Although it’s hard to imagine, there may come a day in the not-too-distant future when we long for the likes of Michael Bunting, Anthony Beauvillier and Cody Glass. (Hey, remember when Bunts used to drive to the net?) To say nothing of Drew O’Connor and Marcus Pettersson.
Skating with a stripped-down skeleton crew in front of Alex Nedeljkovic, our punchless Pens were no match for the Golden Knights last night, talent-wise, emotionally or otherwise.
Get used to games like last night’s spiritless 4-0 loss. There’s gonna be a lot more of ‘em.
I confess, I enjoy listening to the games on radio, specifically to catch color analyst Phil Bourque’s take. Unlike so many associated with the team, the Ol’ Two-Niner tells it like it is. Last night Bourquie repeatedly described the Pens…and their effort…as vanilla, and not in a complimentary sense. I translated it to mean perfunctory. As in, “Gee, we’re out here on the ice, we might as well give the appearance of playing.”
To digress, there’s no question yesterday’s trades took the starch out of the team. There’s a human element that bloggers like myself all-too-often overlook. By all accounts, the three departed players were good guys and extremely popular with their teammates. Much like a surgery, you just don’t immediately recover from an extraction like that.
While POHO/GM Kyle Dubas did his job, converting said players into draft capital (we’ve stockpiled a staggering 31 picks over the next three drafts) the Pens are now a decidedly top-heavy team. A one-line team as well. During last night’s defeat, Sidney Crosby’s line generated nine shots on goal. The rest of the team had 13.
Poor Evgeni Malkin skated on a line with perpetual AHL-NHL tweener Emil Bemström and Kevin Hayes.
Yoiks.
Like I said, expect things to get uglier before they get better.
A lot uglier.
Puckpourri
The Athletic gave Dubas a B for his deadline performance. It likely would’ve been an A had he moved Rickard Rakell for a decent return.
Dubas quietly extended defenseman Ryan Shea through next season at an AAV of $900K. He and partner Kris Letang had a rough go against the Knights, analytically and on the scoreboard as well (two goals against).
In addition to labeling the team vanilla for its flat-line effort, Bourquie took our defense to task for its abject lack of physicality. Of course, we’ve been banging that gong here at PenguinPoop for as long as I can remember. (See Other Rick’s numerous references to purse-swinging Ruth Buzzi’s.)
It’s water well down the Ohio and under the McKees Rocks Bridge at this stage, and he didn’t want to play here, but I would love to have had Luke Schenn patrolling our back line.
Along those lines, Boko Imama was pressed into service last night pretty much by default. During his 10 shifts, which amounted to 5:05 of ice time, the heavyweight forward delivered a game-high five hits, including a board-rattler on imposing Knights defenseman Nicolas Hague. Boko also authored a nice stretch pass during one of his shifts.
His Corsi? A team-best 62.5. Without him, linemates Blake Lizotte and Noel Acciari were heavily underwater.
Imama would literally skate through the end boards if it meant helping the team. Yet coach Mike Sullivan, perhaps fearful Boko will take a penalty, keeps the rugged forward tethered to the bench.
Bourque commented on that, too, bemoaning the Pens’ pudding soft penalties such as tripping (Malkin) and hooking (Letang). “Where are the aggressive penalties, the charging penalties?” he fumed.
Fastened to the bench with Boko, that’s where.
On the flip side, newcomer Thomas Novak (pictured) flashed his obvious skill while skating alongside former Preds teammate Philip Tomasino. While the duo combined for six shots on goal (four by Tomasino), they were also on the ice for two goals against. And Bourque was already bemoaning Novak’s well-documented lack of physicality.
In short, like so many current black-and-golders, you could entrust him to skate through an entire game with a carton of eggs fastened to his core without breaking one.
Note to Dubas and whoever else will listen. Talent alone without grind and compete gets you nowhere. Maybe someday the Pens as an organization will learn.
We didn’t turn things around in the late ‘90s and early 2000s until we stopped drafting pretty (Milan Kraft, Robert Dome, Konstantin Koltsov) and started drafting gritty (Brooks Orpik, Ryan Malone, Colby Armstrong, Max Talbot, Tyler Kennedy).
Until then, look out below…
Deadline Shockers
There were truly some stunning moves at yesterday’s trade deadline. The Bruins ripped the guts from their team, peddling long-timers Charlie Coyle, Brandon Carlo, and…in a true shocker…Brad Marchand, dealt to the Panthers.
The return for Marchand, arguably the face of the franchise, was surprisingly light…a conditional second-round pick in 2027 that converts to a first if those conditions are met.
Scarcely six weeks after acquiring him from the Avs (and parting with Martin Necas to do it), the Hurricanes flipped megastar forward Mikko Rantanen to the Stars for forward Logan Stankoven and a bundle of draft picks.
That makes two high-profile, rental forwards (Jake Guentzel being the other) who didn’t want to sign with the ‘Canes. A reflection of coach Rod Brind’Amour and his ultra-demanding system?
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Hey all,
A little encouraging news amid the gloom. Judging by his comments, Dubas was very intentional in his acquisitions of Stillman and Graham. Here's what he said about each.
On Stillman: “A highly competitive winger that you know what you’re going to get from every night. He’s going to play hard, play physical. He’s got an offensive history that just hasn’t come to the surface yet at the American League level. But we’ll look forward to working with him. He’s in Utica tonight. He’s going to drive to Wilkes tomorrow. He’ll play for Wilkes and hopefully be a big part of helping them.”
On Graham: “Big, physical winger who this year got off to a great start, playing his best hockey. He had an injury that ended his season. We viewed it as an opportunity, when we were going through this situation with (New Jersey) when they had expressed interest in Cody Glass.
“ … Being able to add a player like Max where we felt maybe because of the injury he could be available, and we liked him — we don’t have a lot of players like that in the system that combine that size, toughness and ability."
Amen to that!
Rick
Rick,
Also, did you see that our farm team in WBS is back on its winning ways since Jarry was recalled to be a millstone around the parent club. The won Friday 7-1, and then again tonight 8-3. Poulin had a natural hat trick to close out an offensive explosion.
Rick,
I am optimistic about Graham and Stillman but I am not sure I would trust anything Dubas says. Whether you believe he is trying to serve 2 masters (One more run and rebuild) or you just think he really doesn't have a plan, he has been so scatter shot, with each contradicting move tried to spin it as a positive, to date all have fallen flat. Even if Dubas does plan rebuild and rebuild with size and grit, nothing really changes as long as Sullivan sits behind the bench. The coach will just bury the prospects in the minors until they wither on the vine or give bigger, grittier veterans a seat in the press box until they are traded.
Some hard changes desperately need to be made and I don't mean with the roster but with the character of this team: this team that has no character. When their opponents get tough, they fold and curl up into a ball.
Rick,
First, perhaps the best thing that can happen for this team is the one thing none of us would want to happen, sink to a top 3 pick an that is what is happening. Sullivan has exactly the team he wants, a team full of utility knife forwards who skate around full of sound and fury signifying not even a single goal. He also has his marshmallow soft defensemen that can neither score Goals nor prevent Goals.
All I have to say is I feel sorry for all the Penguins' Goalies, including as much as I hate to say this, Tristan Jarry. I still don't think he is a good Goalie; from a technical stand point he has none, but he still could have a little better numbers and perhaps some trade value if this team had some sort of defense. Unfortunately, individually the system and the players are not very good, combined they are a train wreck.
Adding to the silliness of this team is that Ryan Shea was given a contract extension for this 28 year old's 5 points in 29 GP and his -7. Yes, it wasn't much of a contract, but let's be serious, he brings nothing more than any other player. He can easily be replaced by a younger version of a defenseman.
Hey all,
A little follow-up on the return in the New Jersey trade.
According to reports, Chase Stillman (the son of former NHLer Cory Stillman) plays a power game and has a high motor. Very willing to tangle and is a capable scrapper.
So is Max Graham. The kid can throw ’em pretty fair.
Stillman was a first-round pick (29th overall), which was regarded as a stretch…he was rated as a second-rounder. Doesn’t have big offensive numbers. But if he can emerge as a bottom-sixer who competes and plays a hard game, I’ll be more than happy.
We so desperately need that element.
Rick
Rick
Great article, as always! One thing I’d like to comment on is the re-signing of Ryan Shea. Why? Hopefully, he’s being brought back as a depth forward, likely to play with WBS next season. I don’t have anything against Shea—he’s fine in a pinch—but I can’t help but feel there’s some favoritism at play here. In my opinion, this move has Sullivan’s fingerprints all over it. Watching Shea and Letang try to move the puck out of our zone last night was like watching a circus act. My son, who plays hockey in Canada, kept texting me sarcastically asking what league this was. It was funny at first, but honestly, it was more disturbing and embarrassing. This team can’t pass or make a saucer pass to save their lives. I watch Malkin week after week, trying to slide a pass through defenders on the power play, only for it to be intercepted because he didn’t lift the puck. I was beside myself—this is stuff they teach in pee-wee hockey for crying out loud."
There's been a lot of talk about running Karlsson out of town, and while I've had my concerns about his defensive play, the truth is, he's the only one on the team, aside from Crosby, who can move and distribute the puck like he does. His touch passes and play recognition are remarkable. I don't know how they'd make it happen, but somehow, Letang and Malkin need to be convinced to either move on or consider a trade."
Rick - sorry for rambling but man it's tough watching a Pro Hockey team go thru the motions - no urgency, no effort,
and zero physicallity. We have veterans on this team that look lost, and this just didn't start last night.
Hey Mike,
I know Shea's kind of your lightning rod...much like Matt Nieto was for me. And I hear ya.' At best, he should be your Chad Ruhwedel. A No. 7 or even 8 guy you play in a pinch, as you so aptly put it. Not skating beside Letang in a top-four role.
Sadly, a sign of the unfortunate times that have befallen us.
Totally agree about the passing. I thought we were a mediocre passing team a couple of seasons ago when we were still reasonably good. Of course, we've done nothing but go downhill in that department. It might be part of the reason they hung onto Grzelcyk. He does see the ice well and distribute the puck well.
Funny, your son's comments mirrored those that came through a friend whose buddy played collegiate hockey at Quinnipiac. It's like people who know the game just scratch their heads at the things the Penguins are doing on the ice.
Whether it's poor roster construction, coaching that isn't getting through to the players (I'm being charitable) or both, the Pens are a lifeless, jumbled mess.
Although he insists it's not his aim (he's still making laughable overtures about being competitive next season), it sure looks like Dubas has designed the Pens to be this bad on purpose. The better to tank and get some decent picks.
Rick