Too Many Passengers on Penguins Ship

Passengers are great for a Royal Caribbean cruise ship. Not so much for a hockey team.

Indeed, the USS Penguins seems to have far too many of them these days. At least too many for captain Sidney Crosby to heap on his back and tow to postseason success.

This contrasts sharply with our Cup teams. Everyone, from the Two-Headed Monster on down to role players like Eric Fehr and Tom Kuhnhackl contributed. You can hardly say the same about this season’s squad…especially over the past few months. Total team efforts have been rarer than a Liberty head nickel.

I know he’s been grilled in the media more than a swordfish steak, and it truly isn’t my aim to make him feel worse than I’m sure he already does. But Kasperi Kapanen heads the list of deck-chair occupants. In his past 13 games he’s tallied two assists. Going back to January 25…a span of 38 games…he’s registered two goals and six assists.

It’s inconceivable to me that a player with his pedigree and skill set should be struggling so. Count me among those (coach Mike Sullivan being another) who thought Kappy was primed to take a quantum leap forward this season. I recall watching him in preseason and being struck by how confident and forceful he looked.

Contrast that with last Sunday’s loss to Philly. I got to the Pennsbury Station pub a bit late and missed the scratch announcements. On a couple of occasions it struck me that I hadn’t noticed the 25-year-old winger. The fact that it wasn’t it all out of the ordinary…or that it didn’t dawn on me he might’ve been a scratch…indicates how much his game has deteriorated and how invisible he’s been.

Kasperi the Friendly Ghost.

Confidence can indeed be a fragile thing. Right now Kapanen’s is at the bottom of the ocean, somewhere near the remains of the Titanic.

Evan Rodrigues occupies a deck chair as well. In all my years of watching hockey I don’t think I’ve seen a player go from red-hot to stone-cold the way E-Rod has. Through his first 33 games? Lights out with 15 goals and 30 points.

Then came the deep-freeze. In his past 48 games, just three goals and 12 points.

At the very least Rodrigues has been noticeable on the ice. And by and large doing the things he was doing earlier this season, like driving possession (56.8 Corsi) and shooting the puck (113 shots on goal during his hot start, 125 since). The puck’s just flat-out not going in, to the tune of a ghastly 2.4 shooting percentage since January 8.

Perhaps the most prominent passenger of all? As much as it pains me to write it…Evgeni Malkin. Since his return from major knee surgery on January 11, it’s safe to say Geno’s been a mixed bag. On one hand, he’s been a force on the power play with nine goals and 20 man-advantage points in 40 games.

But at even strength?

“I think Geno’s game 5-on-5 has been sporadic,” said Sullivan. Mind you, Sully isn’t given to calling out his players in public. When he does, you know whatever he’s speaking to is a legitimate concern.

The numbers seem to bear out the criticism, right down to Malkin’s team worst minus-11.

Even more disconcerting? No one seems to score on Geno’s line any more. Not Bryan Rust. Not talented newcomer Rickard Rakell. Not Jason Zucker, not Brock McGinn, not Jeff Carter (who’s had problems of his own). Certainly not the aforementioned Kapanen and Rodrigues.

I don’t know if Geno’s too wrapped up in his own game (or foibles) to help his linemates, or if he’s become more difficult to read and play with at this stage of his career. But his line has become a place where wingers go to die.

This contrasts sharply with Crosby, who seems to make everyone around him better. Or, at the very least, draws out the best from his linemates.

I’ll include McGinn and Teddy Blueger on the passenger list. Although he’s picked up the pace of late, the former has but three goals and seven points in his past 31 games. The latter, a lone goal in 26 games following a four-game points streak in mid-January.

We’ve gotten only so-so work from a number of defensemen as well, John Marino and Marcus Pettersson the most prominent. Brian Dumoulin, too.

Back to Sid. I feel for him, because the desire to win another Cup burns as hot as ever. He’s very much like football icon Tom Brady in that respect. The fact that his peers recently named him the game’s best all-around player, not to mention best leader, only affirms that he’s still a Cup-worthy captain.

But Sid doesn’t have a red “S” on his chest. As much as he tries, he can’t do it alone.

Time for some guys to get off those deck chairs.

Leddy Would’ve Helped

Just prior to the trade deadline, I opined that then-Red Wings defenseman Nick Leddy would’ve been a perfect fit for us due to his speed and puck-moving skills.

Instead, the 30-year-old Minnesota native’s been a huge boon to St. Louis. Since his arrival in the Gateway City, the Blues have been a piping hot 14-3-2. Leddy’s played a key role, tallying eight points in those 19 games while averaging 21 minutes of ice time.

Since his price tag was roughly the same as Rakell’s (a second-round pick and two players) there’s no way we could’ve acquired both. And I think GM Ron Hextall made the right choice in opting for scoring help. But Leddy would’ve looked mighty nice wearing the black and gold.

Puckpourri

David Morehouse stepped down as CEO of the Penguins after 16 seasons with the organization. A career that’s coincided with our run of postseason appearances. Brian Burke will assume responsibility for the day-to-operations of the club.

Crosby was awarded the Players’ Player Award…the team’s MVP award…for the 10th time in his illustrious career.

“It means a lot,” he said. “I love playing. I love going at it every day and being with the team. That hasn’t changed since day one. I’m honored to be named team MVP. I hope everyone just realizes how much I love it and how much I love being a part of the team.”