Martin raves about progress of Cole, Schultz

Two things have been especially gratifying for Penguins assistant coach Jacques Martin this season, and they are somewhat related.

Martin, who coaches the team’s defensemen, has been pleased with how well the Penguins have been able to cover for several injuries, nobody more or better than the pairing of Justin Schultz and Ian Cole.

“They’ve been asked to play higher roles,” Martin said. “They’ve answered very well.”

Although Schultz was in concussion protocol as of Sunday, he also was sixth in the NHL in points by a defenseman with 56. His plus-31 rating ranked fourth, while Cole was fourth in the NHL in blocked shots (144) entering Monday.

“In the absence of Kris [Letang], Justin has done a great job on the power play,” Martin said. “He’s always had some great offensive abilities, but he’s really improved on the defensive part of his game. He plays with an edge. He has a good stick. He has good vision and a good read of the game.”

“Ian Cole, when you look at his year last year, at one point he was a real big minus,” Martin continued. “This year, he’s been a high-plus player [plus22]. Brings a physical dimension to defense. One of his biggest assets is blocking shots. He’s done a good job blocking shots and killing penalties. We’re pleased with the improvement in his game. When he keeps it simple, that’s when he plays best.”

Martin was kind enough to share his assessment on the Penguins’ other healthy defensemen. Here’s a sampling:

On Brian Dumoulin: “He’s been a work in-progress. In the playoffs last year, he performed extremely well. You have to remember, he’s still a young defenseman. We really like him. We feel that he brings good speed, good vision, has the ability to find the open man and move the puck well. … He has to make sure he has body position. He’s not a physical defenseman, but we want him to finish checks.”

On Trevor Daley: “He’s trying to get to the level that he was at last year. He’s a great skater. Has some offensive ability. He can play on a second power-play unit. Has done a pretty good job killing penalties and using his quickness to take away time and space. Fairly good stick. With him, it’s a matter of being diligent on the defensive side, making sure that he boxes out, that he finishes on his checks.”

Martin also has been pleasantly surprised with how Chad Ruhwedel, Steve Oleksy and Cameron Gaunce have filled in recently.

“When they’ve come in, they’ve used their assets pretty well,” Martin said. “Those guys had been performing very well in WilkesBarre. They have a confidence level.”