Penguins Update: Speed is What We Need

Well Magoo, it appears I’ve done it again. Last week I wrote an article comparing our Penguins to the Rangers while touting the Blueshirts as a legit Stanley Cup contender. At the time they certainly looked the part, having whupped the upstart Devils in the first two games of their first-round series by twin 5-1 scores. In beautiful downtown Newark, no less.

Since my post? The Devils have completely turned the tables, throttling the Rangers in three straight games (including two in Madison Square Garden) while limiting their high-powered foe to a paltry two goals.

Although purely unintentional, it appears I’ve once again invoked the dreaded PenguinPoop Curse and put the whammy on the Rangers. Perhaps well-deserved payback for the way Jacob Trouba and Co. headhunted our stars last spring.

The Rangers aren’t just being beaten. They’re getting OWNED.

Plain and simple, the Devils are dominating with their speed. They’ve suffocated the Rangers to such an extent that the New Yorkers can barely get set up in the offensive zone, let alone apply any sustained pressure. For the record, this ain’t a team of stiffs that’s being stymied, but a rather a collection of gifted offensive talents…Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane to name but a few.

On the rare occasions when the Rangers do break through, preternaturally cool rookie Akira Schmid is there to slam the door. The rangy 6’5” netminder is a former fifth-round pick of Ray Shero, by the way. Just sayin.’

One of the principal thwarters for the Devils? Former Pens defenseman John Marino. Taking full advantage of his excellent mobility, Marino’s gap control has been outstanding. He’s super calm under pressure, too.

Too bad Pens coach Mike Sullivan and his staff tried to turn the 25-year-old Massachusetts native into something he isn’t…an offensive defenseman. In the process, pushing Marino out of his comfort zone.

Former GM Ron Hextall’s trades last summer to ultimately replace him with an aging Jeff Petry are looking worse than ever.

Back to the speed element. In some ways the Devils are borrowing a page from Sullivan’s book, circa 2016. The Avs, too, used their superior wheels to capture the Cup last spring.

It points to one of the black-and-gold’s biggest needs. If we’re going to stick with Sullivan as our coach, and by all appearances we are, it’s imperative we get younger and faster. Part of the reason we struggled so last season was a disconnect between the talent on hand and Sullivan’s aggressive, forechecking style.

We simply didn’t have the wheels to excel at that game. Especially on the blue line, where comparative plow horses like Petry, Brian Dumoulin and Jan Rutta plied their trade.

Kids like Drew O’Connor, Ryan Poehling and Pierre-Olivier Joseph, good skaters all, could help going forward if they continue to develop. But upgrades will definitely be needed.

Speaking of, perhaps one of the Devils might be an off-season target for the Pens. Miles Wood, a 27-year-old left wing, can fly, plays with an aggressive bent and will even drop the gloves on occasion. When healthy, he’s generally in the 15-20 goal range. Certainly not a star, but perhaps a speedy third-line option with some sand.

A UFA-to-be, Wood earned $3.2 million this year. If we could sign him at a bargain rate, perhaps a worthwhile addition.

BULLETIN: Hållander Jumps Ship

Twenty-two year-old forward Filip Hållander, a pending RFA, has signed a five-year contract to play for Timra IK in the Swedish Hockey League.

A second round-pick of the Pens in 2018, Hållander was sent to Toronto in August of 2020 in the trade that brought Kasperi Kapanen to the ‘Burgh. The Sundsvall, Sweden native returned to the black-and-gold the following summer in the infamous Jared McCann swap, which was already shaping up as one of the worst in franchise history before Hållander’s departure.

My personal take? Although the 6’1” 190-pounder received scant opportunity to prove himself with the Pens (three games of very limited ice time over two seasons), I don’t think Hållander had the speed to be effective in our system or in the NHL in general.

Still, scratch one of the better young players from a farm system that’s already painfully thin.