Yesterday Dan Kingerski posted an article on Pittsburgh Hockey Now questioning Mike Sullivan’s seeming reluctance to use recently recalled defenseman Mark Friedman. I was all set to chime in with a comment when I decided to write an article of my own. So Dan, this one’s for you.
It’s not as if there isn’t reason or opportunity to use Friedman, especially with Jeff Petry on the shelf for eight more games, including this afternoon’s Metro square-off with Carolina. Brian Dumoulin’s struggles this season are an open secret around the league. Whether it’s the accumulation of wear and tear, injuries past and the fact that Dumo devoted his summer to rehabbing a knee instead of hockey training, his difficulties have been noticeable both statistically and to the eye test.
Accordingly, he’s been dropped from his long-time spot on the top pairing next to Kris Letang to the third pairing. While managing his exposure to top-flight competition has helped to an extent (Brian’s a plus-4 over his past 18 games), he and present partner Jan Rutta have been the target of heavy forechecking by foes. As a general rule, two stay-at-home defensemen don’t necessarily make an effective tandem, especially when your lifeblood is the transition game.
This is where inserting Friedman into the lineup could help in a big way. He’s mobile, moves the puck well and has good instincts for jumping into the play. Plus, he skates with a knife-blade edge.
Ah, therein lies the rub. For whatever reasons, Sullivan has an aversion to players known for their physicality. Jamie Oleksiak, Ryan Reaves, Erik Gudbranson, even Brandon Tanev who Sully seemed to like, have been shown the door following relatively brief stays in the ‘Burgh.
It’s as if our coach is concerned that players with a physical bent will take a penalty at an inopportune time. In fact, Sullivan pretty much said as much when commenting on Friedman’s play following a 5-1 victory over Tampa Bay on March 3. A game in which the peppery defender got into the kitchen of Lightning forwards Pat Maroon and Corey Perry.
“You know, we want him to play his game,” our coach said. “We want him to be who he is, but he’s got to make sure he stays on the right side of the line. The type of team that we have here and the type of game that we’re trying to play requires discipline in a lot of forms. And so, we don’t want to be a team that beats ourselves, and we want to be a team that plays to our strengths.”
While I can appreciate Sullivan’s concerns, it’s a fear that…in Friedman’s case…is largely unfounded. In fact, the opposite is true. In his 31 regular-season games wearing the black and gold, the Toronto native’s drawn 17 penalties and been whistled for only 10. I’ll take that trade-off any day.
I do understand at least some of Sullivan’s reluctance to make a Dumoulin-Friedman switch. For one, he prefers lefty-righty combos on defense. As a right-hand shot, Friedman would be playing his off side, where I personally think he’s more effective. Point No. 2, Dumo’s a big body and has been effective on the penalty kill, leading all Pens rearguards in short-handed ice time. With the PK humming after a dreadful start, I can appreciate Sully’s reluctance to switch things up.
Too, Dumoulin’s been so good for so long…a true stalwart. How do you bench a guy like that?
Still, I think it boils down to the fact that Friedman plays with an edge and unpredictability that makes Sullivan uncomfortable.
Too bad, because I think we could use what the feisty defender brings to the table.
Speaking of Our D…
I confess to being more than a tad worried about our defense with Petry on the shelf. He’s a do-it-all type of defenseman, solid in all aspects, and a minutes muncher to boot. In my mind, he’s the glue guy and the player we can least afford to lose back there, even over Letang.
Truth be told, Tristan Jarry’s been bailing out our defense with some sensational goaltending during our hot streak. This was especially evident last Thursday night against the Panthers. Our d-zone coverage, especially around the net, left something to be desired.
Right now it feels like our d’s being held together with Scotch tape and baling wire. A definite concern as we head into an eight-game stretch against league heavyweights, including two clashes with always nettlesome Carolina and key matchups against New Jersey, Boston and the New York teams.
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Hey Rick,
Good Post!
1) The thing that bothers me most about Sully's aversion to guys that can be physical vs guys that aren't is that the reality is extremely inverse of the fears he seems to posses. It isn't the practiced pugilists that cede PPs to the other team with dumb, undisciplined penalties, it is the milquetoasts that choose the wrong time to finally stand up for themselves. Look at last season, it was always Sully's favorite, the human pylon, Dominik Simon, who took the bad penalties that cost the team, even in the play-offs. Fisticuffs and feral play are not in the Milquetoasts comfort zone. They let their frustrations build, and then unleash them at the wrong time, as retaliators. Feisty players like Friedman do take penalties but don't cede PPs that often; they take their dancing partner with them, or draw PPs for our team by getting under opposing teams' Milquetoasts' skin - getting them to take the ill-advised retaliatory penalty.
2) It is a funny thing about Dumo not getting benched. Other players, even veterans, have been benched for long stretches. However, Sully has always played favorites. Coaches pets rarely get benched and even when they do their press box is extremely marginal compared to Sully's scapegoats' dog house time.
It is Chad Ruhweedel that needs to sit; not Dumolin.
Sullivan’s reluctance to bring in Freidman over Ruhweedel is proving more snc more costly each game.
Ruhweedel has inly one advantage over others. He can sit for 3 months; then come in and play 10 minutes of just “OK” bottom pairing; sheltered play. He can do this for 2 or 3 games; but then loses everything he learned by sitting 3 months in the stands; and then resorts to the very sloppy and costly play he is used to and is doing for the last month.
It would probably be better if he played permanently in the AHL with Freidman permanently in the 7th D spot
Hey Kent,
As Rick B wrote, welcome to Penguin Poop.
Unlike Rick B. I do have a bit of a problem with Ruhwedel. Like you, I would have started the season with him in WBS. It would have been very easy to get him though waivers. There is a far less chance of some team claiming him then Friedman.
Having said that, the Penguins Defensive problems aren't coming from their Right side (other than Letang's very slow start - which may have been related to his stroke); Rutta, Petry, and Letang are the best 3 Defensemen in the Organization. The Penguins port side, however, is a train wreck.
At one time Dumo was a very solid Defenseman. He was very capable of cleaning up Letang's defensive lapses at least as well as Paul Martin did. Pettersson and POJ are both extremely over-rated by the Penguins staff. They have some skating skill but are physically pathetic. Their stick waving rather than body on body defense is maddening, leaving opposing players free to cause havoc in front of Penguins' Goalies and opening up those Goalies to being run into and injury. They need hulking Partners like Petry and Rutta to try and negate their child like, lack of muscle bodies.
Our Pens may lead the league in hits, but there is an extreme difference between getting hit by a man and being hit by a boy. The hits out Pens dish out are more in line with gnat bites rather than sledgehammers.
As the season progresses toward the stretch run and the playoffs with the resultant pocketing of their whistles by the referees, the Penguins' left-side of their D can become a serious problem. And the worst part is there is nothing in the system to fix that. The best LHD in WBS may be Ouellet and he is far from a prospect and no spring chicken. The best Prospect in the Jrs is Isaac Belliveau. This past season's 1st round wasted pick, Owen Pickering, the alleged offensive D-man is foundering at 130th in scoring in the WHL at the moment, with only a couple of more points ahead of the Penguins last pick from the previous draft, Ryan McCleary. There are some bright spots in the Penguins Organization, but nothing but dim bulbs on Defense.
Hello Kent, and welcome to PenguinPoop.
As a general rule, I don't have an issue with Ruhwedel, although having said that I don't think these past two games have been his best. He got trapped in the neutral zone and completely turned around on the second Panthers goal the other night. And he and Joseph got bounced around by the 'Canes on Sunday. Frankly, I noticed Joseph getting outmuscled and losing puck battles more than anything Ruhwedel did or didn't do, but that's not to say Chad was mistake free.
I really like the elements in Friedman's game and would probably play him over Ruhwedel, especially since he's better on his off side. But I just don't think Sullivan fully trusts Friedman and/or the type of player he is.
A shame, because I do think he could provide some elements we need.
Rick