Has the Penguins’ Power Play Become the Embodiment of Kasperi Kapanen?

Following a promising first season with the Penguins in 2020-21, the sky appeared to be the limit for Kasperi Kapanen. Indeed, the native of Kuopio, Finland and son of former NHLer Sami Kapanen seemed poised to fulfill the promise that prompted former GM Jim Rutherford to select him 22^nd overall in the 2014 Entry Draft.

Pens coach Mike Sullivan, for one, envisioned great things for the fleet winger.

“I’ve told him I think he has the potential to be an elite player in this league,” Sully said. “I really believe that.”

Indeed, the raw skills were there. The eye-popping speed, a rapier-like shot and decent enough puckhandling skills, wrapped in a solid 6’1” 194-pound frame.

However, following an okay start to the ’21-22 campaign that included a hat trick against the Wild, Kapanen’s productivity and effectiveness began to wane. He endured a month-long, 13-game pointless streak and finished the season with only two goals and eight points in his final 39 games, despite receiving a fair amount of ice time next to Evgeni Malkin.

Even worse, Kappy’s effort seemed to dry up as well. There were plenty of games when I had to do a double-take to make sure he wasn’t a healthy scratch. He was that invisible on the ice. Kasperi the Friendly Ghost.

It was clear the tousle-haired winger had completely lost his confidence. A hockey player who’d totally turned in on himself.

I’m not dredging up the past to pick on Kappy, but rather to draw an eerie analogy to our sputtering power play.

Entering the season, hopes were sky-high for the unit following the blockbuster acquisition of Norris Trophy winner and 100-point man Erik Karlsson. Indeed, dreams of power-play goals galore danced in the collective heads of Penguins Nation like visions of sugar-plum fairies.

The unit got off to a surprisingly indifferent 2-for-19 start, then seemed to right itself with four power-play goals during a loss to Anaheim and a resounding victory over hapless San Jose on November 4. Shades of Kappy’s hat trick.

Since then? We’ve gone 1-for-37 with the man advantage, including our current, wretched 0-for-30 slide.

Nothing seems to be coming easily or naturally to the group. For the record, one stocked with at least three future Hall-of-Famers and all-star level talent.

A case of too many executive chefs and not enough sous chefs?

Perhaps.

A commenter on another site summed up our maladies succinctly and accurately.

“There are too few shots and from too far away, very few rebounds, too little movement, too little traffic, too little net front presence, and too little defensive responsibility on the back end. A simple tweak won’t fix it because just about everything is wrong, or at least every bit of it looks ineffective.”

Add to that laundry list an inability to set up in the attacking zone, an unfortunate twist that reared its ugly head during Monday night’s exasperating shootout loss to Metro rival Philly. A game that saw the unit yield more shots on goal (including two breakaways) to the eager Flyers’ penalty killers than it produced.

Without being present at team practices and in the locker room, it’s impossible to know what’s being worked on and what’s being said with any degree of accuracy. Obviously everyone involved, from the players to the coaching staff and even the front office are trying to come up with solutions. Everyone cares. But right now, the unit seems so robotic. Like the players have lost any sense of rhythm or flow, not to mention swagger.

Full-on Kappy.

As for the expatriate winger? In the throes of a second-straight disappointing season for the black-and-gold, Kapanen was waived last February and promptly claimed by St. Louis, where he enjoyed a bit of a resurgence (eight goals in 23 games).

This season? With only three goals in 24 games, he’s locked in yet another cold snap.

As for the Pens’ power play? It will score again. The law of averages is bound to catch up to us at some point. Perhaps the next time we play a cream puff like the Sharks.

Whether it’ll ever produce to its potential with the present personnel?

Another matter entirely.

Bottom line. As our power play goes, so go our playoff chances. Right now those chances are going down the drain.