Penguins One-Timers: Problems Bottom to Top; Real Reasons for Inconsistency

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The Pittsburgh Penguins are.

The team is simply the exact sum of its components, uniquely assembled by general manager Kyle Dubas and directed by coach Mike Sullivan. Unlike past iterations, Dubas appears to understand and work with Sullivan to provide players capable of fitting in with Sullivan’s philosophy.

To his credit, Sullivan has done his best to adapt to the philosophies and structure of the hodgepodge of players surrounding the Penguins core, which has expanded to include Bryan Rust and Erik Karlsson.

And yet, the team’s results stink. Penguins games could fill hockey textbooks with information about what not to do in any given situation.

And therein lies the great problem of the Penguins. They are assembled based on competing intentions. Are they trying to win now, lose now but develop young talent, or transition to a place in which they can begin rebuilding?

Dubas assembled the short-contract and reclamation-heavy roster based on players’ potential positives, such as offensive ability, speed, or defensive conscience. A couple players were tossed into the mix because other teams paid the Penguins to do so, but Cody Glass and Kevin Hayes were not without positive attributes.

After their January swoon, the Penguins are all but out of playoff contention. They are seven or more points out of a playoff spot, but most importantly have shown no ability to sustain the better version of themselves. Like clockwork, they tamed the top-tier Edmonton Oilers during their five-game homestand, then snoozed through a few losses against important opponents Ottawa and Tampa Bay. For good measure, the Penguins also chunked away a third-period lead against Seattle and lost in regulation.

The seven-game road trip has been no different. An energetic win over Buffalo was followed by a humbling loss to Washington. Stomach-turners against Anaheim and Seattle followed a dominant win over powerhouse LA.

After 51 games, the issue is settled. The team is what it has shown and no more. Consistency isn’t possible with so much lacking at the base levels.

1. Flaws Unaddressed

The team has every intention or desire to win, but the overall assembly process ignored the glaring pair of flaws that have befuddled and dragged the Penguins to the depths like a 10-ton anchor for three seasons running.

Those primary problems were not addressed and were exacerbated by roster additions under competing strategies.

Put simply, the Penguins lack hunger and have far too many players who routinely make mistakes, especially in the defensive zone. One Blake Lizotte doesn’t fix the problem with energy, and one Glass doesn’t solve a forwards crew with subpar defensive desires or ability.

Sullivan can chide his team publicly and demand they learn to like playing defense, but even when they abide, they cannot sustain it. It’s simply not who they are. Neither Scotty Bowman nor Jack Adams, nor any hotshot young coach full of ideas and enthusiasm, could mold this old-growth forest in that direction.

Some things cannot be changed, and roster construction has only magnified, not reduced, the negatives. Coaching can only do so much, and unlike any other sport, when the players are on the ice, they are autonomous. The NHL isn’t similar to the NFL, which is dominated by micromanaging coaches and players going to very defined and specific spots. Hockey is far too complicated and connective for that.

2. Penguins Defense

Karlsson will always struggle in the defensive zone and be more generous with the biskets than a southern Grandma on Sunday. His D-zone mistake on the third goal and turnover on the fourth goal Saturday were mind-bending.

He’s a great player, but his weakness feeds the Penguins’ problems.

Kris Letang will always have turnovers and judgment lapses, but more recently, he is obviously starting to look like a player who will turn 38 in April. Letang has just 19 points this season and is on pace to have his worst offensive output since his third year in the league, 2009-10 when he posted just 27.

Physically, Letang appears not to have the same skating burst and dynamism that has defined his career. That’s an emerging problem that probably will not get better. Letang has three years left after this one. If you’re unfamiliar with the rules of 35+ contracts, which inexorably bind teams to the salary cap hits of the 35 and older players they’ve signed, it may be a good time to do the reading. The only way out is trade or long-term injury reserve, but age is not considered an injury.

Dubas might regret the six-year contract to Ryan Graves, to whom Sullivan has served a healthy portion of press box nachos this season. It might also be fair to say that Marcus Pettersson hasn’t found his rhythm this season and has been chasing the mistakes around him.

P.O Joseph has performed yeoman work on the right side, but Sullivan directly assailed Joseph’s level of physical play. Owen Pickering is still coming into his own, physically and on the ice. At 20 years old, he’s at the beginning of his journey, which should end well but will take some time.

Put all together, its an expensive patchwork. With a team loaded full of defensive indifference, inability, and inconsistency, the blue line is vital. Instead, it contributes to the team’s inconsistency.

3. Inconsistency Isn’t Inconsistency

In numerous conversations on the No Pucks Given podcast and in the Coach’s Debrief videos on the Pittsburgh Hockey Now YouTube page, coach Francis Anzalone, who has numerous Penguins ties and experience, has put forth the simplest and most salient answer to the Penguins’ roller-coaster season.

The Penguins are not good enough to win without their A-game and A-level goaltending. On nights when the team collectively has its best, they are very good, but sustaining that is not practical. Further, the team is almost entirely reliant on Sidney Crosby’s line for offense.

So, on nights when Crosby isn’t his best, the team has almost no chance (They are 2-14-2 when he doesn’t score). When the team gets soft goaltending, as they have often this season, they are severely impeded.

The natural ebbs and flows of individual players more significantly impact the Penguins because they are more reliant on fewer players and goaltending.

Good teams have lots of good players who camouflage a player on an off night. The vortex of a bad team highlights it. It’s the best answer I think we’ll get.