Tortorella Back, Crosby off the Schneid, Dupuis Returns – Penguins’ Ramblings
By Mike Necciai
Last week, many of us took to Twitter and discussed possible coaching candidates that could replace Mike Johnston if the team decided to make a change. John Tortorella, of course, came up in those conversations.
Tortorella is well-known for his fiery attitude and willingness to speak his mind with both players and media alike. He’s as hard-nosed as it gets when it comes to head coaches and should be a good fit with a struggling, humiliated Columbus Blue Jackets team. He can instill a confidence back in that group and will surely provide us with plenty of entertainment along the way. Although, based on his recent role on NHL network, he may be a much calmer version of ‘Torts’.
Coaching Wasn’t the Issue for Columbus, Can Tortorella Help?
The Blue Jackets have one major issue so far in 2015-16. That issue is the play of their highly compensated starting goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. According to NHL.Com, Bobrovsky is boasting a .835 save-percentage, which is good for last among goaltenders in the league. The team’s overall even-strength save percentage is also last in the NHL at 85.71-percent.
The Jackets rank in the middle of the NHL for almost all offensive and defensive categories. That’s where Tortorella can come in and find ways to get more out of the talented Blue Jackets roster. He preaches a tough approach based on shot-blocking and physical play, which fits this organization very well. He also has thick skin, a trait that’s necessary when taking over a team that started the season 0-7 after such high expectations.
Two things to consider from an analytics standpoint. The Jackets’ PDO is currently 90.3 and their converting a dismal 4.55-percent of their shots. As their PDO progresses back toward 100 and they eventually improve that shot-percentage, they’ll begin getting rewarded. When that happens, Tortorella will look like a savior. In reality, though he’ll definitely have a hand in it, an improvement likely would have occurred under Richards at some point as well.
Crosby Looks to Improve on Spectacular Performance vs. Florida
We all know the story lines. In fact, we covered most of them here at PensLabyrinth.Com and I discussed them in length on Twitter at @Michael29Angelo. Sidney Crosby has struggled, whether it be chalked up to puck luck or bad play and he hasn’t looked like the Sid we all hoped for with Phil Kessel flanking him.
However, Crosby carried the immense pressure placed upon him with grace, as he always does, and proved that he’s still poised to have a big season after a three-point night against the Panthers. He was tenacious and determined. And, I’d say his battle level was back to vintage Sid, at least for one night.
Crosby had nine shots in that contest, potting his first goal while adding two assists on goals by Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin. Sid’s goal was also a power play goal, something Pittsburgh needed in a big way. With red-hot Dallas Stars coming to town tonight, the Pens need much of the same from their captain.
Dupuis to Play His First Regular Season Game in 11 Months
Pascal Dupuis, despite his age and health issues, remains a pivotal piece for the Penguins. He’s a huge part of the heart and soul of this team and while I’m not one that will often cite intangibles, Pascal’s ability to lighten the mood and remain cool can’t be overlooked. The fact that he’s returning tonight is nothing but good news for Pittsburgh.
I don’t expect much from Dupuis tonight, other than his normal speed and tenacity. His timing will likely be off and it’ll be quite interesting to see how he holds up to his first few hits at regular season pace. Mike Johnston stated that he doesn’t have a set line for Dupuis tonight and he’ll likely move up and down the lineup. My recommendation would be to keep him in a fourth line role and let him work himself back in slowly. It’s October, there’s no need to rush anything.
The only negative I can find with Dupuis returning is the lack of rookie Daniel Sprong in the lineup. Sprong has returned from his visa issues and is now covered for the extent of his three-year entry-level contract, which led many of us to believe the plan is to keep him around long-term. But, he’s a healthy scratch tonight.
The Penguins held an optional skate this morning, so lines and defensive pairings are unknown. Of course, I don’t expect any change in the top-six but Dupuis could throw a wrinkle into the previous bottom-six trios.
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