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Mike Sullivan needs to get Patric Hornqvist going

February 18, 2019, 10:02 AM ET [141 Comments]
Ryan Wilson
Pittsburgh Penguins Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Pittsburgh has been fluctuating between holding down a playoff spot and viewing things from the outside. Today the Penguins are back in as the second wild card after their goal infused extravaganza against the New York Rangers.

A total of 11 goals were scored in yesterday’s opener for Hockey Day in America. Pittsburgh’s six were enough. None better than the Malkin Spin-O-Rama backhand goal




Malkin has six points in his last three games since returning from injury.

On the opposite end of the spectrum Patric Hornqvist is pointless in his last 12 games. His last point was registered on January 8th when he left the game with a concussion. It was his second concussion of the season. The pointless streak includes ~25 minutes on the top power play. The 32 year old forward fresh off a five-year extension will eventually have to get it going again. Tangible offense is what gives Hornqvist value. He’s a limited player. It’s one of the weaknesses tying up money in a results driven player. When the results dry up you are left with little. Before his second concussion he was having a good year. Is this an injury related slump or just pure coincidence?

The issue with trying to get Hornqvist going is the same one it has always been. Unless you are committing to using him in a top six role he falls into this weird chasm where you’re paying 5M for a power play specialist. A specialist the Penguins don’t really need considering Jake Guentzel is just as good, if not better, in front of the net. You don’t have to be overly physical to be an effective net front presence. You can get by on hockey IQ and good hands.

With the Penguins committing 5M long term to Hornqvist they need to make the most out of him as a player now. He doesn’t strike me as a player who is going to age gracefully. Mike Sullivan needs to start maximizing the value of players on this roster. Overall he has done a woefully poor job with this task in 2018-19. If Hornqvist isn’t going to play with Crosby or Malkin then the team needs to ask itself what the point is. He should be stapled to one of those two centers. He can’t create on his own. He’s a complimentary player who needs a heavy dose of controlled exits and entries from his linemates to get him in situations where he can be effective. It’s time to get him a healthy dose of those. A big part of the Penguins success is generating offense. It surely isn’t defensive play.

I’d like to see better coaching choices with the lineup which maximize the abilities of some of the complimentary pieces.

Thanks for reading!
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