Penguins Postmortem: Players ‘Lack Details,’ Sullivan Must Be Better

The Pittsburgh Penguins didn’t get the best from the Washington Capitals Thursday at PPG Paints Arena in Game 82.

Then again, they didn’t need to face the Capitals’ best to reinforce the knowledge they already possess. When the Penguins play within their structure, commit fewer ungodly turnovers, and actually show up, they’re not a bad team.

Yet, so often the team failed to live up to its most fundamental responsibilities; they finished with the third-most goals allowed in the NHL and tied with the Boston Bruins for the worst goal differential in the Eastern Conference.

Sure, there are reasons for optimism for next season.

The infusion of youth in the Penguins’ lineup Thursday was also a flashing neon sign of what is to come next season. Coach Mike Sullivan inserted seven players 25 years old or younger into the lineup. That’s not to confirm some errant opinions that youth means better, but it is to confirm that exuberance and desperation go a long way.

Of course, talent helps a great deal, and the Penguins have found a keeper with Ville Koivunen, who makes the right play ALL the time. Every time. He earned yet another assist, his sixth in eight NHL games. He also hit the crossbar on what would have been his first NHL goal.

Koivunen, with the currently injured Rutger McGroarty, will provide a solid foundation for the Kids Express coming from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Thursday, Koivunen, Vasily Ponomarev, Valtteri Puustinen, 2019 first-round pick Sam Poulin, and Vladislav Kolyachonok were in the lineup.

It was a nice mix, though Puustinen and Poulin are unlikely to be in the lineup next season. Poulin may well realize his style and the Penguins’ style don’t mesh as well as his heavy, slower style would elsewhere, and ask for a fresh start. However, to Poulin’s credit, he confirmed to PHN at mid-season that he was committed to the Penguins. He is under contract for next season, as is Puustinen.

The cavalry of youth next season will include a few other names, but the end of the Penguins’ 2024-25 season should teach Sullivan and general manager Kyle Dubas a few lessons.

Penguins Postmortem

1. Attitude and Structure

This season, there was too often a befuddling contempt for defensive work. When the team committed to it, they were quite competitive. Goaltenders looked competent. They won some games against tough opponents.

Yet in far too many games, the forwards were coasting, and the defensemen were averse to being stiff on the walls or stopping plays. Opposing forwards had far too easy a time gaining puck control and far too much space between the dots.

Forward Blake Lizotte, who previously played for possibly the most structured team in the league, the LA Kings, put his finger squarely on the problem.

“I think it’s just details. In games this year, there were times where we’d lose control for a moment and maybe had a hard time getting it back on the rails, leading to two or three goals going in quickly. That’s tough to recover from in this league,” said Lizotte. “So, I think next year being more detailed in the D zone (is what we need to change) because you’ve got to play good defense to win in this league So it starts there and then those those moments in a game where there’s momentum shifts, there needs to be more of an emphasis next year.

In fairness, Sullivan agreed and took some responsibility for the almost bizarrely underachieving squad that had the ability but not frequently enough the willingness.

“The glaring opportunity for improvement and growth is on the defensive side. And I think that starts with a certain attitude, a certain commitment, a level of detail. And consistency with that shift in and shift out, game in and game out,” said Sullivan. “I thought we showed moments throughout the course of the season where we were very capable, but we lacked consistency in that regard. And it’s hard to win in this league if you’re not hard to play against in the sense that you defend and keep the puck out of your net.

“For me, we all have to take responsibility for that. I’ve got to do a better job as their head coach on selling that commitment message to them. And coaching the details around that.”

Emphasis on details, and the coach getting a better effort. Put a pin in that idea.

Next Season: The Penguins must absolutely have more forwards and defensemen willing to give an honest effort, earn a bruise or two to make life more difficult on those playing against them, and make structurally good decisions.

2. Moving the Puck is Nice, Stopping Plays Just as Good

As the character Longshanks said of William Wallace, “Bring me Wallace. Alive if possible, dead, just as good.”

The same should be said for the Penguins’ defending prowess. Keeping a play alive in the offensive zone is good, but the willingness to be hard enough to end one in the defensive zone is just as important … if not more.

An addendum to No. 1, the Penguins conceded two goals due to poor pinches by their defensemen. One counted, one did not, but that doesn’t erase bad plays. Ryan Graves gifted Washington a full speed, 150-foot two-on-one early in the first period with an obviously bad pinch. He neither joined the play nor defended, and Washington put the first goal on the board four minutes into the game.

In a teaser of what might occur next fall, Sullivan didn’t spin Graves’s disappointing season.

“And, you know, (there are) criteria that we try to hold Ryan accountable to every game. (Assistant coach David Quinn) worked extremely hard with him all year long, and tried to help him improve in those areas,” Sullivan said. “I think there was some improvement over the course of the season, but I think it was sporadic. It needs to be more consistent.”

Not only are the Penguins’ defensemen collectively soft in the D-zone, but they’re irresponsible in the offensive zone. It only takes a few mistakes to lose a game. Other teams don’t make the volume of mistakes that the Penguins do.

Defenseman Conor Timmins posted a plus-9 rating during his brief time with the team. His net-front work was laudable, and he impressed team leaders. He was still a bit gaffe-prone, but perhaps a more structured approach by the forwards will protect the defensemen, too.

Matt Grzelcyk, who was not bad but perhaps not well suited to the hard defending necessary to pair with Kris Letang or Erik Karlsson, signaled a willingness to return despite his pending free agent status. However, he and the team have not engaged in contract negotiations. That is a fact previously reported by PHN and confirmed by Grzelcyk Friday.

Individually, there is high-end talent with Letang and Karlsson. There should be some hard defending from Graves (but there has been far too little). There could be a nice find in Timmins, while Ryan Shea and P.O Joseph have NHL talent but have found themselves shuffled in and out of Sullivan’s lineup and slotted on both the right and left sides.

Next Season: A blue line overhaul is all but mandated.

3. Finale

The top of the Penguins’ lineup can still compete with anyone, and as currently constructed, without trading Bryan Rust or Rickard Rakell,  has some real scoring depth, especially when adding McGroarty and Koivunen.

Much of this team’s struggles stem from poor fundamental play and decision-making on both sides of the puck. Liozotte has seen the best up close, and this season he probably saw the worst.

Solutions have been tough to come by, as Rust humorously noted, “If I had solutions, I’d be in charge. I just work here.”

Ultimately, the solution to defending with the barest of fundamentals rests on the players and roster construction, but as the body is still warm, Sullivan needs to offer some solutions; otherwise, he is part of the problem, too.

The quote taking responsibility to sell the idea was just the latest tiny crack in the previously impenetrable talk of his future. Sullivan left no doubt about his future intentions, firmly stating he planned to remain the head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Next season: Structure and dedication should be present regardless of talent level. A few more responsible players would help immensely, but if Sullivan fails to sell the team on structure and basic defending again, it may no longer be his choice to be the coach.