In the movie, Miracle, Team USA coach Herb Brooks hands assistant coach Craig Patrick a list of players during tryouts. Patrick scans the list and blurts, “You’re missing some of the best players.”
“I’m not looking for the best players,” Brooks replies. “I’m looking for the right ones.”
It seems the Penguins, or more to the point, our coaching staff, should follow Brooks’ lead when it comes to fixing our ridiculously ineffective power play. A power play that went 0-for-5 during last night’s stinging 1-0 loss to the Rangers at PPG Paints Arena. A power play that’s scored only seven goals in 51 tries…a pathetic 13.73 conversion rate.
Coach Mike Sullivan and associate Todd Reirden seem as much at a loss to come up with meaningful solutions as the players themselves. While I feel for all involved, this simply can’t go on. Not if we have serious designs on making the playoffs.
It’ll require a hockey mind far greater than mine to fix our myriad issues. But to me, the first step is to make a list of the type of players you need. A quarterback, a triggerman and…wait for it…a net-front presence. Then fill those slots with the best men for the job, regardless of the name on the back of the jersey.
Manning the power play with a future class of Hall-of-Famers sure ain’t cuttin’ it.
To my eye, the top unit is both stationary and static. Grooved in its imperfection, if you will. We desperately need a disturber or wild-card element to shake things up. Heck, put Noel Acciari out there with a mandate to wreak havoc around the crease. Maybe he won’t score. However, he might create opportunities and lanes for others to do so.
If not Acciari, then plant Radim Zohorna with his 6’6” frame in front of the net. As currently constructed, opposing goalies see virtually every shot coming their way. Easy pickins’ for netminders of even average pedigree. Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel dart in front, but only on occasion. Although both possess magic hands when it comes to deflections and tip-ins, neither is truly cut out for a net-front role.
Okay, enough chewing on the power play for now.
As for the game itself, the black and gold wasted a Grade A performance from Tristan Jarry. He stopped 35 shots and was simply superb, especially during the first 40 minutes when the aggressive, forechecking Rangers had the far better of the play.
At times, especially midway through the second period when our defensive support evaporated, Jarry kept us in the game almost single-handed. During a particularly porous 11-second span, he made a cluster of sparkling, point-blank stops on Jacob Trouba, Alexis Lafrenière, Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad.
He should receive a medal for his efforts. Perhaps the Croix de Paint Can or something like that.
The lone shot that eluded him, a top-shelf backhander to the glove side at 5:10 of the first period by Lafrenière on a partial breakaway, was not his fault. Sprung by Zibanejad, the former No. 1 overall pick blew past Ryan Graves as if the Pens’ defender was a parked car on the Mon wharf.
Alex Nylander appeared to tally a game-tying goal on a deflection during a bizarre play late in the first period when Jonathan Quick lost his catching glove. Alas, Nylander was offside on the play, nullifying the would-be goal.
Still, we had opportunities aplenty to even the score, especially during the third period when the Pens buzzed like bees around a hive. Arguably the best came with 13:35 left to play when a wide-open Crosby cut loose a sizzler from inside the left circle that skimmed off Quick’s right shoulder and over the crossbar.
Puckpourri
Thanks to our inspired third period, we held sway in shot attempts (76-60), scoring chances (34-30) and high-danger chances (15-12) according to Natural Stat Trick. The Blueshirts held the edge in shots on goal (36-32).
An old bugaboo, an inability to beat teams that pack the house defensively, reared its ugly head. Many of our shots were of the low-percentage variety that came from the perimeter or sharp angles. Sure wish we’d employ the center drive, a mostly neglected tactic in these parts.
Last night’s contest was largely a tale of two lines. Or more appropriately, the haves and have nots. On the plus side Sid’s line, with Drew O’Connor filling in for Bryan Rust, thrived to the tune of a 72.97 Corsi and 66.69 expected goals for percentage (xGF%). The third line, with Vinnie Hinostroza slotting in for O’Connor, likewise drove play (64.29 Corsi, 57.08 xGF%). But the other two lines?
Woof.
Evgeni Malkin’s unit, with Nylander subbing for Rickard Rakell, broke even in terms of possession (Corsi of 50) but was heavily underwater in xGF% (20.04). The fourth line? Virtually non-existent offensively (Corsi 23.08, xGF% 9.51).
In the sad but true department, Jeff Carter is done as an effective player. He simply can’t keep up. If we want to win games we need to shelve the big guy, whatever the cap ramifications.
Throughout his storied career, Malkin has alternated between great (and often downright brilliant) and bad. Right now Geno’s on a downside bender, his game rife with east-west passes that all-too-often fuel our foes transition game. At age 37, sure hope it’s a temporary glitch and not an indication of encroaching twilight.
O’Connor seems to do everything at least reasonably well…except shoot the puck. It takes him forever and a day to unlimber his shot, and often he doesn’t get it off at all. A pity, because he has the physical tools to be an impact player.
I wonder if the Pens might consider bringing in former coach Rick Kehoe to work with him. I’m serious. The ex-Pens sniper worked wonders with Jaromír Jágr, who shot almost exclusively from the backhand when he first arrived.
John Ludvig replaced Chad Ruhwedel and acquitted himself at least reasonably well. Moments after Kreider leveled Kris Letang early in the third period, the rookie defenseman returned the favor by launching Kaapo Kakko into the end boards with a bristling check.
Would like to see more of that from him and our guys in general.
On Deck
The load doesn’t get any lighter for our Pens, who’ve lost 3 of 4 and dropped to 9-9. We travel to Buffalo (8-9-2) to face the Sabres Friday night before returning home for a Saturday night tilt with Toronto (10-5-2).
We’re three points out of a wild-card spot at turkey day. As history has shown, generally an unfortunate harbinger when it comes to qualifying for the postseason.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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Hey Rick,
While I too would like to see a real net front presence the evidence is far more compelling in support of getting a right-handed sniper. This may go against our personal biases but if we ignore the facts then we too are as guilty of the stubborn ego that has kept the status quo and continues futility.
A quick look at the Penguins PP when they had a true Net Front presence, in the form of Hornqvist, (stats from NHL.com) our Pens PP was scoring at 21.9% clip (2014-2020), good for 4th in the league. Without Hornqvist the teams PP is scoring at a pace of 21.1% (2020-2023) only a 0.8% drop in terms of efficiency but that 21.1% is only good enough for 9th in the league.
Now let's look at what the team was doing when Phil Kessel, a true Right-handed sniper was in the 'burgh. The team was scoring at 23.0% rate, tops in the league from 2015-2019. Since Kessel was kicked out of town for a bag of used pucks the PP efficiency has dropped to 20.8% (8th in the league).
This dies make intuitive sense. If there are no Right-Handed players capable of finding the back of the net on the ice, an opponent need only cover half the ice. In baseball, if a team don't have at least 1 Left-Handed starter, it is going to struggle. In football if a team lacks a running game or a passing game, the offense is going to suffer, their opponents will either load up the box and dare you to throw or play back with 5 D-backs and dare you to run. Every sport has a corollary.
I still agree that the team needs a net-front man, because there was a further drop in the PP after Horny left, but the evidence of the synergy for both the Right-Handed Sniper, Kessel, and the Net-Front Horny is extremely compelling.
Rick
I agree on both Carter and Malkin. Geno refuses to adjust his game to be effective at the age
of 37. IMO he's part of the problem on the PP. He's killing us with risky passes and he's still
trying to beat defenders by putting the puck thru their legs and what's worse is he try's to make
these moves at the most in opportune time. Malkin is now ranked 7th in the NHL in giveaways
with 22.
Rick, I made this statement when O'Conner scored a few goals during the summer - IMO he's
not a goal scorer or a playmaker. I do like the way he uses his speed to get in on the forecheck,
and he's a tireless worker. I really would like to see Sullivan put "Big Z" with Crosby and Guentzel.
Z has a nice feel and does a good job of reading the play and he's not afraid to mix it up in front
of the net.
As for our PP - until we get someone that is willing to plant himself in front of the net we'll continue
to struggle and our lack of movement is mind boggling.