The Pittsburgh Penguins have just concluded a 3 game swing through western Canada. Let’s review what happened, what went well, and what went wrong.
Pittsburgh Penguins Road Trip Results
The Penguins finished their three game road trip with a 2-1 record. Beginning on Wednesday, the Penguins defeated the Vancouver Canucks 3-2. The Pens played 54 great minutes of hockey and were leading 3-0, but became careless at the end and had to fight off a furious Vancouver rally. Eric Fehr had his second shorthanded goal with the team in as many games while Sidney Crosby added a power play goal.
The road trip continued in Edmonton on Friday with the Penguins defeating the Oilers 2-1. While the Pens emerged victorious, their play at the end of the game was again suspect. Jeff Zatkoff was excellent in net, making 27 of 28 saves, but needed a some luck as a potential tying shot by Edmonton rang off the post in the final minutes. Phil Kessel netted his fifth goal of the year and Daniel Sprong his second in the win.
On Saturday, the Penguins concluded their western Canada trip with a 5-2 loss in Calgary. There were some questionable calls early against the Pens, but they didn’t respond well to the adversity and found themselves down 3-1 after only the first period. Kessel had his team leading sixth goal of the year and Nick Bonino added a power play goal to account for Pittsburgh’s scores.
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Positives
Phil Kessel – Kessel finished the road trip with four points (two goals and two assists). His points were distributed well on both full-strength and power play situations. Kessel leads the team in goals and so far has proven to be a valuable asset to the Pens, as his production comes at a time where the team’s other superstars are struggling.
The Penalty Kill – The Pittsburgh penalty kill continues to be one of the best in the NHL at 88.6%. This trend continued over the road trip. The PK unit successfully navigated 8 of 9 power plays and were perfect until the last game in Calgary. It was only the first goals the penalty kill has allowed since October 22nd.
The Power Play – The Penguins’ overall power play is still a mediocre 21st in the league at a 15.9% clip. However, on this recent road trip the Pens converted on 3 of 9 opportunities, good for 33%. While the PP unit is still struggling as a whole, it is good to see the team score on the man advantage. Crosby has also moved lower towards the net on the power play, which I believe is playing a role in the increased success of the unit.
Next: Pittsburgh Penguins Winning Streak is a Team Effort
Negatives
Crosby/Malkin Combination – Even with Crosby’s shift on the power play and his goal, the two-headed monster has been extraordinarily quiet. On the 3 games out west, the duo had only one goal and two assists. Malkin still leads the Pens in points, but something is clearly wrong. Perhaps there are just too many options to score on this team, but the offense seems too predictable at times, meaning that even when the stars are getting shots, they’re well defended.
Kris Letang – Letang has been a major disappointment so far this season. While he does have a goal and five assists so far, his road trip play left a lot to be desired from his defense. He was a -6 on the three game stint and is a paltry -10 so far on the season. Also, as Josh Yohe tweeted, Letang has been on the ice for a majority of Pittsburgh’s goals.
Analysis
While the Penguins have been winning almost every game, their play probably doesn’t live up to their recent record. While they’ve been a dominant hockey team at times, they did not put together a complete performance on the road trip. However, Kessel has been playing great hockey and the power play seems to be picking up. Hopefully these trends continue and Malkin and Crosby can find their stroke so the Pens can continue their winning ways.