Beware the Penguins year in review

[yave1964]

  Beware the Penguins comes from the old Bud Ice commercials....

 

PRESEASON OUTLOOK Every year the Pens demise is predicted by some, others feel that any team with Malkin and Crosby and Letang has a chance at one more run so as it has been for five years now since their back to back cup wins the jury is divided. 

 

FINAL RECORD 46-25-11 103 points, 3rd in the Metro. Lost a heartbreaking 7 game series to the Rangers. This is their fourth straight first round loss.

 

HIGH POINT OF THE YEAR Probably the back to back trounces of the Rags in games 3 and 4 of their series, outscoring the Rangers by a ridiculous 14-6 over the two games. At that point the series looked all but over.

 They started the regular season slow at 5-6-4 with recent losses to lowly Buffalo and Ottawa when they caught fire, igniting with back to back shutouts over Montreal and Toronto by Jarry. They won 5 in a row by an insane 16-2 total, triggering a 22-4-1 run as they secured a spot in the playoffs early.

 

LOW POINT OF THE YEAR Regular season it was probably a 5-3 win over the Islanders on April 14th, they lost Jarry at that point, DeSmith stepped in aided by Domingue.

  Postseason losing Desmith in game one against the Rangers doomed them. Domingue is little more than an AHL goalie/emergency recall guy, he was out of his league literally and figuratively and even with a 3-1 series lead he couldnt close the Rangers out in games 5 and 6. Jarry came back for game 7 which they lost in heartbreaking fashion in overtime. all three of the Rangers comeback wins, the Pens led at some point, in two of the games by two goals. Domingue being inept, Desmith going down, Jarry getting hurt late in the year, all that played a factor but this was a team collapse.

 

WHAT WENT RIGHT Jake Guentzel has become an amazing scorer, 40 goals like punching a clock. Crosby is slowing but only incrementally so he led the team with 84 points. Letang had a fantastic year. Jarry carried the team for much of the year he finished at 34-18-6 with a 2.42 goals against. Rust, Carter and Rodrigues formed a very solid bunch of secondary scorers. Malkin missed exactly half the games but scored at over a point a game rate. Heinen and Kapanen were solid secondary scorers as were Mcginn and Boyle. Matheson had a great year behind Letang on defense. Dumoulin led the team at plus 24. 

 

WHAT WENT WRONG Malkin is muuuch closer to the end than the beggining. And he took an incredibly bad penalty leading to a suspension late in the year that coincided with Jarry getting hurt which threw the whole team out of sync. Zucker was nicked up and pretty bad when he did play. Really much of the team performed at what was expected or slightly above, there really isnt much to list here.

 

DRAFT PICKS AND FREE AGENTS They have their first but traded away their second and third to push the team into the playoffs. This is a HUGE offseason for the Pens, both Malkin and Letang are listed as UFA, the Pens want both back and frankly I have a hard time picturing them with anyone else but you could say the same about hundreds of others who moved elsewhere late career.Both are wanted back, both have said they are open to returning but we will see. DeSmith is an UFA and is a damn solid backup that somebody may give a shot as a starter. Regardless he will make more money elsewhere. Rackel, Rodrgues and Boyle all played key roles, all are UFA and they may not be able to retain any of them. Pittsburgh is at its most critical juncture in years. OH and Jarry only has a year remaining on his deal. I truly have no idea how this offseason will go for the Pens.

 

TOP PROSPECTS Sam Poulin will be with the team next year likely taking Rodrigues place as a middle six scoring winger. Pierre Olivier Joseph came over in the Kessel deal and has moved up glacially slow he will land with the team next year on the bottom pair. Drew O'Connor  may make it on the 4th line as a grinder. Little Val Puustinen has goal scoring ability at least in the AHL but I am very skeptical if it will translate to the NHL. Unlike little guys like Gaudreau and Brink Puustinen is actually a bit stocky, not at all the little bantom you would expect. I think he is too slow for the NHL and will have an AHL/KHL career. I do like Filip Hallander who could be a 15-18 goal scorer in the NHL if given a break. They are huigh on Zohorna, probably by default but other than size I see no skill level that makes him an NHL player. So I really like Poulin, I am okay with Joseph and the rest are a grab bag most of which wont have a career. That is what happens when you draft in the top fifty just one time in five years.

 

STRANGE STAT OF THE YEAR This team has completely changed its style but nobody seems to notice because the big three are still there. They were 11th in goals but 5th in least amount allowed. Their power play in spite of the stars was only 19th, but the P/K was 3rd best. Their goals against by period were 74, 88, 101 a sure sign of a defensive team wearing their opponent down. They were 5th in the league in winning pct with a lead after two, a sign of a team that knows how to shut it down and sit on a lead. They were the second most disciplined team in the league as far as penalties taken, only the Stars had less. 

  So to break it down, if you turned in a Pens game expecting a Malkin/Letang/Crosby highlight explosion you usually went home sadly dissapointed. Coach Mike Sullivan has quietly transformed the team into a disciplined defensive team that gets a lead then smothers you and makes very few mistakes. Not at all what one expects from the Pens.

 

OFFSEASON OUTLOOK The most critical offseason for the Pens in years. Letang, Rackel, Malkin, Rodrigues, DeSmith, Boyle could all be gone from the critical roles they have been playing. Only Poulin looks like he is ready to replace any of these players (likely Rodrigues) I think the future is cloudy or murky, if they bring back the old guard do they still have a chance or has the game passed them by? If they let them all go, then what? I really dont like what the team is facing this year or in the future no matter which way they go. IMHO this defensive postseason style was their last best shot and losing Jarry before the playoffs killed their chance at their last run. It is over. No matter which way they go, they are done.

Edited May 23, 2022 by yave1964

[mojo1917]

@yave1964

Shoo bee doo bee do......

 

I always like reading your year end team summaries. 

[nossagog]

Good recap. Personally I believe that the Pens overachieved this season.  People tend to forget that the Pens played the first third of the season without both Malkin AND Crosby.    I think that's why the team character was built on team defense and a quick forecheck. At one point, they had the best PK in the league(too bad they couldn't bring that to the Rangers series) In the end, I hope that it help them in years to come.  Losing Jarry was the kiss of death, and then Dumo too for the playoffs. 

 

As for the off season, it was a pretty quick start with the resigning of Bryan Rust. A little expensive in my opinion and too long termed, and probably means there is no way that they can keep BOTH Letang and Malkin. Who to toss?????  If it was my guess, I'd think it would be Letang. Pens have plenty of puck movers on the back end with Marino, Mathesson and Doumolin, so they can afford to lose Letang. And you did mention P.O., hopefully he's on the opening day roster next year.  I'd rather see them  replace Letang with a more physical defender/forward as they have no one to fill that role on the team. Look at the havoc Reaves created bashing Pens around. 

 

I don't think they'll lose Malkin, who else do they have that I can complain about taking dumb penalties?