The Pittsburgh Penguins kicked off their preseason schedule last night against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. After a full sixty minutes of hockey, followed by a round of 3v3 overtime, Beau Bennett eventually ended things in a shootout.
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Despite the fact that the game wasn’t televised or streamed online, which was quite disappointing, there was plenty of coverage on the radio and via Twitter. And, with that coverage came a few important takeaways.
It sounds like the new overtime rule should prove to be pretty exciting hockey. The idea of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Phil Kessel with that much space intriguing. Of course, if someone isn’t a little selfish and willing to shoot the puck when appropriate, it could end up a disaster like the Penguins’ power play has become from time to time.
David Perron, Beau Bennett Impressive for the Pittsburgh Penguins
News has surfaced about David Perron over the last few days that should be music to the ears of Penguin fans. In no way is it a positive that Perron had to endure a summer of recovery, pain and a lack of conditioning prior to last season but it’s nice to have a reason for his sudden disappearing act down the stretch. The question is, can he correct it and return to form after a summer that allowed him to get back into great shape?
Perron was flying last night. He was skating the puck with confidence and battling his way behind opposing defensemen, something that we didn’t see much of after his arrival in Pittsburgh. If he can keep that up, he’ll easily earn a top-six role and has the potential to produce in a big way. Of course, it’s only preseason.
Beau Bennett also performed admirably last night. Bennett is extremely skilled and reportedly packed on some muscle mass this summer, which should help tremendously with his physical game and ability to stay on the ice.
Nick Bonino was a late scratch due to illness, which was disappointing since him and Bennett seem to be one of the pairs that Mike Johnston discusses so often. I was hoping to get a glimpse of them in-game action but we’ll have to wait for that.
Bobby Farnham Continues to Attract Attention
Farnham has split the Pittsburgh Penguins fan base like very few players have in the past. Those that love the hard-working underdog persona are obviously big fans, while those that want to see a certain level of skill and scoring ability see no fit for him on the Pens as currently constructed. So, what’s the right answer? Should he make the opening day roster?
Here’s what we know for sure. Farnham plays a reckless style of hockey and is willing to do whatever it takes to make his presence known. Teammates and coaches love his tenacity and the energy he brings to the ice. He’s speedy and has a tendency to draw a ton of penalties.
However, he hasn’t shown an ability to contribute on the score sheet at the NHL level. His hands are that of a mid-level AHL forward and he offers little to the model of four scoring lines. With all of that being said, he’s basically an average hockey player that markets well to a city that loves underdogs.
There was a point last night to which I was aware of exactly what part of the bench Farnham was sitting on, how he was positioned and whether or not he was watching the game. Coverage of him as an individual is fairly out of hand right now and only seems to escalate as time goes on.
My suggestion? Lets see if he can contribute at this level and go from there. My gut tells me that he can’t but I’ve been wrong in the past.
Other Notable Observations
Paging Rob Scuderi? Has anyone seen Rob Scuderi?
I’ll have more on tonight’s matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes at Consol Energy Center later today but at first glance, Scuderi is once again omitted from the lineup. I’m not sure that this means much but it’s interesting to see Gonchar included while Scuderi sits on the sideline through the first two games. Of course, the Pittsburgh Penguins have a pretty good idea of what they have with Scuds.
David Warsofsky looks to be a dark horse candidate for NHL time among defensemen. In fact, Steven Oleksy also impressed last night with his play. The Pens are clearly going into 2015-16 with an unproven blue line group but it’s starting to look like they have a ton of guys capable of filling in for injuries. For me, that’s almost as intriguing as seeing how Phil Kessel fits into the grand scheme of things in the upcoming season.
Throughout the next couple weeks of training camp, it’s important to remember that it’s easy to overvalue individuals based on small sample sizes of play against less-than-optimal competition. Reality will strike in a big way once the regular season begins. So, while we continue to analyze preseason performances, it’ll be important to keep realistic expectations. Hopefully, the Pens will do the same and not base their decision-making on guys like Sergei Gonchar off a few exhibition games and training camp.
Or, maybe his leadership is all they need to see?
Next: Gonchar's Leadership Reason for Roster Consideration