From first to one of the worst
Squad looks to fix its penalty kill before the playoffs start
This Penguins season can be split into three distinct chapters — a troubling start, their encouraging surge and then this extended malaise since Christmas.
That is particularly true of their penalty kill, which during November and December was the NHL’s best but has since reverted back to its early-season form.
The Penguins allowed another power-play goal in Saturday’s 4-1 loss at Florida, making it 20 against in their past 20 games. Pittsburgh, which is still streaky on its power play, won the special teams battle in just four of those games.
Mike Sullivan in Florida acknowledged the penalty kill has been a sore spot.
“It’s been a concern. We haven’t done a good enough job,” he said. “Now we’ve got some new guys that we’re trying to get into the fold, so there’s going to be a little bit of a learning curve. ... We’ve got to find a way to shore it up.”
Some of the thinking on their recent transactions was tied to the penalty kill.
The Penguins had the NHL’s No. 1 penalty kill from Nov. 5 until Christmas, killing an incredible 92.5% of their penalties. Since then, that unit has killed just 74.0%, which is 27th in the league and last among teams in playoff position.
Injuries were one factor, sure. Core killers such as Ryan Poehling, Josh Archibald, Jeff Petry and Jan Rutta missed time and the Penguins had to shuffle personnel in and out of that unit, which is led by assistant coach Mike Vellucci.
Tristan Jarry sat out for
stretches, too. The goaltending was not up to snuff in his absence. With the Penguins short-handed, Casey DeSmith and Dustin Tokarski gave up three more goals than was expected, per Natural Stat Trick.
But beyond the blue paint, the Penguins still had capable killers at their disposal. They have just collectively stopped doing all of the little things they did so well during that stingy seven-week stretch before the Christmas break.
Bryan Rust, who has taken on a regular role on the kill in recent weeks, ticked off many of those little things after Monday’s practice at PPG Paints Arena.
“It’s just little details, whether it’s denying a few extra entries or getting a clear when we need it or winning more faceoffs,” Rust said. “They’re all important.”
It’s no coincidence he identified
those three issues. They know the numbers.
In terms of the entries, the Penguins have not offered as much resistance through the neutral zone. During their peak months, their pressure up the ice was evident. Often, by the time their opponents got to their blue line, they were frazzled, out of sync and content to simply slap the puck into one of the corners.
But their denial rate at the blue line has declined by nearly 10% since Christmas, giving them the league’s third-lowest rate over that span, per Sportlogiq.
The Penguins have not been as smothering inside the defensive zone either. As a result, they are allowing more puck possession in their zone and, naturally, a spike in shots against from the slot, the NHL’s fifth-most over this stretch.
Brian Dumoulin theorized that one reason Pittsburgh’s killers have been less pesky is because Penguins players are spending too much time inside the box. Only two teams have been short-handed more frequently than the Penguins.
“Over the years, our PK has been at its best when we have to kill two or three in a game, not five or six,” he said. “And when we have to kill back-to-back penalties, [opponents] get a sense of what we’re doing and a feel for the puck.”
The Penguins have struggled with clears. Few teams were better from Nov. 5 until Christmas, with their killers often working collectively to get the puck out. Since then, they have gone from first in turnover rate, per Sportlogiq, to 21st.
Failed clears, plus lost puck battles, keep putting them in precarious positions.
“When you see teams working the puck around, usually the PK is pretty tight and you can’t get inside that easily,” Rust said. “As soon as there’s a broken play, guys start running around or there’s a missed [assignment] and there’s a domino effect, and that can lead to better chances with the kill spread out a bit.”
Another thing plaguing the Penguins is poor performance in the faceoff circle.
The goal they gave up Saturday was directly tied to that. Nick Bonino lost the first draw on one penalty, Rust flubbed an opportunity to clear and the Panthers passed the puck around for what felt like an eternity for the Penguins’ four killers. Those guys were gassed when Aaron Ekblad got free and rifled in his one-timer.
The Penguins since Christmas have won just 46.2% of their shorthanded faceoffs. Bonino, reacquired before the trade deadline, should help them there.
“When you look at how our team has changed here over the last week or so, one of the areas where we think he can help us immediately is on the penalty kill. He’s a very good penalty killer,” Sullivan said. “He’s made a career out of it.”
Mikael Granlund was also utilized on the kill in his first two games with Pittsburgh and could continue to be involved. Meanwhile, the Penguins have moved on from Teddy Blueger and Brock McGinn. That is a lot of personnel turnover.
They don’t have much time left to fix it before the page turns to the playoffs.
“Any time you have guys coming in and out, it takes some adjusting. It’s not going to be perfect,” Rust said. “But when you look at special teams, it can be amplified a little bit. I think it takes a special bit of chemistry to read each other.”
Around the boards
Jake Guentzel did not practice but is expected to play Tuesday. ... Trade pickup Dmitry Kulikov participated in his first practice with the team, partnering up with Jan Rutta. Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Chad Ruhwedel were another pair. ... Ryan Poehling returned to practice but was back in a non-contact jersey.