Baby Penguins Update: Streakin’ in the Wrong Direction

Back in the 1970s, streaking became a popular fad, especially among high school and college students. Perhaps fortified with a little liquid libation (Boone’s Farm wine was a favorite), individuals would run naked (or streak) through public places, perhaps wearing a ski mask to hide their identify if not their…uh…privates. In 1974, at the height of the craze, novelty recording artist Ray Stevens cut a song appropriately titled, The Streak, which became a smash No. 1 hit. But I digress.

There’s been a whole lot of streakin’ goin’ on in the Penguins organ-i-zation these days. Some good. Some not so good.

On the plus side, the Penguins ran off an NHL-best 10 game winning streak, only recently snapped by Dallas. However, our top farm club…Wilkes-Barre/Scranton…has been doin’ a little streakin’ too. Unfortunately, in the totally opposite direction.

Indeed, while the big club has been lighting it up, the Baby Pens have lost seven straight (six in regulation, one in a shootout). They’ve sunk like a stone to the Atlantic Division cellar with a record of 9-14-4 and 22 points. Their points percentage of .407 is second-worst in the 31-team American Hockey League, ahead of only the Texas Stars.

While there appear to be issues in every facet of their game, lack of scoring punch is the primary culprit. Indeed, the Baby Pens are ranked dead-last with only 60 goals (in 27 games). Their leading point getter, rookie winger Valtteri Puustinen, ranks 51st among AHL scorers with 19 points.

I confess to being surprised by our lack of punch and overall success. With talented kids like Puustinen, Samuel Poulin, Nathan Legare and Filip Hallander joining forces with holdovers Anthony Angello, Jordy Bellerive and Radim Zohorna, I thought the Baby Pens would be a team to be reckoned with. It hasn’t worked out that way at all. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Poulin, who racked up 88 goals and 229 points during 192 games in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, has just four goals in 23 games. Hallander, rumored to be NHL-ready after finishing second in goals with his team in Sweden, has only three goals in 24 games.

By far the biggest surprise and disappointment to me? Nathan Legare. The fiery plumber’s son notched 106 goals over a 224-game career in the Quebec League…14 more in 15 playoff games last spring. I confess I expected big things from him. However, after impressing during the Pens’ training camp he’s fallen to earth with a pronounced thud. Indeed, Legare has notched just two goals in 23 games to go with a team-worst minus-12.

It’s shocking to me that a kid with his bomb of a shot and lightning release isn’t having more success.

Then again, I read somewhere that sports teams tend to overrate their young talent. One only needs to look at the Pittsburgh Pirates to find a prime example. How many can’t-miss prospects came up through AAA only to fizzle. Do the names Alen Hanson and Nick Kingham ring a bell? Probably not.

Could the same be true for the Pens’ current crop of kids? According to JFresh and TopDownHockey…yes. Resurrecting results of a study originally posted in an article on Pensburgh last July titled, A sobering look at the Penguins shallow prospect pool, none of our kids are a sure bet to make it. Far from it.

I haven’t a clue as to how JFresh comes up with his ratings, but here goes. Poulin has a four percent chance of becoming an NHL star and a 27 percent chance of becoming an NHL player. Puustinen has a six percent chance of becoming an NHL star and an 18 percent chance of making it to the NHL.

And my favorite Legare? He graded out at having only a two percent chance of starring in the big time and a six percent chance at becoming a big-leaguer. Which seems to support his paltry output thus far.

Of course, it’s still very early in their respective careers. The Baby Pens have had seven games postponed due to Covid, which surely hasn’t helped matters any. With the team being so young, you wonder if it’s lacking some veteran leadership to help ease the kids’ transition to the pro game.

Too, you have to take a long, hard look at coach J.D. Forest, one of the last holdouts from the Jim Rutherford era. Given how much present GM Ron Hextall is committed to developing young talent, you’d think he’d want one of his own teaching the kids.

Just so this isn’t all negative, there are some success stories. With 13 points in 19 games to go with a team-leading plus-six, defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph (40 percent chance of becoming an NHLer) is enjoying a strong season. Bellerive (13 points) has been solid if unspectacular. Zohorna’s had his moments (five goals, 10 points). Same with undrafted pivot Felix Robert (six goals, 11 points).

Still, the Baby Pens continue to take their lumps. And the streak continues…