Penguins
Sullivan Makes Sweeping Changes to Defense; Coach Speaks on New Lineup
CRANBERRY, Twp — The Pittsburgh Penguins’ optional morning skates are typically a chance for the extra players to get some ice time and a few players who can’t break the morning skate habit to participate. On Wednesday, coach Mike Sullivan’s new lineup began to emerge, and there will be some sweeping changes when the Penguins host the Vancouver Canucks at PPG Paints Arena.
Penguins fans are getting some of what they want. It appears Matt Grzelcyk and Ryan Graves will be healthy scratches.
No one should argue why the veteran defensemen are getting a seat, as they have battled themselves and their opponents this season. The mistakes have been significant, if not egregious, and when paired together on Saturday, their mistakes led to the first goal of the game.
Instead, Sullivan will return to the pairing he deployed during the Penguins’ frantic run toward the playoffs late season. Ryan Shea will take the left side of the third pairing with Jack St. Ivany on the right.
“They (also) played a fair amount together last year in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. I think there is something to chemistry with tandems, just like lines at the forward position. So, they’ve played a fair amount together (and) I think they like to play together. They know one another’s tendencies really well and I think they can play off each other really well,” Sullivan said. “When both of those guys are at their best, they have similar games in the sense that they defend well. They use their their size, their reach, their their smarts to defend, anticipate, and close on people.
“And they do a pretty good job defending the rush. They make the entries difficult. I think Ryan Shea has the ability to make some really subtle plays that help us get out of our end with possession. I think Jack has a little bit of hardness to him at the net front and in the battle areas, and he can bring that element to that tandem.”
Rookie Owen Pickering will play his second game on the top pair with Kris Letang. Pickering played their Saturday and acquitted himself well, but the lopsided 6-1 loss to the Utah Hockey Club left the rookie in a dejected mood and unable to speak positively about his performance.
Sullivan will also make more lineup changes on the forwards crew.
Drew O’Connor will move from the center position, where he’s been for a couple of weeks, back to the wing. Despite some offensive pop on a line with Jesse Puljujarvi and Sam Poulin, Sullivan cited specific beliefs for O’Connor’s return to the wing.
“Yeah (we like him better on the wing). I think it frees guys up to just play more of a more subtle straight-ahead game. Use his speed. Use his size,” Sullivan replied. “And then on the forecheck, I think–in the way we play with our team concept, there’s a lot more defensive responsibility on centers, so it tends to be a more cerebral position–I think when he plays on the wing, it frees him up a little bit to play a more straight-ahead game, which we think sets up for the game that brings some success.”
Wednesday, Puljujarvi remained on the ice well past the morning skate, working with assistant coach Ty Hennes on individual skills. Valtteri Puustinen, whom the team waived on Tuesday, also worked out past 11:30 a.m. (the optional morning skates wrap around 11:00 a.m.)
This season, Shea has shuffled between the press box, the left side of the third pair, and the right side of the third pair.
Shea, 27, has played in just eight games this season. He doesn’t have a point and is a minus-4. St. Ivany has similarly been banished to the press box after a rough start to the season. St. Ivany has played in 17 of the first 23 games and has one assist with a minus-3 rating.
The pair will constitute the Penguins’ biggest and most shutdown D-pair. St. Ivany is 6-feet-4 inches and weighs 198 pounds, while Shea is 6-feet-3 inches and weighs 200 pounds.
Newly acquired Philip Tomasino will slot into the lineup on Evgeni Malkin’s right wing, while it appears Drew O’Connor will slot on the third-line right wing with Blake Lizotte in the middle–if Lizotte is cleared to play.
From the PHN pregame post:
Penguins Lines
Rickard Rakell-Sidney Crosby-Bryan Rust
Anthony Beauvillier-Evgeni Malkin-Philip Tomasino
Michael Bunting-Blake Lizotte-Drew O’Connor
Matt Nieto-Noel Acciari-Kevin Hayes
Defense
Own Pickering-Kris Letang
Marcus Pettersson-Erik Karlsson
Ryan Shea-Jack St. Ivany
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oh god, this looks like a preseason game lineup
Pretty much any lineup they put out with this crew is going to look like a preseason lineup. My only beef is that Jesse should be in there game after game.
Certainly. I like the idea of reuniting Shea-St. Ivany, I don’t think they’ve played yet together this year, at least on the same 3rd line pairing. Speaking of defense, if Dubas targets a younger MTL LD, it’ll cost a pick, but I wonder if they’d consider swapping Anderson for Graves as well. Both have improved their level of play this season.
Graves is doing so much better this year he just ordered his nachos from the box he is watching the game from
Sit Karlsson or he’s not serious
Trade Karlsson and eat his whe damn contract if they have to that’s how bad I want him gone lol
Yeah, the guy that had a hit, two blocked shots, 3 takeways, and assisted on Sid’s 600th. Sounds like a plan. BTW, Letang and Malkin lead the team in giveaways leading to goals against. But don’t let facts get in the way of feelings
Hockey 101: If you’re need a scapegoat, look no further than the newest guy with the most experience and/or highest salary.
I like loading rakell and rust with Sid. I’m open to experimenting with quick skating wingers on Malkins line. I like potential of 3rd and 4th lines, especially when glass is back in place of nieto. I like Pickering with Letang, and shea with st Ivany. Pretty much have to play Peterson with karlsson to try to cover ek defensive liability as much as possible. Could be better lineup than last 10-12 games or so
I would like to see graves eventually back at 3 LD with st Ivany, though.
Letang and Malkin lead the team in giveaways leading to goals. I guess core gets a pass
Karlsson by FAR leads the team with 43 giveaways going into Vancouver game, so that is the FACT!
Why on Earth is this guy still behind the bench?!?!
Because he had a contract and Scotty Bowman couldn’t turn this collection of mostly untalented and/or slow players into winners.
Glad to see Graves and Grzelcyk sitting! Hopefully that makes a little difference
50 cents says it lasts a single game.
Unless that 3rd pair plays well enough, Sully will keep them in the lineup
This team will never be defensively sound with Letang and Karlsson both playing.
At least Acciari is deployed where he’s most effective. (eyeroll)
I know, there is no reason Hayes cannot center that line!
So we’re sitting $7 million of our cap space, and we should sit at least another 20. Fortunately, the biggest cotracts and dead weights are long term which should make them desirable… If someone hires a mole, and I mean the actual animal, as a GM. If that isn’t a management success story, I don’t know what is.
This team was constructed to either tank or overachieve. They’re right on target. Get used to it lol
That wasn’t what I was saying, and I’m obviously more used to it than someone who thinks that when you spend this amount of money you can overachieve. Overachieving is when you are more than your estimated value. So, if they were a playoff team now, we’d get our money’ s worth. Also, used to it doesn’t mean “blindly follow without question”. But hey, Cattelan’s banana… excuse me… “The Comedian” went for $5.2 million. You know what, I’d rather have the banana than Bunting, Karlsson, Jarry, Graves and also Sullivan. Why do we need a good and well paid coach… Read more »
I apologize, I miscalculated. Karlsson is worth 2 bananas.
You are a creative writer. Also, not sure if you even got what i meant. The team was never going to win. UNLESS everyone overachieved. Maybe you did get it, idk, still trying to figure out banana calculus over here 🤔
You, sir, are only too kind. I get what you mean, but I’m just stating how it should work. The determined value is expected achievement. The determined value puts us in a playoff spot without overachieving. Getting to Conference finals would be overachieving. And let me be clear, I’m talking investment and expected return. You’re probably looking at objective talent. I know we’re done, I’m just saying we shouldn’t have spent all that money for this. But then, there’s the banana. 😀 Happy Thanksgiving and all the best to you and everyone else.
Yeah, Dubas did not spend wisely, now i get it! He took on overpaid players for draft picks. If they get better performance from Karlsson like tonight, then maybe the team will break even? 🤷🏻♂️
I’m sorry but it’s not the problem. The problem is 1st Karlsson and 2nd Graves.
Karlsson plays with about 50% of the enthusiasm of Graves. He acts like he’s just out there to skate around. He played a bit better against Utah but he really needs to change his mindset of why he’s there
Letang has had a terrible first 20 games.
Unless he’s being traded I just don’t understand Pulju out of the lineup. He has (by a wide margin) been our best skater all season. Not even a contest. What is he lacking that HCMS is looking for?
Are they giving him periodic rest for his hip? That seems like the logical answer to me
It is a questionable decision, but with Tomasino in the top-six, everyone’s role adjusts. Puljujarvi isn’t a penalty killer/4th line D-specialist type.
“Sweeping changes” and Sullivan keeps trotting EK65 back out there. What kind of message does that send about accountability, rewarding those who play hard, and punishing those who do not? Whatever message it might send – it seems very unlikely that it’s the right one.
Perhaps a few servings of press box nachos might get the attention of EK65 and any other guys who may have checked out and see going through the motions as their best course of action – because so far the only deterrent has been a few shifts off the PP1. Oh, the horror…
There have to be some things going on behind the scenes that none of us know about. However, it’s probably as simple as saying this guy is making $10 million and is your highest paid player, so why sit him? I’m not saying that is the correct way to do things, but it may be an answer or at least part of one. No idea why EK is just going through the motions, but it has to stop. I’m afraid that motivation is going to have to come from within himself. If he doesn’t like playing for pittsburgh, he needs… Read more »
Best move would be to relocate Sullivan somewhere, anywhere, but here.
Best move would be to finish in the top five of the draft for two or three years.