I was surprised to learn Penguins coach Mike Sullivan had scratched Vinnie Hinostroza in favor of Jansen Harkins (pictured) for Saturday night’s game with the Maple Leafs. To my eye, “Cousin Vinnie” had done a good job for us, while providing an adrenalin boost with his speed and energetic play.
On the flip side, Harkins, who’d enjoyed a strong preseason after being claimed on waivers from the Jets, had struggled in four early season games, which led to a demotion to the Baby Pens.
Yet Sully’s move appeared to pay immediate dividends. Flashing his preseason form, Harkins delivered a pair of big hits and was noticeable with his speed and grit. Despite limited ice time (6:38), the Cleveland native also helped drive offense to the tune of eight 5v5 shot attempts for and none against for a tidy Corsi of 100. Not a bad night’s work.
In a related development, 38-year-old Jeff Carter has quietly slipped back into the lineup in the wake of injuries to top-sixers Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell and appears to be making the most of the opportunity. Although the big guy can’t match the speed of Hinostroza or Harkins, he’s adjusted his game accordingly and is still a faceoff wiz (71.4 percent), a quality his coach obviously finds appealing.
With Rust set to return to the lineup for tonight’s clash with the Predators, it leaves one available lineup spot for the aforementioned trio.
It begs the question, who should play?
In my mind, Hinostroza’s been the most effective of the three. He’s tallied a goal and three points in eight games, including a two-point Pens debut. However I decided to take a gander at some advanced 5v5 stats.
| Player | GP | Corsi | GF | GA | xGF% | OZS% |
| Hinostroza | 8 | 46.09 | 3 | 2 | 42.87 | 18.18 |
| Harkins | 5 | 44.87 | 0 | 1 | 42.11 | 50 |
| Carter | 14 | 44.44 | 2 | 2 | 42.37 | 12.82 |
To my surprise, there’s very little separating them statistically. In terms of intangibles, Hinostroza and Harkins bring speed, with the former providing more playmaking ability while the latter possesses more size and jam. Carter, veteran savvy and faceoff prowess, along with a latent scoring touch.
Perhaps a case of picking your poison, or more accurately, the traits you want the most.
I also decided to look at the team’s record with each in the lineup. Again to my surprise, we’re 3-2 when Harkins plays, 4-4 with Hinostroza, and 6-8 with Carter. It should be noted we won our first four games with Vinnie in the lineup and lost our last four, which may have influenced Sullivan’s decision to scratch him on Saturday.
Given that the fourth line enjoyed a strong game against the Leafs with Carter manning the right flank, I look for Sully to give him the nod tonight.
The Gang’s all There
Vancouver has been one of the early surprises of the 2023-24 campaign. Last season’s also-rans have rung up a record of 14-7-1 and are currently tied with the Kings for the fifth-most points in the league (29).
Coincidence or not, the Canucks have a strong Pittsburgh flavor. Indeed, the organization is rife with former Pens, both in the executive suite and on the ice. President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford and GM Patrik Allvin are the architects, with former black-and-gold assistant Rick Tocchet serving as coach. His staff includes another former Pens assistant, Mike Yeo.
On the ice? The Canucks feature five former Pens, including forwards Sam Lafferty and Teddy Blueger, defensemen Ian Cole and Mark Friedman and goalie Casey DeSmith. All are faring well in the Pacific Northwest. Especially Lafferty, who’s thriving in a bottom-six role with five goals and 10 points.
Among other havens for ex-Pens? Seattle boasts five former flightless birds as well, forwards Jared McCann and Brandon Tanev and d-men Jamie Oleksiak, Brian Dumoulin and Justin Schultz. McCann leads the Kraken with nine goals. The latter pair have formed a not-so-successful defensive tandem.
The Red Wings are likewise well stocked with former Pens, including forwards David Perron and Daniel Sprong and blueliners Olli Määttä and Jeff Petry.
Let’s Make a Deal
The Baby Pens have acquired a pair of minor-league veterans, forward Peter Abbandonato and defenseman Michael Headrick from the Chicago Wolves for future considerations.
Depth moves, I’m guessing, in the wake of injuries and call-ups. Still, I’m not sure I understand the logic, especially with kids like Jordan Frasca, Lukas Svejkovsky and Isaac Belliveau performing well at Wheeling.
