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Penguins Face Uphill Battle as Injuries Mount

Since the beginning of December, the Pittsburgh Penguins have been dealt their fare share of adversity.  Despite injuries to key elements of their lineup, they managed to overcome the struggles and put together a 16-6-1 record since December 1st.  They put together this impressive run despite losing their #1 goaltender, their #1 veteran, their #2 defenseman, and a number of other key members of the lineup.  Now they face a defining moment in their season as their leader, Captain, and arguably the best player in the league will be sidelined for an undetermined period of time with a high ankle sprain.  How do you compensate for the loss of a player like Sidney Crosby, especially with other key players still out of the lineup?  That is the challenge that the Penguins face going forward.

It all started in early December with the loss of #1 goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.  Despite a lackluster start at the beginning of the season, Fleury was hitting his stride on December 7th when he fell akwardly with his leg underneath him in a game against the Calgary Flames.  At the time of the injury, he was coming off from 4-straight wins, giving up just 4-goals in that timespan.  The injury was a high ankle sprain, and the prognosis was 4-6 weeks.  It has now been 6-weeks and his return is still unknown as his rehabilitation has been slower than projected.  He has yet to be able to move vertically in the crease without difficulty.  For many, Fleury’s injury was viewed as a death knell for the Penguins season, as there was little faith in their depth in net.  However, Dany Sabourin and Ty Conklin took it as an opportunity to prove their worth and they both overcame the adversity to push the Penguins to a 1st-place tie in the highly competitive Atlantic Division.

Then on December 8th against Vancouver, Max Talbot left the ice after aggravating his own high ankle sprain that he incurred in mid-November.  Although not a top-line forward, Talbot was off to a career best season and was the Penguins leading goal scorer in the early season.  Talbot was out for a month, returning to action on the 10th of January. 

On December 23rd against the Boston Bruins, the Penguins lost one of their best defensemen when Mark Eaton left the ice with a torn ACL.  The news got worse when the team learned that he would have season-ending surgery to repair the injury. 

A few days later, on December 29th against Buffalo, the Penguins lost their veteran leader Gary Roberts to a broken leg.  The Penguins hope to get him back before the end of the season, but no timeline has been set for his return. 

Sidney Crosby’s injury was on the 18th of January against Tampa Bay, a game which the Penguins lost 3-0.  It was their first regulation loss in 11-games.  Despite the shutout loss and losing Crosby, the team came back the next night to not only beat Montreal, but to shut them out 2-0.  Unfortunately, the Penguins suffered another loss early in that game when Colby Armstrong went hard into the boards and left the game with a bruised hip.  The team has also lost forward Adam Hall with a groin pull that will sideline him at least a week. 

Add to all of the injuries a flu-like illness that has been working its way through the roster and sidelining players like Tyler Kennedy and Erik Christensen, and the level of adversity the team has struggled through has been pretty remarkable. 

Despite it all, the loss of Sidney Crosby will be the biggest hurdle the team has faced.  Crosby leads the team in points, assists, plus/minus and, perhaps most of all, determination.  With Crosby gone, the team will need to find offense from other places within the lineup.  Evgeni Malkin has stated that he wants to lead the team, and will likely be able to do so as well as anyone else on the ice for the Penguins.  He was a tour de force in the game against Montreal, but will be unable to do it alone.  Aside from the offensive leadership and contributions that Crosby provided on-ice, his leadership off the ice will also be missed.  It is unfortunate that veteran Gary Roberts is also out of the lineup.  It seems clear that Sergei Gonchar is a likely candidate to step up into that leadership role with Roberts and Crosby both out. 

The Penguins have called up some players from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to help fill some of the holes in the lineup and to try and provide some depth to the roster.  On Saturday, Ray Shero announced the recall of forwards Chris Minard, Tim Brent and Jonathan Filewich from the American Hockey League affiliate.  Minard has 31-points (17G, 14A) in 39 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.  Brent leads Wilkes-Barre/Scranton with 35-points (7G, 28A) in 39 games.  Filewich has 17-points (7G, 10A) in 37 games.

Only time will tell if the Penguins can overcome the current adversity it faces.  The schedule is not going to be forgiving with some key divisional games coming up in the next 30-days.  With the Flyers, Devils and Penguins caught in a 3-way tie for the Atlantic Division lead, there is no room for mediocrity.  If they can find ways to win and keep themselves in the playoff hunt, the Penguins will be a team to be reckoned with come April.  If any team can do it, it is this Penguins team.  

Go Pens Go!        

Mid-Season Standings Depict League Parity

With over half of the 2007-08 NHL season complete, a quick glance at the standings reveals the level of point-parity that exists across the league.  Just 11-points separate the league’s #3 team (San Jose Sharks at 57 points) and the #24 team (Edmonton Oilers at 46 points).  Only 2-teams, the West’s #1 Detroit Red Wings and the East’s #1 Ottawa Senators, have managed to distinguish themselves from the pack in the standings over the #2 teams in their respective Conferences.   

In the Eastern Conference, the #1 Ottawa Senators (29-12-4) have a 7-point advantage over 2nd-place, a tie between the New Jersey Devils (26-15-3) and the Pittsburgh Penguins (26-16-3).  From there, just 7-points separates the 2nd-10th place teams in the East.  The tightest race is within the highly competitive Atlantic Division, where a mere 6-points separates the Division’s leader and last place team.  All  5 Atlantic Division teams are currently in playoff position in the East, holding down the 2nd, 4th, and 6th-8th seeds.  Of the Eastern Conference teams, the Pittsburgh Penguins have picked up the most momentum of late, going 9-0-1 in their last 10-games.  The Philadelphia Flyers are also on the move, going 8-1-1 in their last 10. 

In the Western Conference, the #1 Detroit Red Wings (33-10-4) enjoy a 13-point lead over the 2nd-place San Jose Sharks (25-13-7).  From there, just 9-points separate the 2nd-12th place teams, and the 14th place team is just 11-points out of 2nd place.  Pacific Division rivals San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks are on the move going 7-1-2 and 7-2-1, respectively, in their last 10. 

In addition to salary cap, point-parity across the league can be attributed in part to the Overtime Loss (OTL) which provides a one-point consolation prize to the team that requires a little additional time to lose a game.  The biggest benefactors of this rule have been the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs in the East and the Calgary Flames in the West, all of whom have picked up 8-points so far this season while losing games.  In all, 71-points have been earned in the Eastern Conference via OTL and 67-points in the Western Conference.  The OTL point diminishes the value of a win, and the consequence of a loss.  It decreases the distinction between competitive teams, giving little advantage in points to the teams that can close the deal and get the win in overtime.   

The level of parity across the league will result in a highly competitive 2nd half run for the playoffs, in which many East/West playoff positions may not be decided until the final day of the regular season.  Along the way, it will make for an interesting trade deadline as teams jockey for position to improve their rosters to gain a competitive advantage.  With most teams still in the running for a playoff spot, the trade market might well be constricted in terms of quality pick-ups.  Most teams will be looking for additions that will benefit the current season, with few sellers looking to unload quality players for the sake of future rebuilding.

Penguins January 08 Preview

I noted in my December Preview that if the Penguins could successfully build confidence off from the Thanksgiving Day win over the Ottawa Senators, that they could hit their stride and have the potential of picking up 18 of 28 possible points in December.  With their win over Buffalo on Saturday night, the Pittsburgh Penguins finished December with a 9-5-0 record, picking up….18 points.  This was a huge turnaround for a team that went 4-7-1 in November and picked up just 9 of 24 possible points. 

Of course, it wasn’t all roses for the Penguins as they lost several key players to extended injuries in December.  First, they lost starting goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury for 6-8 weeks to a high-ankle sprain on December 6th.  Then, a couple of days later, fiesty forward Maxime Talbot got put back on the injured list for a few weeks for the same high-ankle sprain and has not yet returned.  The Penguins then lost 1st line forward Ryan Malone for 5-games to a leg infection.  Malone returned to the lineup against Buffalo on Saturday night.  On December 23rd the Penguins lost one of their best defensemen for the remainder of the season when Marc Eaton left the game against Boston with a torn ACL.  Lastly, the team lost veteran leader Gary Roberts for a lengthy, yet undetermined period of time after breaking his fibula in the 2-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres on December 29th.  Yet, despite the adversity, the team came away with a 64% winning percentage in December.  Perhaps the biggest surprise boost has come from 3rd string goaltender Ty Conklin who has won 4-straight starts, including a shutout against the Sabres.  His ability to handle the puck has really helped the team defensively. 

So what lies ahead for the Penguins in January?  The Penguins will play 13-games for a possible 26-points.  A majority of the games (8) will be played on the road, with just 5 being played on home ice.  Of the 13-games, the Penguins play just 3-games against Division rivals in January when they face off against the Rangers at home, and then the Flyers and Devils on the road.  They will play the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Atlanta Thrashers twice each, all teams that are currently below them in the standings.  In fact, of the 13-games in January, only 2 are against teams that are currently above them in the Eastern Conference standings (Canadiens and Devils), although it is a very tight race in  the East. 

As far as the road ahead in January, here is the layout for the Penguins (20-16-2), and my best case projections:

• 1 Jan:  @ Buffalo Sabres (19-16-2) – projected Win
• 3 Jan:  Toronto Maple Leafs (15-16-8) – projected Win
• 5 Jan:  Florida Panthers (18-17-3) – projected Win
• 8 Jan:  @ Florida Panthers  (18-17-3) – projected OTL
• 10 Jan:  @ Tampa Bay Lightning (15-21-3) – projected Win
• 12 Jan:  @ at Atlanta Thrashers (19-19-1) – projected Win
• 14 Jan:  New York Rangers (19-15-4) – projected Loss
• 18 Jan:  Tampa Bay Lightning (15-21-3) – projected Win
• 19 Jan:  @ Montreal Canadiens (19-13-6) – projected Loss
• 21 Jan:  Washington Capitals (15-19-5) – projected Win
• 24 Jan:  @ Philadelphia Flyers (18-4-4) – projected OTL
• 29 Jan:  @ New Jersey Devils (21-14-3) – projected Loss
• 30 Jan:  @ Atlanta Thrashers (19-19-1) – projected Win

January starts with 4 of the first 6 games on the road, including the momentous Winter Classic game in Buffalo on New Year’s Day.  Aside from the fact that the majority of the games come on the road, the schedule is more forgiving than it was in December with only 2-games falling back-to-back on subsequent nights (January 29-30 against the Devils and Thrashers, respectively).   

Last season, the Penguins came into their own in January going 8-2-2, and then kept rolling by going 9-3-1 in February, 12-3-2 in March, and 2-1-0 in April.  I think it is unlikely that the Penguins will be able to maintain the similar level of success in the latter half of this season, given more parity in the league and the increase that the Penguins have seen in injuries.  However, I hope to be proven wrong.  There is certainly an ample amount of talent on the team if they can play to their full potential. 

I think that the Penguins will have a very strong January, with the potential to go 8-3-2 and pick up 18 of 26 available points on the month.  This will require continued offensive output outside of Gonchar, Sykora, Crosby and Malkin, and continued good play in net by Conklin and Sabourin.  A confident Penguins team will be a dangerous team, as was evidenced in the second half of last year.  Let’s hope that the Penguins can build on the confidence they have developed in December. 

Lets Go Pens!

Simon on Paid Leave, Suspension Likely

New York Islanders’ Chris Simon was put on paid leave from the team on Monday following his attempt to injure Jarrko Ruutu in the Islanders’ loss to the Penguins on Saturday night.  The action was taken after a meeting between Simon and Islanders’ team management, and before league officials meet to decide on likely suspension actions.  Simon missed the first 5-games of the season to finish out a 25-game ban that was levied in March 07 after Simon struck New York Rangers’ forward Ryan Hollweg in the face and neck with a two-handed stick swing.  That ban was his sixth suspension from the league, and was the harshest ban handed down by the league to date.

With 6-minutes to go in New York’s loss to the Penguins, Simon used his leg to trip Ruutu along the boards sending him to his knees, and then stepped on the back of Ruutu’s leg with his skate.  The dangerous action and obvious intent to injure drew a match penalty which will force an automatic league review.  The NHL hasn’t scheduled a disciplinary hearing yet, but is likely that they will deal another lengthy suspension to Simon.   ”He understands what he did, we all do,” said teammate Bill Guerin,  ”There’ll be consequences, and that’s not for us to decide, but we’re here to support him and to make sure things get straightened out.”

Simon met with Islanders’ owner Charles Wang, GM Garth Snow and coach Ted Nolan during Monday’s practice and concluded that he should take some time away from the game and seek help.  The nature of the help was not disclosed, but it seems improbable to affect a player who by all counts had hit rock bottom after the incident with Hollweg.  “We discussed the measures we have to take,” Nolan said. “Chris is very remorseful and very sorry for his actions. As an organization, we don’t condone it. We don’t appreciate the thing he did. On the flip side, we have to have some compassion, some understanding and some support.”

• VIDEO:  Islanders Team Press Conference - Ted Nolan, Bill Guerin and Brendan Witt react

While their motivation may be unclear, the move by the Islanders was the right one to make for the safety of opposing players and Chris Simon alike.  There is no place in hockey for someone who has shown no ability to control his actions on the ice.  Hockey is a dangerous enough sport when you have responsible players on the ice.  Responsible players compete hard, but respect other players and are mindful of the damage that can be done with an errant stick or misplaced skate blade.  Chris Simon has repeatedly shown that he has little regard for his fellow hockey players by using his hockey gear as weaponry.  When you take a two-handed swing into another guys face with a hockey stick and intentionally step on the leg of another player with a razor sharp skate blade, you do not belong on the ice.  He could have easily killed Hollweg and ended Ruutu’s skating career with his actions.  Remorse after the fact buys no sympathy for Chris Simon.  I hope that his leave from hockey is lengthy, and followed up by an even lengthier suspension by the league.   

 

Good News From the Pens Locker Room

Following their 3-2 road win over the New York Islanders, the Penguins held a players-only meeting in the locker room in which there was reportedly a lot of yelling.  Good.  There should have been.  The Penguins nearly botched a 5-minute powerplay at the end of the 3rd period by allowing the Islanders several key short-handed chances.  Had they given up a goal, they would have likely lost momentum, and the game.   

Why a team would be content to try and maintain a 1-goal lead while on the powerplay is beyond me.  Was it a tactic employed by Coach Therrien?  I doubt it.  “We did not play well on the power play, especially at the end,” coach Michel Therrien said. “It comes down to us not having the right attitude, especially at the end.”  So what was the attitude that was lacking?  They should have played with emotion and desperation to get the insurance goal.  Instead, they played a tentative, kill the clock style of play that nearly cost them the game. 

While a win is always a good thing, it is even better to see that these players are expecting more out of themselves than just posting a “W”.  This is especially important for a young team that could easily step into bad habits that would cost them dearly in the long run.  “We got away with one” siad Darryl Sydor, “It is always better to get away with one, but if you do not learn from it, there will be a problem.”  Sidney Crosby noted a need to “make sure (their) work ethic is there” in future opportunities to nail the door shut on a late power play.

So, the good news from the Penguins locker room is accountability.  The team is collectively recognizing its mistakes and taking timely actions to address them and learn from them.  There has to be accountability up and down the bench, and each player needs to recognize that they have to answer to each other when they don’t put forth the best effort.  This is indicative of a team that is maturing and working together to address and resolve its own issues.  The good news is that despite the win, the team still recognized the need to quickly address areas of the game that needed improvement.  This will only yield dividends down the road.

Back in the Saddle

Just a quick note to the regular readers of NHLPens.com.  I was out of town all week in San Diego and was unable to provide my normal level of site updates to include game previews and game recaps.  I spent all week in the Rancho Bernardo community that was ravaged by fires 2 weeks ago.  It was devastating to see the damage done by the wildfires;  the area is still smokey with ash flying in the air when the winds blow.  Hundreds of homes within 1 mile of my hotel were completely destroyed.  In some cases, whole neighborhoods were gone.  Unlike a forest fire that burns everything in its path, these fires jumped around in such a way that you could find houses that were burned to the ground in the middle of neighborhoods that were otherwise untouched.  That was the result of 60 mph+ winds blowing flaming embers as much as two miles through the air to land on people’s roofs.  Please keep these people in your thoughts as a lot of people lost a great deal. 

In the world of Penguins Hockey, it was a highly inconsistent week as the Pens dropped 2 of 3 divisional games to the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers.  The one win came against the New Jersey Devils on the road.  The week started out very well with the Penguins dealing New Jersey a 5-0 shutout blow that chased goaltender Martin Brodeur from the net.  Then on Tuesday, the Pens gave up a home game to the Philadelphia Flyers by a score of 3-1.  On Thursday night, they lost again to the Rangers in New York by a score of 4-2.  With the 2 losses, the Penguins fell below 0.500 and dropped to 4th place in the Atlantic behind the Rangers, Islanders and Flyers.  They also fell to 8th in the East and 16th in the league.  In the 3 games, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin managed to keep their individual point streaks alive by picking up at least a point in each game.  In the loss to Philadelphia, the Penguins failed to convert on the power play for the only time this season in which they have not scored at least one power play goal. 

While it is still relatively early in the season, the Penguins have been unable to find consistency in their game.  In fact, they have only won 1 of their last 5 games.  You certainly cannot blame the top line of Crosby, Malkin and Malone.  They have been managed to stay consistent and put up solid numbers.  However, aside from the 5-0 win in New Jersey, the balance of the team has been missing in action.  All four lines need to consistently contribute on the scoreboard if the team expects to compete well in the league.  As such, the lower lines need to step up their game and stop depending on the top line to put up the numbers.  The team needs to take a look at what they did in New Jersey and mint it as the gold standard for how to play as a team for a full 60-minutes.  The challenge will be to keep their heads in the game and maintain the discipline necessary to put forth a full 60-minutes of competitive play across all lines.  If they can do this, the team has the potential to be more than a middle of the pack hockey team.  If they cannot, look for the Penguins to struggle to stay at 0.500 for the balance of the season.