Pittsburgh Penguins Offense Has an Identity Crisis

Free wheeling under Dan Bylsma, structured under Mike Johnston, the Pittsburgh Penguins ideal situation is probably somewhere in between.

While the Penguins have been finding ways to win consistently recently, it’s fair to say that they have not looked like a team who can go on long winning streaks or deep playoff runs. They plug along and score just what is needed to win games. It is not the Pittsburgh Penguins we are used to seeing.

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While under Bylsma, the Penguins had a fast, high-scoring offense. Bylsma’s system utilized speedy players and long stretch passes. It was an exciting brand of hockey and it seemed to breed a lot of success. However, as the early playoff exits showed, it had its flaws. The system was easily broken up by talented, physical playoff teams, the Penguins found themselves unable to adjust, and Bylsma found himself out of a job.

When the Penguins hired Mike Johnston, they were bringing in a system quite different from his predecessor’s. Johnston’s system utilizes talented defensemen to generate rushes from the defensive zone combined with short quick passes to lead into the opponent’s end.

Johnston’s system has had some notable benefits for the Penguins. Overall team defense has improved and no one has benefited more than Marc-Andre Fleury from a more responsible defensemen corps. The team also had great success with the system in the months after Johnston was first hired, when they were one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.

However, Johnston’s system has had its issues. For example, it is not very compatible with the Penguins organizational structure. When Bylsma was the coach, he had the good fortune of having coached the Penguins AHL team. If a player was inured, Bylsma could call up someone who was running the same system.

The same cannot be said for Johnston, whose system is quite different and takes time to learn. This was apparent last year, when the injury riddled Pens went from first place to eighth, and had to win on the final day to clinch a playoff berth.

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The Penguins have been playing winning hockey, but their play has looked unimpressive, almost like a jet ski that is running on idle. Some of the Penguins best offensive moments have occurred when they utilize a combination of their past two offensive systems.

In the Penguins shootout win over the Montreal Canadiens, Patric Hornqvist‘s critical tying goal came on a beautiful stretch pass by Sidney Crosby. However, Phil Kessel‘s deflected shot off Olli Maatta, in addition to a plethora of scoring opportunities, was the result of short passes and great player movement. When the two systems are used simultaneously, it is much harder for opposing defenses to address.

While the most important thing is that the Penguins continue to win games, it is also important that they figure out their offensive identity. The two systems have their strengths and weaknesses but they have shown they don’t work well on their own. The Penguins need to learn not to force one method over the other and accept that a combination of the two could lead the team to long term success.