5 Penguins Thoughts: A Bad Defense Corps, the Big Three, & a Heart Ripped Out

It’s time to let ‘er rip. The Pittsburgh Penguins have six points out of a possible 20, with just two wins in their last 10 games. Their most recent win was a gallant effort, but they had to rally from a 3-0 deficit and be sparked by a teammate who flew off the hinges. They transitioned from chasing wins in a five-game block before the Four Nations break to get back in the playoff race to largely ignoring the playoff talk.

That part of the season is over.

The five-game block was motivation. When we look back at the season, the Sunday loss to the New York Rangers eight days ago was the moment the hockey gods reached into the Penguins’ collective chest and ripped their heart out of their chest.

They haven’t been able to finish a good game since, though they beat the Philadelphia Flyers after Alex Nedeljkovic destroyed his stick, slammed the bench door, and had terse words for either the team or coaches. However, after the win, they were right back to sloppy and somewhat disinterested against the Boston Bruins on Saturday.

Uniquely, the Penguins team is not uniformly lethargic, but a smattering of passengers and loose play has submarined results.

Erik Karlsson

Defenseman Erik Karlsson is an interesting guy. He’s entirely comfortable in his own skin, which can sometimes vex the public (reporters, fans) waiting for self-flagellation or verbal soul-searching.

Read More: 4 Potential Trade Partners for Erik Karlsson

Those expecting Karlsson to be downtrodden, overwhelmed by the ticking clock of mortality chiming away on another of his teams headed in the wrong direction, would instead find a defenseman somewhat bemused by the concoction of circumstances.

One might have expected some contrition about his unwieldy turnover with just a few seconds remaining in the second period Sunday. Instead, Karlsson remarked, “I’ve played almost 1100 games. So, for me, that’s never happened with that little time left. It’s pretty much like a freak thing.”

A goal with 0.1 seconds remaining may have been extraordinarily rare, but turnovers leading directly to goals have not. Karlsson had nine turnovers combined between Saturday and Sunday. Several Karlsson decisions, including a bad change late in the second period, have led immediately to pucks deposited into the back of the Penguins’ net.

Karlsson was the primary defenseman with a chance to nullify both Colorado goals Tuesday, too (not counting the two empty netters).

And yet, Karlsson smirked and chuckled Sunday at the absurdity of it all.

I neither believe Karlsson is looking down upon his station or teammates nor taking it all frivolously. Instead, he possesses a unique view of acceptance and can quickly let go.

It stands apart from the very serious Penguins leadership, including coach Mike Sullivan, who is the exact opposite of Karlsson.

After two seasons, we can safely say that Karlsson doesn’t fit the Penguins’ future, and he doesn’t necessarily seem to fit the current scheme. However, watching him closely on the bench and in the room, last year’s fears that he wouldn’t fit on the inside are unfounded. He very much seems to be part of the tight-knit group.

Whether he’s traded this week or this summer, he is an interesting cat, and I hope he gets that Stanley Cup.

Big Three

My final word on Final Word on WPXI Sunday night steered into something many of us think but is otherwise none of our business. I do not now nor have I ever understood the “one career, one jersey” mentality.

It would not only not tarnish Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, or Kris Letang’s legacy, but it could enhance it.

The Colorado recruitment of Crosby was wildly amusing. The memes, the local radio hosts emploring fans to chant, “We want Crosby,” putting real estate ads on the glass, and otherwise rolling out the red carpet, was incredibly entertaining.

Wayne Gretzky has statues in front of two arenas (LA and Edmonton). The moves added to Gretzky’s legend. They certainly didn’t diminish it. Moving on from Pittsburgh surely did Marc-Andre Fleury wonders. A Vezina Trophy and another Stanley Cup Final appearance are stamped on a resume that also includes something close to a royal designation in Las Vegas.

The big three say they want to stay. No sports fan has ever witnessed three great players stick together for so long, and probably never will again. It’s a special run, but it will end one way or another.

If staying makes them happy, there’s no price on earth to overcome that. But if they’re staying out of responsibility or fearful of diminishing what they’ve done here, they’re doing themselves a disservice.

Cody Glass, Philip Tomasino

Cody Glass is keeper material but not at his current $2.5 million salary. He’ll be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights, so tendering him a qualifying offer seems unlikely. The Penguins would do well to get his name on a contract, but one near $3 million would be a significant overpay.

Fan frustration (Fanstration?) is somewhat justified based on his lack of production. Scorers credited him with a goal Sunday–a deflection near the net–but that was just his fourth goal this season.

He’s not quite into “Riley Sheahan territory,” but he can see Russia from his house.

No, what makes Glass a keeper is his complete game and locker-room presence. He skates very well and is an aggressive defender, and most of his lines experience an increase in shots and scoring chances, ranging from 53 to 58%.

He was very good Tuesday night–notice how many scoring chances the fourth line had. Even Noel Aciari was able to play with the puck in the offensive zone.

No, Glass isn’t in Jansen Harkens-land. He’s veered into Dominik Simon’s territory, except he’s bigger, stronger, faster, and has a more rounded game. If he ever decides to play with a little anger or edge, he has the skills to be a very valuable asset.

Another bit about Glass is his internal presence. He’s been instrumental in mentoring Philip Tomasino and Owen Pickering.

However, I’m not so sure about Philip Tomasino’s long-term outlook with the Penguins. He made a couple of very nice defensive plays on Tuesday, but at his core, he’s a scoring winger. If the rest of his game is only OK, then he needs to pot more than 16 points in 35 games. I suspect his RFA status will yield the right opportunity to continue for another year with the Penguins, but like Glass, the deal must be on the Penguins’ terms, not his.

A team in transition has the luxury of giving these players enough ice to emerge or disappear. Remember such names as Tom Kostopoulos, Dick Tarnstrom, and Randy Robitaille.

One Liners

*Emil Bemstrom had better hurry up. One good game followed by two invisible ones, and then one decent game Tuesday. He’s got a shot to stick in the NHL, but production is paramount.

*I wonder if coach Mike Sullivan is up for what comes next. It’s going to suck. The great NBA coaches who had star cores quickly bolted when the stars were gone (Phil Jackson, Pat Riley, et al…).

*The Penguins have the worst defense corps in the league … by a wide margin. It’s not a matter of talent but construction and a couple of large defensemen who play small.

*I’m impressed with Alex Nedeljkovic. He had a couple of bad games out of the break and dared to play ahead of rookie Joel Blomqvist, which held him up to ridicule during a time of fan unrest (and become a new poster boy for the terminally cranky), but his body of work over the last two months has been quite good. He took the net from Tristan Jarry (who helped give it away), solidified the position as the Penguins made their last credible push toward a playoff spot, and generally gave his team a good chance to win. A goalie doesn’t have to be elite to be a good starter.

*Going back to his days in Toronto, general manager Kyle Dubas has not shown an ability to construct a complete blue-line corps. The Penguins should not be THIS bad. Their analytics are usually quite good, two years running, despite their results. There’s a lot of blame to lay upon the play of the defensemen, which trickles past Sullivan and pools upstairs.