PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Last year in their 44 losses the Pens scored 13 goals on 141 power play opportunities. That’s a success rate of .092 percent. Is there anything that is more important to the Pens getting back in the postseason, as the season begins Wednesday night against the Rangers, than fixing the power play?
A unit with three Hall of Famers-Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Erik Karlsson plus Jake Guentzel when healthy before the trade, finished 30th on the power play last year.
It led to at least one major change. Pens fired well-liked and respected coach Todd Reirden bringing in former NHL head coach Dan Quinn. That’s great, but what are they changing?
Sidney Crosby explained the new Pens philosophy pretty well.
“I would say just trying to get the puck moving, let the puck do the work,” Crosby said. “We are guys that sometimes look to make plays. If we can have that attack mentality and take the shots when they are there, but get the puck moving so when there are lanes, we can take advantage of them. I think we will have to continue to progress, but I think the puck has been moving pretty well and we’ve been predictable for each other.”
So finally, a system, instead of the philosophy of giving great players the latitude to freelance and make plays. It’s understandable the thought process that you don’t want to handcuff creative players into a system, but it failed miserably. It was too often stagnant and careless. The Pens allowed an NHL-leading 12 short-handed goals last year.
“New mindset coming into this year, more attack mentality and create scoring chances different ways,” said forward Rickard Rakell. “Like the rest of last season, what happened last season is in the past. We try to create a new identity and create something better this year. Throughout the first few games and practices, I think we are all excited and hungry to see what we can do in actual games.”
Instead of separating Karlsson and Kris Letang, the Pens will pair them together on the top power play unit. Head coach Mike Sullivan said they will put them in positions to be successful. Sullivan wouldn’t say the power play is overhauled rather the points of emphasis and attack points are a lot different.
“I think it’s obvious, there has been a heavy emphasis placed on the pace in which we do things,” Sullivan said. “That is in of itself is going to make us harder to play against. We are trying to under-handle the puck, not over-handle the puck. We are trying to change the point of attack and not slow the power play now, but speed it up.”
The puck has energy. Sullivan said the team has embraced it.
Karlsson said a big change for him as he put it was they all know what they are supposed to do instead of five players potentially having their own creative ideas. He said he knows they are much better than last year.
“Power play will not be something that will be discussed in a bad way this year,” Karlsson promised.
Pens GM Kyle Dubas hopes the fans give the changes time if they don’t see results right away. Dubas knows there will be a lot of attention on it and said he’ll probably feel the fans angst if the first man-advantage fails to produce a goal. He likes the flow and the motion of the new plan and hopes fans give it a chance if it struggles early.
That probably goes for more than just the fans. When the team has struggles will they stick to the plan or just try and adlib to make a quick play.
This is what they’ve needed to do. They believe this power play system can help propel them forward.
“I think in the end, knowing the amount of focus they’re putting into it, they’ll find a way,” Dubas said.
Returning to the playoffs depends on it.