Feb 15, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) skates with the puck as right wing
Patric Hornqvist(72) looks on during the third period against the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center. The Blackhawks won 2-1 in a shoot out. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Don’t Over Analyze
The preseason exists so that teams can tryout future roster considerations and experiment with line combinations. But, teams also have a tendency to over experiment rather than allowing individuals to build chemistry as a group.
The Pens are in a great situation right now and Mike Johnston’s preference of pairs sticking together is a great way of looking at things. Consider that Malkin and Patric Hornqvist averaged 4.05 goals-for per sixty minutes of ice time together last season. The proper decisions have been made on center and wing duos, now the trick is letting them grow as lines and not tampering too much.
We’ve seen multiple cases of this happening in Pittsburgh over the past few years. Last season, Johnston was somewhat forced into it because of injuries but how often have we seen guys like Kunitz shuffled up and down the lineup only to end up right back where he started?
I understand the concept of trying to balance your scoring and I’m on board with experimenting. But, when you find something that works, don’t try to fix it.
Next: Expect Growing Pains