As you know by now, the Pittsburgh Penguins are struggling to remain relevant in the Metropolitan Division. As you also know, the Penguins are entering a pivotal stretch of games coming up. From Nov 18th until Dec 04th, the Penguins will be playing against the Canadian Teams. The Penguins need Wins. So, the question begs…How? How do the Pens get these must needed wins? Knowledge is Power.
English philosopher, Sir Francis Bacon is coined with the Latin saying, “Scientia Potentia Est” (or “knowledge is power“). What we know is the Pittsburgh Penguins have won 5 games this season so far. So, if you have that knowledge, and from this intel, you hold great power, then it stands to reason that inside these 5 games is a key to the door, or a “magic formula”, for what the Penguins need to do to win.
Let’s have a look at the Magic Formula for creating a Pittsburgh Penguin Win.
The Penguins Out Shoot their opposition
The Penguins averaged 31.3 Shots in the games they won.
We all remember the October 23rd game against the Leafs. You know, the one where Pittsburgh pounded the Toronto 7-1. This was “The Game to Model”. The take aways from that game were as follows:
Shoot the puck, do not delay.
Get pucks on the net.
Pass the puck, tape to tape, at full speed.
3 consecutive passes = a scoring chance
Drive the net
Pens Pro Tip: Shoot the Puck, Hit the Net and good things will happen.
The Penguins Out Hit their opposition
The Penguins averaged 34.3 Hits in the games they won.
Pens Pro Tip: Finish your check and always put a body into someone. It wears people down and over the course of a game, hits will eventually cause a mental breakdown, like a turnover or miscue.
The Penguins Win More Faceoffs than their opposition
The Penguins averaged 57.7% Faceoff Win Percentage in the games they won.
Pens Pro Tip: Winning the Faceoff means, your team starts out with the puck. This means you can control the play from the get go or implement set plays. This also means, that you don’t have to spend time chasing the puck.
The Penguins Block the Opposition Shots
The Penguins averaged 14.4 Blocked Shots in the games they won.
We all know that blocking shots is quite the trend in the NHL right now. It seems there are very few shooting lanes open or the player commitment to actually block a shot, is higher than in the past.
Pens Pro Tip: The more We Block Shots, the Less Chance there is for the opposition to score.
The Penguins get their Shots Blocked
The Penguins averaged 11 of their Shots Blocked, in the games they won.
Pens Pro Tip: The Penguins are trying to finds ways to create open looks and get pucks to the net.
The Penguins rarely Turnover the puck
The Penguins averaged 3 Turnovers in the games they won.
Pens Pro Tip: The Penguins rank 25th overall in O-Zone Give-Aways. The Penguins also rank 25th overall in D-Zone Give-Aways. Always protect the Puck and a Good Defense Creates Good Offense.
The Penguins cause their Opposition to Turnover the puck
In the games they won, the Penguins forced their opposition to Turnover the puck 6.3 times on average per game.
Pens Pro Tip: It’s that age old truth, the team that wins the Turnover Battle, usually wins the game.
The Penguins Score Goals
The Penguins averaged 4.8 Goals, in the games they won.
Pens Pro Tip: The objective of the game is to Light the Lamp. The challenge is to do it consistently every game.
The Penguins Don’t Allow Goals
The Penguins averaged 1.8 Goals in the games they won.
Pens Pro Tip: Defense Wins Championships. Take care of your own end and the Offense will take care of itself.
The Penguins Stay Onside
The Penguins Rank 16th overall in the NHL in Offside. What that means is, the Penguins stay onside when entering the Offensive Zone. This allows for more offensive fluidity and potential creativity, when entering the offensive zone.
The Penguins Rank 13th overall in the NHL for causing the opposition to become Offside. The Penguins causing the opposition to be offside is an Offensive Disruptor. Offside completely breaks down the opposition’s offensive flow, stops play, and allows the Pens to re-set their defensive alignment or change players.
The Penguins Limit Their Penalties
The Penguins averaged 7 Penalty minutes, in the games they won.
Pens Pro Tip: It is really tough to score when you are down a man. Giving the opposition multiple extra man advantage chances is a recipe for disaster.
The Penguins Must Score First
The Penguins scored First in the games they won.
Pens Pro Tip: When the Penguins score first, they have a better chance to win the game. Only in the New Jersey game (Oct 30.21), did the Penguins score first, then lose. Typically, scoring first means you are not chasing the game or coming from behind. So far this year, when the opposition scored first, they won the game.
My View from the Cheap Seats
As mentioned earlier, English philosopher, Sir Francis Bacon said, “Knowledge is Power“.
I would have to agree with him, however I would add, “Knowledge is Power but useless if not applied”.
Now that we know what the “Magic Formula” is for the Penguins to win. Let’s see if they use the Power of this Knowledge to replicate some dubs.
Quote of the Day:
Failure is a part of success. There is no such thing as a bed of roses all your life. But failure will never stand in the way of success if you learn from it.
Hank Aaron -Hall of Fame Baseball Player