Help is ready for Malkin on second line
Zucker, Kapanen begin to shake off cold starts during current road trip
NEW YORK — Visibly upset with his slow start to the season, Evgeni Malkin declared last week in Boston it was time to look at himself in the mirror.
Two games later, what did he see? Not the version of himself that brought three Stanley Cup parades to Pittsburgh, not the player whose jersey will rightfully hang one day in the rafters at PPG Paints Arena and not the one who might have won the Hart Trophy just last year had he been healthy for the first month.
There were flashes, sure, but very few positive developments in the current road trip, which continues Saturday in Long Island, to suggest Malkin is any closer to pulling himself out of his early-season slump. His 13 giveaways this year are more than all but five players in the league. Ten games in, he’s still searching for his first even-strength goal.
But, let’s stop there. This is not another story to pile on the star center.
While the real Malkin remains mostly MIA, when or if his game does finally return, he’ll have a couple of wingers waiting.
Jason Zucker and Kasperi Kapanen represent two of the significant bright spots from a long, strange trip through Boston and New York. Zucker scored three times in the fourgame jaunt. Kapanen netted two breakaway goals and showed his edge by dropping the gloves in the series finale against the Rangers.
“That line has gained a lot of traction over the last few games,” coach Mike Sullivan said.
On the left wing, Zucker wasn’t quite as hard on himself. He was equally candid, saying he was unhappy with his start to the season. It wasn’t just that he failed to score in the first six game, despite several chances.
“It’s more about playing the game the right way,” he said. “If you do that consistently, you’re going to put yourself in positions to score goals. For me, I’m just trying to hang around the net and use my speed to create some plays.”
The 29-year-old speedster likely feels a lot better about it now. And so does his coach.
“I think Zuck is playing really well right now,” Sullivan said. “He’s just a gritty player that’s strong on pucks. He goes to the net front.”
On the right wing, Kapanen’s delayed arrival in Pittsburgh kept him out of the first three games of the season. Even though Sullivan wanted to ease Kapanen into the action to make sure he didn’t get injured or overwhelmed, he has been a difference maker in almost every game he has played. He’s tallied five points in seven games, including the two goals during this road trip.
“I think Kappy, from a fitness level standpoint, is starting to get into more game shape,” Sullivan said. “I think his timing is better. His speed is really dangerous. He has a scoring touch. And he has good size. He’s strong in the battle areas.”
These two players will be linked on a line and maybe also directly tied to former general manager Jim Rutherford’s legacy. They were two of the biggest — and last — moves he made. The combined compensation to acquire both players was two first-round picks, their best defensive prospect (Calen Addison) and a pretty decent forward prospect (Filip Hallander).
The goal of those trades was to add more punch to the top six and help Malkin. These next days off, as the Penguins take a breather while the New Jersey Devils recover from numerous COVID-19 cases, will be important moments to continue to build on that chemistry.
In total, this trio logged nearly 50 minutes of ice time together. Opponents have controlled about 53% of the expected goals and 59% of the scoring chances, according to Natural Stat Trick. So there’s still plenty of room to grow, even if the puck is going in more often.
“We’ve taken a good step here,” Zucker said. “But we want more.”
Letang latest
Kris Letang sat out Tuesday’s practice in New York. He was initially injured in Saturday’s game against the Rangers and missed the 3-1 loss Monday night. His status remains day to day.
Meanwhile, defenseman Mike Matheson (upper-body injury) and forward Zach Aston-Reese (offseason shoulder surgery) are taking steps toward returning to the lineup. They’ve been skating in team settings throughout the road trip.
Perhaps in a related move, the Penguins reassigned defenseman Kevin Czuczman and rookie forward Drew O’Connor to the taxi squad. Aston-Reese is eligible to come off long-term injured reserve in time for Saturday’s game against the New York Islanders.
Michigan goal
Penguins captain Sidney Crosby nearly pulled off a highlight-reel goal Monday night in New York, when he attempted the fabled “Michigan goal.” He scooped the puck up from behind the net and, like a lacrosse player, tried to wrap it around the goal and into the top shelf. It almost worked.
“I don’t usually get that much time behind the net,” Crosby said. “I don’t remember having that much time. … The goalie made a great read. I think enough guys have done that now where they’re somewhat anticipating that.”
Former Michigan forward Mike Legg made the move famous in 1996 when he shocked a Minnesota goalie with it. In 2003, when Crosby was breaking records with Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL, he pulled it off.