The Pittsburgh Penguins have had a pretty mediocre start to the season. They are having better luck with their depth scoring, however, goaltending continues to be an issue. Another huge area of concern this season has been the defense. They are currently ranked second in the NHL in goals against per game at 4.2. Through the first month of the season, they have proved that they can score goals, but they have to get better at keeping the puck out of the net.
Penguins’ Defense Has to Be Fixed
There is no doubt goaltending has been a huge issue to start the season. After allowing 12 goals in three starts, it was evident that starting goaltender Tristan Jarry was not going to cut it. Since returning from his injury, backup goalie Alex Nedeljkovic hasn’t been that great and rookie Joel Blomqvist is not ready to pick up the slack.
As if goaltending was not a big enough problem, Pittsburgh has an even bigger issue on defense. They are currently first in the NHL when it comes to high-danger chances allowed, and if something doesn’t change soon they will miss the playoffs for the third year in a row. Pittsburgh’s current record is 5-7-1 with their only wins coming against non-playoff opponents. In their 4-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Oct. 18, the team as a whole gave a completely flat performance. There was a total lack of effort in their play, and the defensive awareness was awful. Their performance against a division rival simply had to be better and they frankly deserved to lose.
However, the Penguins’ 6-3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Oct. 20 was a game they should have won. They got depth scoring from Lars Eller and a power play goal from Kevin Hayes. They were great on the forecheck and in the offensive zone, they simply were the better team. Most if not all of Winnipeg’s goals were the result of defensive breakdowns. No one seemed to know their assignment in the defensive zone and it was clear they were not on the same page.
It is past time for head coach Mike Sullivan to make some changes on defense. For a long time, the Penguins were known for their aggressive style of hockey, however, times have changed and it is time for Sullivan to change with them. Pittsburgh is not the same team they were in 2016 and 2017, they are now older and not as fast.
Pittsburgh needs to simplify the defensive structure. If Sullivan has the wingers take the point and the defensemen play low in front of the net, that would help solve the problem of leaving too much of the ice uncovered. They also need cleaner zone exits and they need to be making better decisions with the puck.
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Right now, it looks like the Penguins are trying to do too much and be overly flashy. They need to stop overthinking it and get back to the fundamentals. Sullivan has been known to be stubborn in the past, however this season he seems more open to change with young players getting more of an opportunity and the constant shuffling of lines. Hopefully, his open mind will stick around long enough for change to come to the defense.
Penguins Are Already Looking Shaky
It is no secret that Pittsburgh is trying to return to the playoffs this season, but the first month of play has not gone as expected. They are finally getting depth scoring, which has been an issue for a couple seasons. However, if they do not figure out their goaltending situation and fix their defensive structure, they will watch the postseason from their living rooms for the third year in a row.
