The Pittsburgh Penguins can look at last night’s loss to the Dallas Stars and find one glaring bright spot, which is the fact that they don’t have to play the Stars again this season. In two contests with Dallas they’ve been outscored 7-1 and other than their solid start last night, they haven’t even looked like they belong on the same ice.
The Stars are a deep team with speed and skill spread throughout their entire lineup. Sound familiar? That’s because it’s the same model that Jim Rutherford and the Pittsburgh Penguins aimed for this summer. When you see the success of teams like the Montreal Canadiens, Dallas Stars, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals, it’s easy to see why this is a model the Pens are chasing. But, they still haven’t completely bought into their new philosophy and a mixture of stubbornness and poor decision-making is burying them.
Pittsburgh Penguins Remain Obdurate With Lineup Decisions
I’m not one to question an NHL coach’s every move, as these guys are clearly more intelligent than I am. At least, they should be. But I find myself looking at the decisions Mike Johnston makes every day and wondering, what team is he watching?
The Penguins dressed both Bryan Rust and Kevin Porter for last night’s tilt against Dallas while rookie sensation Daniel Sprong sat in the press box. His visa issues were cleared up and Sprong was in Pittsburgh for the morning skate but failed to get his number called for game time. Sprong is a scoring winger that looks to develop more and more each game and the Penguins are a team that can’t score. Both Porter and Rust are reliable AHL call-ups but they aren’t going to create the kind of offense that Sprong is capable of. Logic? I can’t find any in these types of decisions.
Rob Scuderi played one of the better games we’ve seen from him this season. But, he’s still an absolute anchor on the rush and in the offensive zone for the Penguins. There were multiple examples of him ruining a rush or scoring opportunity with his slowness or incapable puck play. Ben Lovejoy is nearing the same status. However, despite the struggles of those two, the Penguins continue to leave Adam Clendening in the press box. And, while Derrick Pouliot had a terrible camp, it’s likely time to bring him up and see what he can offer. He provides a new power play quarterback too, which is an area the Pens should be willing to try anything new.
Losing to Good Teams is Okay But Not in This Fashion
I think that heading says it all. The fact that the Penguins ended their three-game winning streak with a loss to a team that’s now on a five-game winning streak isn’t what concerns me. The Stars are a good team that will give any team in this league fits. Especially their top line of Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and Patrick Sharp. But, what concerns me is that the Penguins aren’t even in these games. They look like a lost team that can’t convert scoring chances and end up frustrated and forcing plays in the second half of the game.
The Pittsburgh Penguins started hot against the Stars and Antti Niemi weathered the storm. My biggest concern from last night…
My biggest fear is that Niemi is weathering the storm. After his performance last game, it could cause some second guessing and hesitation.
— Mike Necciai (@Michael29Angelo) October 22, 2015
Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened. Crosby looked hesitant yet again and didn’t seem to have the same confidence that he played with against the Florida Panthers just two nights earlier. David Perron looked frustrated and invisible. Theres a resounding theme with this Penguins team that screams everything other than chemistry, tight-knit or level-headed. It screams lost and frustrated.
Part of the Penguins fan base remains calm and continues to find resolve in the fact that the season is young. The team hasn’t had a chance to mesh yet and much of this lineup had never played with the guy next to them prior to just a few weeks ago. But, isn’t that something the coaches should have focused on throughout camp? How long does it take for them to find chemistry? It’s almost November and if next month is similar to what we’ve witnessed so far, the Pens could find themselves fighting for their playoff lives.
The Pittsburgh Penguins need change. That change should start with Rick Tocchet.
Don’t underestimate the impact a few power play goals can have on a game. And, the Penguins’ power play hasn’t been effective since December 2014 under Tocchet’s guidance. After starting the season 0-17, they were able to bury two goals with the man-advantage against the Panthers but let’s be honest, the second goal, which came on a four-on-three with Sidney Crosby, Phil Kessel, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang on the ice is something that’s almost impossible to mess up.
How did they follow-up that performance? They went 0-5 against the Stars, one of which being a five-on-three for over a minute.
Maybe the Penguins will follow this up with another three-game winning streak. Maybe they’ll prove that there’s nothing to worry about as we approach month two of the 2015-16 season. But, I have my doubts and whole heartedly believe that change is needed before it’s too late.
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