I can see Dubas signing Puljujarvi after his PTO ends. It's entirely reasonable to be unsure about a player that is still working his way back from major surgery, but the upside is considerable if Puljujarvi works out for this team. I think he'd do great on that third line with Lars Eller and Drew O'Connor. I've been impressed with Eller's game. He does all of the little things right and it often goes unnoticed. I still believe OC has some room to grow scoring wise, but he plays the game the right way. He's strong on pucks, great on the forecheck, and his size is starting to really stand out. I can see some potential lack of scoring on that line, but I'd like to see them play at least a few games to see if they can find a spark.
Once healthy, the fourth line could really improve this team. I can hear the moans and groans already about Jeff Carter being in the lineup, but his game has really began to change the past couple weeks. After coming to this team back in 2021, Jeff Carter was the right guy at the right time. I disagree with Hextall's decision to extend him, especially at that term and cap hit, but we can't do anything about it now. It's hard to go from being a top-six center, to a third line center, to a fourth line winger. He has always been defensively conscientious, but now he's being asked for that to be his main attribute. He doesn't have the speed anymore, and his hands aren't what they used to be, but his size and hockey IQ could really benefit the bottom six. We won't see the same Jeff Carter we saw in 2012 and 2013, or even 2021, but that's not what's being asked of him, so it should not be expected.
In terms of the top six, I think it's pretty cut and dry. The only thing I'd be willing to argue over is who gets to play on Sidney Crosby's right side. Bryan Rust is probably the obvious answer. They're the best line in hockey at 5v5, but we have to spread the love. Those stats are useless to a team that can't win hockey games. I think putting Rickard Rakell on the first line could really get his game going. This not a punishment to Rusty, it's an effort to increase scoring across the top six. Evgeni Malkin and Rusty go way back, they have that chemistry, so let's put it to use. This doesn't have to be permanent, but I'd love to see Raks get back to his old self. His 28 goals and 60 points last year were huge for this team, and I don't see why he can't get back to those numbers anytime soon.
Let's talk defense, primarily the top four. I've been pleasantly surprised this year with the group. Ryan Graves has obviously not led up to the hype, but I'm still willing to give him time, because we have plenty of it. (6 years to be exact) There's no one else I'd rather have help work out those kinks than Kris Letang. Tanger has really taken on a new role this year. I bet it's tough not being "the guy" in some of those key offensive situations, but he's embraced his new position very well. The second pairing of Marcus Pettersson and Erik Karlsson has been pretty decent. I think Petey's game just keeps improving every time he steps on the ice, and I'm interested to see what his future looks like with this team. Karl hasn't entirely lived up to expectations in my point of view. He's still an elite player, and I personally wasn't expecting him to put up 101 points again, but I think he's still finding his game a little. A lot of that has to do with the lack of scoring on the power play which I will talk about later.
The third pairing was something that I thought Dubas hadn't addressed this past offseason, but these guys that have been rotating in and out have all played pretty damn well. This would be Ryan Shea, John Ludvig, P.O. Joseph, and Chad Ruhwedel. It's the area of this team I've had the most trouble with. I'm not quite too sure who should or shouldn't play. I think Ruhdy deserves a spot because he is the only righty of the four, and has valuable experience in the NHL. I have P.O. on his left but I think that slot could be anyone's. I really like the physicality that Luds brings to this team and it's not his only attribute. He and Ryan Shea have good speed and can move the puck up the ice really well. I've loved the way they've played together so far. P.O. had a pretty good year last year, and he hasn't really done much to lose his spot. But Shea is close behind. His AHL numbers show he can be a really good offensive defenseman, and if he can recreate those numbers again in the AHL, he deserves a roster spot come next training camp for sure.
The goaltending really has been stellar, all things considered. They've kept this team in a lot of games. All 3, Jarry, Nedeljkovic, and Hellberg have proved that they can help this team win. I think this is Dubas' best accomplishment with the team so far. It is hard to come by a duo or trio, for that matter, that can give your team a really good chance to win. If the forward and defensive groups can really get things going, Jars and Ned have the ability to play even better than they already have. I'd also really like to see Ned get some more starts in net. With Jars' health concerns, having a guy that can take some of the load off him can really improve his game in the long run. Letting Ned see the ice more can only really improve his game as well.
I've been really impressed with the penalty kill this year. The strategy and personnel has been on point. They've put power play units on their heels, kept them out of the zone, and left them little room to succeed. The quick changes and getting fresh bodies on the ice has certainly been one of their keys to success. Dubas did a good job over the summer of signing defensive forwards that excel in killing penalties, Lars Eller, Noel Acciari, and Matt Nieto, to name a few. All of these guys have been crucial to this PK unit. Guys like Bryan Rust and Reilly Smith are also incredible penalty killers, and give this team a chance of scoring even when on the penalty kill.
It's time to talk about the power play. I should preface by saying I don't really know the ins and outs of hockey that well. I've just been a fan for years. But I think this stuff is pretty common sense. I was entirely aware that it'd take this unit to develop some chemistry with Erik Karlsson, but like most, I didn't think it'd take this long. The chemistry might be there, but the scoring really hasn't followed. Although, I don't believe this is an Erik Karlsson issue necessarily. I don't think this is really a personnel matter all that much either, to be fair. I strongly believe Sid, Geno, Guentz, and Karl give this team the best chance to succeed when they're on the ice. So I don't think adjusting the personnel really affects the outcome too much. The 5th player matters, but certainly not as much as the other four.
I believe the two biggest aspects of a PP are zone entry, and what you do with the puck when you're in the opponent's zone. Step 1, figure out the zone entries. This idea of sitting at the blue line and waiting for one guy to enter with the puck reminds me of an NFL kickoff. Penalty killers, especially good ones, are able to defend this method extraordinarily well. There needs to more calculated chaos in the neutral zone and at the blue line to the point where you can create some space to get to work. Once you're setup, you must shoot the puck. There seems to be a fear of the puck escaping the zone, which is valid considering the terrible zone entries, but the only way the puck goes into the net, is if it's shot towards it. It can't be pretty. There's at least three Hall-of-Famers on the top unit, and I understand the want for it to be perfect, but it hasn't worked, so stop trying. If they wait for the perfect shot or the perfect opening, the 2:00 will be long gone. We have to shoot the puck, get to the net, and create havoc for the opposing team. These guys are beyond capable of scoring goals, they just need to find their rhythm.
Penguins hockey was always fast and fearless. I think we can get back to that. Things don't look too great right now, but I think this team has what it takes to make the playoffs, and make their presence known. This is an old group, but an experienced one. They know what it takes to win, so all they have to do is get to work. They cannot be bothered by the outside noise, they need to put their heads down, play the game the right way, and the success will follow.
Agree with all of this and wrote something sort of similar earlier.
Injuries are brutal right now. Rakell going down hurt the second line, and rust going down obviously hurts. Everything for the most part outside the PP has been very good this year (goalies are playing out of their mind).
I'd love to find a way to make the 4th Nieot/Acciari/Hinistroza (they only played small minutes together but solid results (net xgoals vs goals against)
The metro is also strange... Isles and flyers in playoff spots? No one had that on their bingo cards and I'd expect both to regress.
Think a lot of fans (and Toronto..) are trying to really throw Dubas under the bus, but think he did the best he could. He can't anticipate injuries and surely couldn't anticipate the PP being THIS bad.
Do you think Puljujarvi will help Penguins win games?
It's hard to say, especially after double hip surgery. I'm not too familiar with his game, but from watching him play the Penguins the past few years, I've seen some attributes I like. He's a tenacious player, brings good size, and is more than capable on the forecheck. He obviously has some consistency issues scoring wise, but he's proven to be able to put up 12-15 goals in a season. One of the biggest things for me is that he's a right shot. On a team full of lefty's, righty's are hard to come by. We've seen a lot of lefty's play on the right side this year. It has its advantages, but the more righty's, the better in the Penguins' case. He actually reminds me of Drew O'Connor a lot. Both of those guys certainly still have some room to grow, even at their age, but there's still a lot of hockey left.
To answer you question though, I think he has just a good a shot as anyone else really to help this team win games.
Agree with all of this and wrote something sort of similar earlier.
Injuries are brutal right now. Rakell going down hurt the second line, and rust going down obviously hurts. Everything for the most part outside the PP has been very good this year (goalies are playing out of their mind).
I'd love to find a way to make the 4th Nieot/Acciari/Hinistroza (they only played small minutes together but solid results (net xgoals vs goals against)
The metro is also strange... Isles and flyers in playoff spots? No one had that on their bingo cards and I'd expect both to regress.
Think a lot of fans (and Toronto..) are trying to really throw Dubas under the bus, but think he did the best he could. He can't anticipate injuries and surely couldn't anticipate the PP being THIS bad.
I agree. Injuries have really affected this team. They're an aspect of the game, there's no doubt about it, but when a team is struggling to consistently score every night, injuries can be detrimental. On the positive side, it gives younger guys a chance to prove themselves with a team. I think we've missed that in the forward group, but defensively, Shea and Ludvig have really stood out to me.
I liked the Nieto-Acciari-Hinostroza line as well. We may be able to see some more of it, but if everyone is back and healthy, I don't think it'd be realistic to see those guys together very much, if at all. I think Carter ultimately will have the upper hand on that line, and I'm not sure if Hinostroza has a roster spot over a guy like Puljujarvi or Zohorna, but only time will tell. The cap is gonna get tight.
In regards to standings, I think we're gonna see some things settle down before Christmas. I don't think Philadelphia and New York are playoff teams, nor do I think the Penguins should be out of the playoffs. There's a couple teams around the league that are playing much different than their final record will show, whether that be good or bad. I'm not worried about standings yet, but winning divisional games are still very important.
Lastly, Dubas deserves a lot of credit for his actions this offseason. Toronto fans are gonna follow this team like the plague, it's just the way the cookie crumbles. But besides all of the noise surrounding this team, I think Dubas will weather the storm well, and the Penguins will be in good hands.
A few things to note:
Petterson- Karlson has been the best D-pair in the NHL so far. They are dynamite.
The PP is the weak link, as you said. If it could be fixed....
I probably underestimated their impact in my spiel above. But it's hard to give guys a ton of credit when the team isn't performing well. But you're right, they have been very good, and prominent in certain defensive statistics.
I agree. Injuries have really affected this team. They're an aspect of the game, there's no doubt about it, but when a team is struggling to consistently score every night, injuries can be detrimental. On the positive side, it gives younger guys a chance to prove themselves with a team. I think we've missed that in the forward group, but defensively, Shea and Ludvig have really stood out to me.
I liked the Nieto-Acciari-Hinostroza line as well. We may be able to see some more of it, but if everyone is back and healthy, I don't think it'd be realistic to see those guys together very much, if at all. I think Carter ultimately will have the upper hand on that line, and I'm not sure if Hinostroza has a roster spot over a guy like Puljujarvi or Zohorna, but only time will tell. The cap is gonna get tight.
In regards to standings, I think we're gonna see some things settle down before Christmas. I don't think Philadelphia and New York are playoff teams, nor do I think the Penguins should be out of the playoffs. There's a couple teams around the league that are playing much different than their final record will show, whether that be good or bad. I'm not worried about standings yet, but winning divisional games are still very important.
Lastly, Dubas deserves a lot of credit for his actions this offseason. Toronto fans are gonna follow this team like the plague, it's just the way the cookie crumbles. But besides all of the noise surrounding this team, I think Dubas will weather the storm well, and the Penguins will be in good hands.
Standings will be very very interesting... I'm not even sure the rags keep their same pace. They're in the bottom half of the league (Barely) in 5v5 xGoals. They're being saved at this point by an outstanding PP and Panarin playing out of his mind (goaltending too, but pens has been better). They're bottoms six is arguably as bad as the penguins....
Lots of time left, i really hope Puljujarvi sticks and if Rust and Rakell are back shortly i'm not too worried.
Ludvig has been probably one of my favorite players this season and personally think he should be on letang's line until Graves shows it's his.
pens1991 a aimé ceci.
Répondre
CapFriendly
CapFriendly