe his hustling style. I thought Rodrigues looked his best centering a super speedy and productive line for Kasperi Kapanen and Jason Zucker…until he began filling in as Sidney Crosby’s portside winger. The Toronto native’s developed a sizzling one-timer, especially from his off wing around the left faceoff dot.

His traditional stat line (nine goals, 13 assists, 22 points, plus-eight) is plenty impressive, especially for a guy slotting up and down the lineup. Which translates to 26 goals, 38 assists and 64 points over an 82-game slate.

E-Rod’s possession numbers are equally striking. He’s sixth in the league in Corsi (61.81) among players who’ve skated in at least 10 games and sixth in Expected Goals for Percentage (64.04).

Again, credit Hextall for signing him, and at a bargain basement rate of $1 million dollars to boot. Give an assist to Sullivan, who no doubt influenced the signing and predicted Rodrigues would “score a lot of goals for us” during an episode of Inside Penguins Hockey.