A Persistent Penguins Issue from Last Season Remains and It's Not The Defence

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Mark Parsons
October 11, 2023 (1:20 PM)

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In last night's season opener against the Chicago Blackhawks, the Penguins lost 4-2. Despite the score, Penguins coach Mike Sullivan remarked that generating offense wasn't the issue; it was capitalizing on the opportunities.

«[We had] a number of Grade-A scoring chances. The problem ... was there were numerous Grade-A chances on both sides. We had some breakaways. We had some looks,» he said. «I don't think the issue was generating offense.»

Expected VS Actual Goals

This observation was backed by NHL Network analyst Mike Kelly, who pointed out a significant gap in the Penguins' expected goals vs. actual goals last season. He warned that if the Penguins continued in this vein, their scoring performance would suffer.

«They were second in the NHL in expected goals, and they finished 16th in scoring,» Kelly said. «You typically don't see that type of a gap from your process to your results over the course of an 82-game season. Florida was kind of like that, and it came together towards the end. It never did for Pittsburgh.»

In the season opener, the Penguins, led by Sidney Crosby, dominated offensively, recording two breakaways, numerous shots from the slot, and high-danger chances. Yet, they managed only two goals, scored by Bryan Rust and Crosby. Despite their numerous opportunities and solid performance by their goalie, Tristan Jarry, they fell short, highlighting areas to improve.

A goal for the captain 🙌 This season marks the 17th season that Sidney Crosby has been captain of the Penguins, making him the longest-tenured active captain in the NHL and tied for the second-longest in NHL history.

New Talent Not Capitalizing

However, the Penguins' roster has undergone significant changes from the previous season. Karlsson, a standout player with 101 points for San Jose last year, didn't manage to get on the score sheet in his debut for Pittsburgh. Reilly Smith, another significant addition, had also remained silent. Despite the changes, the team's identity has remained offensively driven, a strategy supported by president of hockey operations, Kyle Dubas. He emphasized the team's commitment to offensive play, but for a shot at the Stanley Cup, the Penguins need to convert their chances and tighten their defense.

«As Sully says, the DNA of the team is offense,» Dubas said Monday. «So if we try to flip that at this stage, it's not really something that I believe in, and it's not really something that the [players believe] in. And the group has been successful by playing that way. ... We're going to continue to build that way.»

Crosby: "It was the first game. I don't think anybody is firing on all cylinders at this point, but there's still some stuff we could do better and details defensively, so we'll look to improve that."

As Read On Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Analysis: One troubling Penguins trend lingers from last season � and it's not in the defensive end