Over the weekend the Penguins came oh so close to reversing their season long trend of outplaying their opponent and not getting any standings points. Instead, they played uninspired and poorly and were a shootout away from taking both points. Their 4-3 shootout loss to Philadelphia was probably better than they deserved for their 30.3 xGF%. They get a redo this evening when they face the same Philadelphia Flyers team.
The power play remains terrible. I don’t have an explanation for it. The players are too talented and too smart to be putting forth this kind of product. Here is the latest change from the coaching staff
The difference this time around is that Letang is back at the center point, a position he occupied for years before Karlsson’s arrival, while the reigning Norris Trophy winner as the league’s top defenseman has moved to the left half wall (Malkin is on the right).
“He has been up there for a long time, and let's say he ends up in the spot that I'm designated or I'm up top, like, it doesn't really change that much,” Karlsson said. “We’re both righties and it just gives us maybe a little bit more of an opportunity to shoot some quality shots when we get in positions to. We're going to try it out. Obviously, it hasn't gone the way that we wanted. So, we're gonna keep trying, and we're gonna keep trying until we get it right.”
Kris Letang has always been a solid power play player even if he at times is a little too reluctant to shoot for my tastes. I also think his consistency in placing the puck in a one-timer position for the players on the circles is fairly average given his abilities. He will now have Karlsson to his left and Malkin (I think) to his right. He will need to feed these to in their wheelhouse to make things click.
Karlsson will move to the left half wall in a new role. I don’t believe the power play has been an Erik Karlsson problem. He is among the best to ever do it. I believe the issue is more with the forwards in both Malkin’s carelessness with the puck and the team’s refusal to plant Crosby down low and utilize his tremendous skill set from there. The power play has been so bad some kind of change was needed.
“Obviously, it hasn't gone the way that we wanted. So, we're gonna keep trying, and we're gonna keep trying until we get it right.”
More on today’s power play adjustments, with Letang moving back onto the top unit ⬇️https://t.co/hMfIwsRvAl
The difference this time around is that Letang is back at the center point, a position he occupied for years before Karlsson’s arrival, while the reigning Norris Trophy winner as the league’s top defenseman has moved to the left half wall (Malkin is on the right).
“He has been up there for a long time, and let's say he ends up in the spot that I'm designated or I'm up top, like, it doesn't really change that much,” Karlsson said. “We’re both righties and it just gives us maybe a little bit more of an opportunity to shoot some quality shots when we get in positions to. We're going to try it out. Obviously, it hasn't gone the way that we wanted. So, we're gonna keep trying, and we're gonna keep trying until we get it right.”
My suggestion to open things up a little more would be to have Crosby be the low screen player who takes care of the goal line touches and try to find Guentzel in the bumper spot in the slot with quick one touch passes. Similar to how Tampa Bay opens up Brayden Point on their power play, which is in the second goal in the video below, conveniently against the Penguins. You also have Erik Karlsson on the left half wall able to feed Guentzel just like the first goal in the video below. Jake Guenzel has a career shooting percentage of 15.5%. Use it
If teams start to over commit to the bumper guy you’ve just created other east west lanes with Karlsson and Malkin both excellent with one timers. For all of this to work you still need Letang being willing to shoot with a double screen up top or you will never spread things out enough to open up the options stated above. Nothing about this is too complicated. The players need to commit to a structure and follow it. You can’t just wing it and play perimeter passing hoping for the other teams to lose their structure. Penalty killers are as disciplined as they’ve ever been.
Some injury news:
Rickard Rakell, who is on long-term injured reserve with an upper-body injury, is with the Penguins on the road and has started to skate. The same goes for Chad Ruhwedel, who's been week-to-week with a lower-body injury. They've both missed six straight games.
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