The Penguins January Review

January is in the books, the first month of Hockey 2021. It wasn’t pretty, but our Pittsburgh Penguins are managing to cling to the last playoff spot in the newly formed MassMutual Division. Truth be told, the teams play is about as sloppy as I expected it, but their record is far better.

The Good
Our Penguins play may be sloppy, but not all is bad in the ‘burgh, there are some bright spots. So, before being dragged down back to reality, let’s float a bit on the currents of hope.

Pierre-Olivier Joseph
Last season John Marino that was the Penguins’ defensive rookie surprise. This year, Pierre-Olivier Joseph is starting the season off as if he wants to be that new kid on the block. Joseph didn’t make the opening night roster, Coach Mike Sullivan opted to not to play the kid out of the gate. Sullivan preferred to carry, the Penguins up and coming version of the $6 million dollar man, Mike Matheson (that is what his contract calls for in actual salary, not Cap hit over the last 3 years – $6.5 million to be exact), Marcus Pettersson, and Juuso Riikola on the Roster, with Joseph stashed away on the Taxi squad. However, injuries to those three as well as defensive fixture Brian Dumoulin have given Joseph his chance and he is making the most of it with 4 Assists (A) in 5 Games Played (GP). His +4 is best on the team.
I know I wasn’t a big fan of the Phil Kessel trade that brought Joseph here, but with our lack of defensemen, injuries or not, he is a bright spot in a rather dark area of the Penguins. I am hopeful that tonight we might see Joseph and Marino on the top pairing. That may be a glimpse of the future (or is the future now?). Is Pettersson’s $4 million Cap hit now expendable?

Kasperi Kapanen
It only took Kasperi Kapanen 6 + years from when the Penguins first drafted him for him to suit up for the team that drafted him, but he is finally here. Kapanen has produced 2 Goals and 3 A in his first 6 games and is second on the team in +/- at a +3. He has brought speed and an intensity that seems missing from the teams top 6. With only a ten-day training camp, doesn’t Sullivan’s excuse of Kapanen not being the same game shape as the rest of the team to justify not giving him top 6 minutes seem lame to anyone else?

Brian Rust
Everyone wondered if Brian Rust could maintain his breakout play of last season, well at least in the early going he is averaging close to a point a game on team that is struggling to score. Rust has 2 G and 5 A.

Modern Era Hockey
There was no Over Time (OT) or Shoot Outs (SO) in the NHL I grew up watching, games just ended in a tie and both teams would receive 1 Point. In those days of yore, our waddling waterfowl would have a record of 1-3-5 for 7 Points, which would be bad enough for next to last in the division. Fortunately, we now have a 5 minute Over Time (OT) and Shootout (SO), but no Ties. Therefore, our boys in Black and Gold have a 5-3-1 record, giving them 11 Points and a tenuous, slipping hold on the 4th and final playoff spot. In the pre-OT/SO days The Washington Capitals would be tied with the Philadelphia Flyers for 1st with 13 Points (Pnts), the Boston Bruins would occupy 3rd with 11 (Pnts), New Jersey would check in at the final Playoff spot with 9 Pnts, Buffalo Sabres and the New York Islanders would be battling for 5th at 8 Pnts.

The Bad
The Mike Matheson – Patric Hornqvist trade
During the off-season, then General Manager Jim Rutherford dealt fan favorite and heart of the team Patric Hornqvist to the Florida Panthers for Mike Matheson and Colton Sceviour. Well, Sceviour has managed 2 G but is a -2 in 8 GP, wallowing on the 4th line after the first month. Matheson has played 2 games and got injured in the 2nd game. Even before the injury, he really wasn’t showing much, 0 Points and a -2 in his first 2 GP. Hornqvist on the other hand has 5 G and Game Deciding Goal in a SO. Worse than that is Horqvist would have only cost the team $5.3 million for this year plus 2 more ($15.9 Million total) while Matheson will be a $ million 4.875 Cap hit but $32 million in real cash over this year and 5 more years.

Mark Jankowski
Mark Jankowski started out like gangbusters in his 1st 2 GP, but after that his game has dropped dramatically, showing why the Calgary Flames didn’t want him. He slid from 3rd line Center to 4th Line.

Goal Differential
Even though our Penguins are still in the Playoff hunt they are tied for worst in the division for goal differential at -3.

The downright Ugly

Evan Rodrigues
No Mr. Sullivan, the Penguins do not need Conor Sheary 3.0. The Penguins top line can and is doing much better without Evan Rodrigues’ 1G (a Kick in) and -4 in 6GP. We didn’t need Sheary, we didn’t need Dominik Simon, and we don’t need Rodrigues. Drew O’Connor, Sam Lafferty and half of Wilkes Barre – Scranton would be a better option.

The Penguins top 6
To date, 5-on-5 our Penguins’ top 6 has only produced 9 G in 9 GP. Yes, you read that right folks, 9G in 9GP for the Penguins top 6. Sidney Crosby’s line has scored just 4 goals 5-on-5, while Evgeni Malkin’s line has checked in with 5. Yet, Sullivan has done little to shake up those lines. I can’t help but wonder if Rodrigues hadn’t been injured, would Kapanen still be on the 3rd line or lower and the top 6 completely intact?

Zero Star Power
Does anyone remember the old Under Dog Cartoons? To paraphrase Sweet Polly Purebred “Oh where oh where have our Superstars gone?” Remember when Crosby and Malkin occupied the top 2 spots of the league scoring race. It wasn’t that long ago. Even last year, Malkin was still a top player, particularly 5 – on – 5. Have you look lately? The first Penguin to appear on the Leagues scoring list is Crosby, checking in at 51 this morning; do you believe it 51.

Defenselessness
Sorry, even before the Blue-Line was decimated, the Penguins were subjecting Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith to an all-out assault. The Average Goal Distance (AGD) Jarry gives up is 13.08 feet from the net, basically a slam dunk. DeSmith’s AGD is a little better at 15.56 feet. Last season Jarry’s AGD was 19.10 feet. Doesn’t any Penguins Defenseman know how to set an opponent on his wallet? Or at least tie up his stick?

Goaltending
No, the Pens Defense is far less than stellar but Jarry and DeSmith have been equally bad. DeSmith’s Save Percentage Sv% is 0.859 and Jarry’s is 0.875. Last season, jarry’s was 0.921 while Matt Murray’s was 0.899 (Murray’s is slightly worse this season as well, for those keeping score). What a difference a year makes.

Conclusion:

Take the money and run. There are some bright spots, but things could be far, far worse. Let’s not tempt fate and shout too loud, lest she give us what we deserve. I am excited by seeing some kids get a chance; Joseph – Marino pairing. How about O’Connor on the top Power Play? Maybe Lafferty and Anthony Angelo instead of Jankowski and Sceviour? Sure wish Nathan Legare wasn’t sitting at home twiddling his thumbs. The guys Sullivan has chosen really are underwhelming. Its hard watching other teams skating, passing, and defending on the NHL channel, at a level of play well above what I watch when our boys play. I miss the days when we were the class of the league.