BOSTON — The key to the Pittsburgh Penguins putting an end to their scoring woes actually begins behind their own net.
For most NHL teams, good defense leads to a productive offense. Just look at the Chicago Blackhawks, winners of three Stanley Cup titles since 2010. Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, two of the best puck-moving defensemen in the league, are able to transition from defense to offense by getting the puck to the forwards with quick, crisp passes through the neutral zone.
Pittsburgh has struggled in this area, primarily in puck retrieval, winning battles in its own end and clearing the zone once it has possession. The Pens on Monday traded for Blackhawks defenseman Trevor Daley, who Pens head coach Mike Sullivan hopes will help jumpstart the attack from the blue line.
“I think he’ll help us get out of our own zone more efficiently and more effectively, hopefully with the puck,” Sullivan said Wednesday after morning skate, where his team prepared to face the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. “Certainly, I think that will be an area we hope he’ll have a major impact. I think he’ll help us on the power play. So, we really like his mobility and his puck-moving ability.”
Of course, Daley can’t do it alone. Under head coach Mike Johnston, who was fired last weekend, the Penguins rarely dictated play and failed to go on the attack. Forwards retreated way too far in the defensive zone, and it hurt their ability to transition up ice once they finally claimed possession of the puck.
That’s not the right strategy for a roster featuring Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel, three of the 10 best offensive players of the last decade.
As a result, the Penguins rank 25th in goals scored per game with 2.31, which would be their lowest single-season average since Crosby’s rookie season in 2005-06. Pittsburgh has averaged three-plus goals five times in that span. Kris Letang is the only Pens D-man with double-digit points.
At 5-on-5, Pittsburgh is accounting for less than 50 percent of all shot attempts and scoring chances. The Penguins are typically is well above 50 percent in both categories. When they do have the puck, their shooting percentage at 5-on-5 is just 6.1 percent, sixth-worst in the league.
Scoring goals requires a total team effort, even for a team that boasts multiple players with Hall of Fame-caliber offensive skill. The Penguins, who aren’t good enough defensively to win low-scoring games, must rely on their offense. That won’t happen if the defensemen fail to do a better job retrieving pucks and starting clean breakouts.
There’s still enough time left on the schedule for Pittsburgh to clean up its act and improve its standing in the playoff race, but it cannot wait too long. The Eastern Conference is better and more competitive than a season ago.
Thumbnail photo via Kelvin Kuo/USA TODAY Sports Images
