Three ideas on how to correct the power play
Hello, Penguins fans. With hockey season heating up, we will have a semi-regular Penguins mailbag, giving you a chance to query this puck-loving reporter.
Today’s topics include the struggling power play, the best position for Jeff Carter, the team’s options with Kasperi Kapanen and the Winter Classic jerseys.
Curious about something, literally anything? Send your questions to me on Twitter at @mattvensel or shoot me an email at mvensel@ I will either hang onto it for a future version of this mailbag or I’ll answer you directly.
Jesse B: How would you change the power play? I’m (right now) set on [Rickard] Rakell going in for [Bryan] Rust to mimic what [Phil] Kessel did, since Rakell has shown a tendency to shoot
Vensel: The Penguins have gone five straight games without a power play goal since that unit powered them to a win in Minnesota on Nov. 17. That was the rare occasion that the power play was a positive difference maker for the star-studded Penguins. Entering Sunday, their 16.7% success rate ranked 28th in the NHL.
How can Todd Reirden and Co. get the power play going? I have three ideas.
One, have Jeff Petry run the point for the time being and bump Kris Letang down to the second unit. Obviously, egos are involved here.
And Letang is too talented to make that a permanent switch. But Petry is a shoot-first player. The Penguins need more of that right now — put the puck on net and create chaos.
Two, flip-flop Rust and Rakell, too. Rust is fighting it right now, and Rakell would bring a different dynamic. They might sacrifice some in terms of puck recovery, but putting Rakell in the bumper spot in the high slot would create
I actually kind of dig [the Winter Classic jersey]. And that’s saying something because I can’t stand most of the new uniforms NHL teams have been trotting out.
Matt Vensel
more traffic and deflection opportunities. Plus, he’s a shooting threat there.
Of course, that would require them to actually use the bumper. Most of the NHL’s top power plays do but that hasn’t really happened here under Reirden. Three, I’d ask Sidney Crosby to do more quarterbacking from the right circle. That would mean no Evgeni Malkin one-time threat, sure. But running it through Crosby there would tap into his hockey IQ. He can give stationary one-time setups to Petry and Rakell, both righties, or make plays while attacking on the flank.
Lisa: Should the Pens consider moving Carter to the wing and [Teddy Blueger] to 3C? Third line seems to be the weakest forward line and it may help carter not wear down over a full season.
Vensel: This season has definitely been a mixed bag for Carter, who will turn 38 on New Year’s Day. His deteriorating speed stands out in matchups against fast teams like the Leafs. And he has only three goals in the 19 games he has played. He missed a few with a lowerbody injury, which could still be hampering him.
However, Carter remains a quality penalty killer and coach Mike Sullivan recently cited his calm leadership as an asset to the team. Plus, the 6-foot-3, 220-pound forward theoretically plays a type of game suited for the playoff gauntlet. Spending more time on the wing would boost the production of both Carter and his linemates. Instead of lagging behind the action, he would get more opportunities to let it rip off the right wing, with a speedier center also joining the rush. But that would pull Carter away from the net front on defense, where he uses his size and smarts to help the Penguins protect the house. While he’s in a bottom-six role that’s likely not worth the tradeoff, not to mention it would require they break up the Blueger line, which has been great the last two weeks. So I wouldn’t slide Carter over now, but this is worth revisiting down the road.
@nevadaadam775: Most realistic return for Kappy? With Brian Dumoulin’s demotion, is he a candidate for cheap trade and call up Ty Smith or something?
Vensel: Got a few questions about Kapanen, which makes sense considering he has been a healthy scratch for seven straight games and has been the subject of trade speculation. The decision to bring him back continues to look bad. So what options do general manager Ron Hextall and the Penguins have? So far they have opted against sending Kapanen down to the American Hockey League, which would provide a little bit of salary cap relief but would also make him subject to a waiver claim. You might be thinking, “What would be the problem with that?” But it appears Hextall still believes Kapanen has value. Realistically, though, it is difficult right now to envision the Penguins being able to move Kapanen for anything other than a veteran player who is in a similar situation. That second year Hextall gave to Kapanen seemingly complicates things. Is there a team that wants him on the books for $3.2 million next year, too? Probably not. So they can either hang on to Kapanen and hope he finally gets in gear, or swap him for another struggling forward on a questionable contract. As for Dumoulin, he has rebounded a bit. I don’t think he is going anywhere.
@rlnotstine: How’s Ty Smith doing? PO Joseph naysayers have been quiet lately. How’s he adjusting to life with the big club? Has he been told to move out of a hotel?
Vensel: First off, how about the New Jersey Devils? They have been the season’s biggest surprise so far, with John Marino helping them reel off 13 wins in a row recently. That is not a comment on the trade. We won’t know who won for a while. And that brings us to Smith, the defense prospect Pittsburgh acquired from New Jersey. It was clear in training camp and the preseason that he has talent, specifically his skating, elusiveness and puck skills. It was also clear he is a work in progress. Smith plays a highrisk style and struggled defensively in the NHL.
He has been productive down in the AHL so far, with four goals and 10 points for a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton club that started the season strong. But the steady play of Pierre-Olivier Joseph is a big reason why Smith remains with WBS. Joseph will get pushed around against bigger teams. We saw that against Calgary. But he has settled down, is taking what the game gives him and has been using his skating and long reach to defend well. The Penguins have an expected goals for percentage of 59.9 with him on at 5-on-5, per Natural Stat Trick. If Joseph can keep this going, we will not see Smith here until injuries strike.
@AceDeck318: Thoughts on the Winter Classic jersey? I love it.
Vensel: I actually kind of dig them. And that’s saying something because I can’t stand most of the new uniforms NHL teams have been trotting out. There are like three or four Reverse Retro looks I actually like — and Pittsburgh’s is not one of them. Anyway, I appreciate the simplicity of the Winter Classic jersey and think the nod to the old Pittsburgh Pirates is cool. If I were a fan, I would maybe buy one. As for the Penguins, I’ll be curious to see what they do in terms of gloves and the shell. This is an opportunity to wear white gloves. But going with a white shell, too, might be pushing it as far as the NHL is concerned. And I think I’d agree.