Mark Madden: Little mystery surrounds Penguins in training camp, but questions remain
Tanev #Tanev
Pittsburgh Penguins
Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry works out Dec. 28, 2020, at PPG Paints Arena.
Penguins training camp opens next week. Not much is shrouded in mystery.
The top six is set: Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin at center. Jake Guentzel, Kasperi Kapanen, Bryan Rust and Jason Zucker at wing. There will be movement within that group, but not in and out of that group. (Though I’d like to see Brandon Tanev’s speed tried with Crosby or Malkin.)
The defense is set: The pairs will be Brian Dumoulin-Kris Letang, John Marino-Marcus Pettersson, and Cody Ceci-Mike Matheson.
So, the questions are: How will the bottom six be arranged, and is Tristan Jarry a legit NHL No. 1 goaltender?
The Penguins’ competition at the top of the East Division mostly has established NHL goalies: Boston has Tuukka Rask. Philadelphia has Carter Hart. The New York Islanders have Semyon Varlamov. Washington was left in the lurch by Henrik Lundqvist’s health problems, and will rely on Ilya Samsonov (26 NHL games). Jarry has played 62.
The Penguins need Jarry to come good. That isn’t guaranteed. Their backup, Casey DeSmith, didn’t play an NHL game last season. There is no Plan B.
Jarry’s puck-handling is excellent and will save the defense corps many steps. Jarry and his defensemen should develop a rhythm of puck movement that proves valuable.
But can Jarry stop enough pucks? It’s different when you’re the starter.
Considering the bottom six, Zach Aston-Reese will miss the season’s first month.
The best third-line combination seems Teddy Blueger between Jared McCann and Tanev. That’s a fast and pesky trio. Tanev can fly. McCann gets pucks on net. Blueger is a good defensive forward and has handled a steadily increasing workload during his two NHL seasons. That third line won’t be an offensive force, but figures to be very good defensively.
The fourth line is whoever’s left: Mark Jankowski, Sam Lafferty, Evan Rodrigues, Colton Sceviour, etc.
It would be best to have the strongest third line possible as opposed to dividing talent equally between the third and fourth lines. Tanev played fourth line last year in the name of balance. Perhaps that prevented Tanev from contributing as much as he might have.
Samuel Poulin and Nathan Legare, both 19, are the Penguins’ top prospects up front. But they won’t make the team (and shouldn’t) unless they crack the top six.
The third and fourth lines won’t score a ton.
So the Penguins’ power play must do better than last season, when it finished 19th in the NHL with a 19.9 conversion percentage. Given the Penguins’ offensive talent, mediocrity with the man advantage is inexcusable. It’s also not surprising. Crosby and Malkin have never been as good on the power play as you would think.
The Penguins won’t trap and counterattack, as previously suggested in this space. Coach Mike Sullivan has made that clear.
Sullivan wants the Penguins to play with speed. But they’re not as fast as they were, or as they think they still are. GM Jim Rutherford added pace in the offseason, notably Kapanen. But does that make the older stars quicker? It certainly won’t stop the aging process.
The East division will be physical. That’s non-negotiable. Boston, Philadelphia and Washington are all more physical.
The Penguins are aging out, especially at the top of the lineup. The Bruins and Capitals are getting older, but big and tough ages better than fast and skilled. The Flyers and the up-and-coming New York Rangers, meanwhile, are the NHL’s two youngest teams.
The Penguins’ defensive corps will be strong. The top two pairs are solid and versatile. Matheson is a good bet to blossom and anchor the bottom duo. Rutherford is good at finding a fit for what the Penguins expect on defense. Witness Marino and Pettersson, both acquired on the cheap. Matheson, with his skill and mobility, could be next in line.
Crosby, Guentzel and Malkin don’t figure to see their numbers dip. But can Rust match last year’s point-per-game pace? Can Kapanen be elevated? Can Zucker do more?
Those are questions for when the season starts. In training camp, the questions are minimal. Just like the length of camp.
Categories: Mark Madden Columns | Penguins/NHL | Sports
More Mark Madden Columns Stories