The Pittsburgh Penguins ended a five-game winning streak in their 5-2 loss against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday, Nov. 16. A few nights later, on Nov. 19, the Penguins beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0. Not only are the Golden Knights the defending Stanley Cup champions, but they are also in first place in the Pacific Division. There is no doubt that Pittsburgh has been playing much better throughout the month of November. However, they are still struggling with consistency. There are still some holes in their game, and until they fix these problems, they will continue to have problems.
Penguins’ Power Play
One of the Penguins’ biggest struggles last season was special teams. Heading into this year, it looked like Pittsburgh had found the magic formula for the power play. With the addition of Erik Karlsson to a group that already featured the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang, how could they not be successful?
The Penguins power play currently ranks 26th in the NHL. Through the first month and a half of the season, the team has had the man advantage 53 times and has only scored seven power-play goals. In the 1-0 loss to the New York Rangers on Nov. 22, Pittsburgh had five power play opportunities throughout the game and only came away with five shots on goal. If they had scored on just one of those chances, it would have been a completely different game.
In the Penguins’ most recent loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 24, they went 0-for-2 on the power play, making it six games in a row they have gone without a power play goal. There is no doubt that Pittsburgh can and should have a threatening power play, but it’s obvious they have not found a consistent rhythm yet.
Penguins Depth Scoring
There were a lot of reasons that the Penguins missed the postseason last year, with the lack of depth scoring being on top of the list. Over the summer, new president and general manager Kyle Dubas made it his mission to reconstruct the bottom six completely. Adding players like Noel Acciari and Matthew Nieto has definitely given the bottom six a defensive boost, however, they have not proved they can score goals on a consistent basis. Lars Eller and Radim Zohorna are currently tied for the most bottom six goals with three each. If Pittsburgh learned anything last season, it should have been that the top six can’t do it all. If they can not find a way to get more depth scoring, it is going to be another long summer.
Tristan Jarry
Re-signing goaltender Tristan Jarry to a five-year contract worth over $5 million annually was a huge risk. Sticking with the Penguins trend of inconsistency, Jarry has shown flashes of greatness so far this season, but more often than not, his game has fallen flat. He has three shutouts on the year with a .916 save percentage.
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After the Penguins’ 4-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Oct. 30, Jarry seemed to understand that he had to be better, and for the next five games, he looked like he had turned a corner. However, in the game against the New Jersey Devils on November 16, he looked like his usual self. He was giving up rebounds, playing too deep in his net, and was completely off his angle. The loss to the Devils was certainly not all his fault, but sometimes you just need your goalie to make some tough saves, especially at $5 million.
Penguins Inconsistencies Have to Stop
The Penguins got off to a rocky start this season, but it was understandable since much of the team was new and had not played together. Through most of November, it looked like the team had hit its stride, and things were starting to come together. However, in the last few games, Pittsburgh has reverted to its old ways. They have to find a way to stop tottering back and forth, or they will once again find themselves on the wrong end of the seesaw.
