Pittsburgh Penguins: Offensive Pairs Formulating, Defense Struggling

Pittsburgh Penguins Head Coach Mike Johnston looks at his forwards in a unique way. Rather than working in permanent trios, he views his lines as pairs with a rotating cast on the left-wing.

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Despite that logic, I imagine that it’s a forgone conclusion that Chris Kunitz remains on the top line with Sidney Crosby and Phil Kessel. That trio has been great. But, now that Nick Bonino is healthy, we’re starting to see how all of the offensive pairings will shake out.

Last week, it seemed as if Bonino would be tied to Beau Bennett, with Bennett likely playing wing on the third line. However, after last night’s game vs. the Montreal Canadiens, it seems that Bonino and Dupuis were connected at the hip. And, they made good use of their time together.

That duo created multiple chances in the slot and seemed to read each other very well. Dupuis seems to be progressing nicely after his battle with blood clots and while he still had his lapses throughout the game, he turned in a solid effort overall. The most notable part of his game, his speed, seems to be in mid-season form and that’s very reassuring.

Is Beau Bennett Finally Turning a Corner?

Bennett scored yet again last night, which has become a trend in this preseason. He’s putting together a very good camp and it makes me wonder, is this finally the year we see him break out?

No one has ever doubted Bennett’s talent. He oozes offensive upside and his underlying numbers prove that he’s more responsible defensively than many realize. He’s a great skater with silky hands. However, he hasn’t stayed healthy and when he is on the ice he hasn’t shown any sort of consistency.

Bennett worked to pack on a few pounds of muscle this summer and its noticeable in his stature. He looks more confident than ever and is winning 50/50 battles, which is an area he has struggled mightily in the past. I’m anxious to see him progress and hopefully stay healthy in the upcoming season.

Speaking of winning or in this case, losing puck battles.

Pittsburgh Penguins Defensive Nightmares Come True

We all know the major concern heading into camp was and still is the blue line. Unfortunately, Derrick Pouliot has added to that issue, as he’s nowhere near the defenseman the Pens were hoping for at this point in his young career. He is widely viewed as a top-four NHL defenseman and the Penguins want to see him move into that role. However, his performance thus far doesn’t support putting him there.

Also, recent rumors are that they Pens will send him to the AHL. While it hasn’t been confirmed, it makes sense due to him being waiver exempt and falling behind Adam Clendening in preseason performance.

The other major issue with this crew is their inability to control play around their net. The Pittsburgh Penguins don’t need fighters on defense but they do need blue liners that can win puck battles and clear the crease. There are far too many goals coming off rebounds and plays in tight around the crease. The only positive is that most of these occurrences are isolated to Rob Scuderi, Sergei Gonchar or Derrick Pouliot. All three seem to be playing themselves out of the opening night top-six.

I still believe the Pens can start the season with this group and address concerns as they go but Rutherford may feel the need to make a move sooner rather than later. The Edmonton Oilers are rumored to be shopping defensemen, more specifically Andrew Ference and Nikita Nikitin. Ference doesn’t fit Pittsburgh’s need but Nikitin is highly productive with his limited minutes in Edmonton and while he isn’t extremely physical, he does have the size and pedigree that would help the Pens.

Currently, the Sharks are the team that most connect to those names but if I’m Jim Rutherford, I’d be on the phone working overtime to see if there’s a deal to be made.

Next: Penguins Continue to Struggle Against Division Rivals

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