Pittsburgh Penguins Recent Struggles Continue
Pittsburgh Penguins are coming off a heartbreaking loss on Friday night to Los Angeles in a shootout. The loss gives Pittsburgh a record of 15-10-3 with 33 points, which currently ranks 9th in the Eastern Conference. But, they haven’t looked like the dominant offensive team we’re used to, while showing signs of occasional defensive lapses.
(statistics obtained from NHL.com/stats, salary/contract info obtained from GeneralFanager)
The Pittsburgh Penguins struggle to make that first pass out of the defensive zone at times, leading to turnovers. Even when they’re able to move the puck through the neutral zone, they’ve shown difficulty gaining the zone, and keeping control of the puck. One particular defender that needs to step up is Kris Letang, boasting a -14 plus minus rating. He carries a lucrative cap hit, making him one of the higher paid defenseman in the NHL. No one’s ever questioned his skill or offensive abilities from the back-end. But, injuries and occasional holes in his defensive game have been a concern.
More from NHL News
- Should the NHL make referees give postgame interviews?
- Why Carolina Hurricanes fans should be excited for the 2023-24 season
- Why any NHL team would be lucky to add Phil Kessel to their roster
- The New Original Six Teams of the PWHL has been revealed
- The Top 5 Centers in the NHL Today Might Not Be Who You Think
It feels like the Penguins are one significant piece away from solidifying their blueline. The expectation was that Derrick Pouliot would step up in 2015-16, earning a full-time position. Instead, relegated to AHL action, he’s shown off his offensive skills as a defenseman. He’s still 21 though, and clearly Pittsburgh doesn’t believe he’s responsible enough in his own end. Do they hope their depth defenders step-up? Or, do the Pittsburgh Penguins need to find an upgrade via trade?
Up front, the Penguins are led in scoring by Evgeni Malkin, currently matching a point per game pace. Behind him is Sidney Crosby with 18 points, finding his groove after a slow-start to 2015-16. Third is new acquisition Phil Kessel, who has nine goals and eight assists. A big disappointment up front has been Patric Hornqvist, with just 10 points in 28 games.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are spending $36.9125 on their six highest paid forwards (that accounts for 50.75 percent of total salary). David Perron will (likely) come off the books next season, but is it perhaps time for Pittsburgh to explore trimming more salary? Experts have argued whether Pittsburgh should trade Evgeni Malkin. It wouldn’t make much sense for the Penguins to move either one of their superstars. But, slumping seasons will always draw these types of question.
Pittsburgh has once again been given solid goaltending in 2015-16 from Marc-Andre Fleury and Jeff Zatkoff. Fleury has gone 13-9-2 with a 2.21 GAA and .927 save percentage, while Zatkoff is 2-1-1 with a 2.43 GAA and .936 save percentage. Oddly enough, the excellent play in the crease continues to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Pens top goalie prospect Matt Murray played his first year of pro hockey in 2014-15, going 25-10-3 with a 1.58 GAA and .941 save percentage. In 2015-16, his second year with the Baby Penguins, Murray is 11-4-0 with a 1.95 GAA and .935 save percentage. Pittsburgh could use the young netminder as trade bait to help solidify holes on the back-end.
Goals For (GF): 64 (26th) 2.36 Goals Against (GA): 65 (5th) 2.32
The goals allowed is roughly where it’s expected to be. Although 26th in goals for is concerning for a team with two of the NHL’s best all-around players that also includes a one-dimensional scoring machine in Phil Kessel.
(It’s a tad amusing that Kessel gets a pass for his defensive deficiencies. Most would argue he’s a goal-scoring winger, therefore carries less defensive responsibility. However, we witnessed the difference between winners and losers last week, when Patrick Kane made the highlight reel for a spectacular back-check. Phil Kessel is commonly the last man back, and almost never back-checks)
Power Play (PP): 15.6 percent (26th) 19.3 percent in 2014/15
Penalty Kill (PK): 84.2 percent (6th)
Pittsburgh operated around 22 percent at home in 2014-15 on the powerplay, which is down almost 8 percent in 2015-16. Overall, the team is 3.7 percent less effective finding the back of the net in 2015-16. The penalty kill continues to operate in top 10 fashion after ranking third in 2014-15.
Shots For/Game (SH/G): 30.6 (6th)
Shots Allowed/Game (SHA/G): 31.8 (28th)
The fact that Pittsburgh ranks 28th in shots allowed (lowest to highest) in 2015-16 tells you everything you need to know about this team. They’ve spent an increased amount of time in their own-end in 2015-16, limiting their scoring chances.
2-6-2 when trailing after one period
2-9-0 when trailing after two periods
2014-15: 25-5-4 leading after one period (lead after one in 41.46 percent of games)
2015-16: 7-1-0 leading after one period (lead after one in 28.57 percent of games)
Pittsburgh Penguins lead after one period in little over 41 percent of games in 2014-15, only to watch that number plummet in 2015-16 down to approximately 28 percent. Most teams losing after the first period, have a losing record. This suggests if the trend continues, Pittsburgh could easily find themselves in the draft lottery.
When scoring first 10-1-1 (42.86 percent of games) 2014-15: 33-9-7 (59.75 percent)
When opponent scores first 5-9-2 (57.14 percent of games) 2014-15: 10-18-5 (40.24 percent)
Pittsburgh scored first in nearly 60 percent of games in 2014-15, a trend that resulted in a winning record. In 2015-16, the Penguins are scoring first just 43 percent of the time. Based on their record when opponents score first, it’s another trend that suggests Pittsburgh may be destined for the draft lottery.
2014-15: 35 major penalties, 18 ten-minute misconducts, 4 game misconducts
2015-16: 2 major penalties
Perhaps it’s somewhat insignificant to mention the above stats. Steve Downie accounted for much of those numbers in 2014-15. But, it says something about the overall team toughness and intimidation factor. Regular seasons stats are somewhat irrelevant, but it begs to ask, are the Pittsburgh Penguins tough enough to endure four grueling rounds of playoffs with its current roster?
Next: Jakob Chychrun: World Juniors a Perfect Showcase
What about that conditional pick from the Phil Kessel deal?
Dec 1, 2015; San Jose, CA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Phil Kessel (81) looks to pass against the San Jose Sharks in the 2nd period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports. The Penguins won 5-1.
We’ve linked to the explanation. If Pittsburgh makes the playoffs in 2016, Toronto will receive a first rounder, Pittsburgh gets their second rounder. However, If Pittsburgh misses the playoffs in 2016, Toronto gets Pittsburgh’s 2017 first rounder, and Pittsburgh gets Toronto’s second in 2017. But, If Pittsburgh misses the playoffs in both years, Toronto settles with a 2017 second round pick.
GM Jim Rutherford has some immense decisions to make, and so far his track record is questionable (at best) over the past few years. He’s got two of the best players in the world, and his window with them is closing year-by-year. At some point, these superstars will begin to decline (and some have argued Crosby is hitting that wall now). Marc-Andre Fleury isn’t getting any younger either, so the window to capture a Stanley Cup is now. If it means trading Patric Hornqvist or impending free agent David Perron, then so be it. If you can move a prospect such as Matt Murray to shore up your defense, then a deal must be made. One thing is for sure, standing pat with this current roster is a recipe for disaster, one that’ll land the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2016 draft lottery.