The Penguins may be the defending Stanley Cup champions, but they sure haven’t been playing like it. As much as the Bruins need to get back on track this Saturday, the Pens need it even more after having lost four in a row and five of their last six, falling out of first place in the Atlantic after Thursday’s 4-1 loss to New Jersey.
True, this season has been marred by injuries to key players, but it’s always hard for fans to just sit back and wait for the full roster to return. Unfortunately, that’s what the Pittsburgh faithful are stuck with right now.
FrankD from Pensburgh.com returns to NESN.com to offer his perspective on what the Pens need to do to keep up with the Bruins on Saturday.
NESN.com: The Bruins held the Penguins to just two shots in the first period of Tuesday’s 3-0 win and held them scoreless overall. Did Boston’s defensive effort surprise you, and do you see the Bruins achieving similar results on Saturday?FrankD: I’m not surprised by Boston’s defense at all. Guys like Zdeno Chara and Dennis Wideman are no joke. Toss in a guy like Derek Morris on the penalty kill, and shots aren’t getting through. Hopefully, the Pens spent some time analyzing what went wrong on Tuesday and come out of the gate with a strategy of sorts this Saturday. Otherwise, I fear the same outcome.
NESN.com: The Penguins have suffered from a rash of injuries early this season. Do you think that was the biggest reason for Tuesday’s offensive breakdown against the Bruins, and what can the Penguins do to rectify the situation before Saturday?
FD: Without sounding like I’m making an excuse, yes. And it didn’t get any better during or after the Bruins’ game when Pens fans discovered Brooks Orpik is injured now, too. So that leaves Kris Letang, Sergei Gonchar and Orpik sidelined on Pittsburgh’s blue line — three key pieces to the Stanley Cup run. A few younger guys are getting their shot now, which is good and all, but you’d rather see them do that when one guy is down and out and you can work the young guy in slowly. Instead, we’re seeing these AHLers getting NHL minutes right off the bat. And the defensive pairings are sure to be uneven, too.NESN.com: How will Orpik’s injury affect the team?
FD: Well, he adds a punch. He’s the defensive defenseman that every team needs. While he recovers for the next two weeks, Pittsburgh’s physical game will be a bit deflated. Perhaps the Pens can consider picking up the forecheck and backcheck a bit more with guys like Chris Kunitz and Mike Rupp. Not many ways you can counter losing your top defensive guy.
NESN.com: There were just two penalties on Tuesday, which made for a bit of a boring game. Do you hope to see these two teams get more intense on Saturday in order to hopefully spark more offense?
FD: Take it from a fan who just recently saw his team get shut out for seven straight periods — I would love to see a little more spark on offense. Even strength, power play, shorthanded, it doesn’t matter. If Pittsburgh gets something going soon, I’ll be happy, as will most other Pens fans.
NESN.com: Prior to Thursday’s game, the Penguins hadn’t scored in seven straight periods. What do they need to spark them?
FD: A goal from anyone not named Sidney Crosby. I won’t offer to give back a Crosby goal in any way, but to get a goal from anyone other than him at a time like this would mean a lot. It would show that the scoring line doesn’t always have to be the top line. Maybe a strong game from Jordan Staal or Bill Guerin could really turn the tide a bit. Other than praying for someone to step it up, it’s really just about sitting idly by and waiting for the injuries to heal up. I can’t guarantee the order of return, but Evgeni Malkin should be back on the ice against the Bruins, followed a week or two later by Max Talbot and Sergei Gonchar. It’ll be a rough patch to sit through, but if Pittsburgh doesn’t add to the list of injuries, then the whole roster should be back together within the next three or four weeks. At least there’s a goal in mind.
NESN.com: The Penguins fell out of first place in the Atlantic Division on Thursday, and it seems like they’ll keep falling unless they quickly figure out a way to score. Do you think there’s an added pressure with this team to stay on top because they won last year, and do you think the lack of scoring could be a result of that pressure?
FD: The team knows what it has to do, but it’s just a matter of doing it. The issues exist on the first power-play line and beyond. Basically, if you shutdown the first PP line, you shut down the Penguins’ power play. The skill set just doesn’t exist past that first line right now, with all those injuries piling up. So teams are throwing out their top defensive pairings against the likes of Crosby, Guerin and Kunitz, and all it takes is two good clears to kill it off. I think the lack of scoring, for the time being, is more a matter of injury than pressure.
NESN.com: Up until Thursday’s game against the Devils, Sidney Crosby hadn’t scored a point in five games. Were you getting worried?
FD: Not really. He was bound to get a point eventually, even if it was “just” an assist. I think Sid is feeling the pressure with guys like Malkin and [Tyler] Kennedy out right now. The best he can do is keep chipping away and hope for the best. He did hit the post in two consecutive shots against the Devils, so maybe luck just isn’t on his side right now.
NESN.com: With all of the injuries building up and this little four-game skid happening, is there any panic in Pittsburgh over what this team can realistically do?
FD: Nah, everyone knows what the team is capable of doing. A healthy Penguins roster went 11-3 for the month of October. Like I said earlier, it’s just a matter of sitting by and waiting for these guys to return. That doesn’t necessarily mean the team should roll over and die in the meantime, but fighting for a .500 record until everyone’s healthy isn’t unrealistic. If all of these injuries now means none in April, then many Penguins fans will take that tradeoff.
Thanks again to FrankD, and be sure to check out Pensburgh.com for more information about the Penguins.
