For the second consecutive game the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers played their way into overtime. For the second consecutive game it was the Flyers who were able to earn the extra point. This time the Penguins conceded an overtime goal to Sean Couturier before things found their way to a shootout. Two points are certainly better than zero in the last two games. Yet, it was another lost opportunity.

My big takeaway from the game is just how psychologically crushed the Penguins are when they find themselves in advantageous scoring situations. Whether it is the dreadful power play or 3v3 overtime these players are inside their own heads. They are not comfortable at all and you can tell with the choices and execution of what they try and what they fail at. This is the product of having your best players continuously fail on the power play. It is starting to bleed into the other facets where they have extra time and space.

I’m not going to beat the fire Mike Sullivan drum at the present time, but it is very clear this team needs a wake up call and a refocus. He needs to find a way to alleviate this negative energy and get these players on the right track. Overall, the team is playing very good at 5v5, the goaltending has come around and has been very good.

Goals saved above expected this season …

Tristan Jarry — 11.8

Alex Nedeljkovic — 4.9

Magnus Hellberg — 1.6

Yet the Penguins are 11-10-3 and sit in 6th place in the Metro (7th by points percentage).

— Danny Shirey (@DannyShireyPGH) December 5, 2023

There are some good things happening. Unfortunately, the results are the results and it can be traced to the third worst power play in the league. There is way too much talent for where their shortcomings are coming from and it is costing them each game.

If Todd Rierden is in fact running the power play I would start there. I would relieve him of his duties and go in a different direction. This is a very specific problem and the person responsible for that area needs to be held accountable. The time is now. The team is bleeding points on a nightly basis. Every point lost now is one they have to make up later and they are slowly running out of later. You aren’t trading away Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Erik Karlsson. It needs to work with them as the core pieces. They are among the best players of all-time. The Penguins need to find someone who can hit the reset button and get these guys doing the things we’ve seen them doing for 15+ years.

Or they can just keep running the same thing out there. Either or

Thanks for reading!

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