Penguins Report Card: Team Quits, Someone ‘Do Something’

The Pittsburgh Penguins remained within striking distance for most of the game, but another deflection goal midway through the second period not only sapped the limited energy from the team but seemed to drain whatever heart they had left.

By early in the third period, the Penguins had signaled they had no intention or ability to be competitive. The Utah Hockey Club scored a couple more goals for a laugher. Utah won 6-1 at PPG Paints Arena.

The team has lost 16 of 23 games this season, and it has quit on itself more than a few times. Saturday was yet another hockey version of self-immolation. While the power play has often let them down, Saturday was a unique combination of their typically disorganized defensive zone coverage and a terrible penalty kill.

They were in the game. Sidney Crosby scored his 600th career goal. Players lept from the bench to celebrate greatness. The Penguins pulled to within 2-1 and had some life. But they undid it, just as they’ve more often done this season.

“I thought we had good energy. We had momentum, especially after Sid’s goal. You know, for me, what the penalty kill let us down significantly tonight. You know, again, I don’t know what it was, three, three powerplay goals. And one of which was shortly after Sid scores. You know, we get within striking distance, make it 2-1, we get some momentum, and then we don’t get it done on the penalty kill.”

There’s no question Sullivan’s job is in trouble. A team cannot repeatedly show an absolute lack of heart combined with disorganized play. Something has to give. But Sullivan is just one of many things that could change with this group. There are opportunities for addition by subtraction and roster holes, which, if filled, would go a long way to fortifying a competitive team.

Goalie Alex Nedeljkovic didn’t have a great night, but he was the one who spoke blunt truth to the team and situation. He challenged the team’s attitude and urged someone to do something about it.

It was the rant that had been missing in the sad and sullen Penguins’ room.

“It sucks. It sucks. I mean, I don’t know; the only other way I can say it is if we want to stop feeling like this after games, if we want to stop getting embarrassed at home, do something about it,” Nedeljkovic said. “I don’t know. Pay a price. Do something else. Feel something else. Like, anything else.”

Penguins Xs and Os?

The team is terrible defensively. It’s a roster problem, though the coach may well pay the price.

The structure and sort-out on the first two Utah goals looked more like a Kindergarten recess than a professional hockey team.

Ryan Graves and Matt Grzelcyk chased the puck on the first goal leaving Jack McBain wide open on the back post. Crosby lunged to break up the play, but his man was in the slot–if Crosby abandoned him as Grzelcyk did his man, it would have been a goal by a different player.

Defenseman Mikhail Sergachev was unguarded on the second goal (which was a 4v4 zone entry), which Nedeljkovic probably should have stopped.

Just so many terrible plays before the team packed it in. It is clear that the team does not believe in itself. It is further clear the Penguins have a significant lack of NHL talent on their blue line and dotting their forwards crew. There is a ton of weight being placed on Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, but not much help.

The hope of training camp, the intention of a GM to remain competitive out of respect for the future Hall of Famers in the locker room, and the promise of owner Tom Werner to Crosby that things would be better this year are gone, replaced by despair and growing hopelessness.

The team badly needs something to go its way, but such things are earned, not given. And this team hasn’t earned anything but the abysmal record and scorn it’s already receiving.

Penguins Report Card

Alex Nedeljkovic: C-

A couple of stoppable goals, but a few that weren’t. Goaltending didn’t help the Penguins Saturday, but it didn’t kill them, either.

Puljujarvi-O’Connor-Poulin: C

They had positive superficial analytics but were out-chanced and were scored upon without really having great offensive chances. It was a step back for the line, especially for winger Sam Poulin, who was late to his spots and not good with the puck.

Sidney Crosby: B

The Penguins great scored his 600th career goal. He tried. He cares. Crosby led all players with seven shots on goal.

Kris Letang: Hello?

Letang has not been a factor this season. He was on the ice for the last three Utah goals, including one even-strength tally. We won’t speculate, but he’s largely invisible, which has never been Letang–he’s not even making mistakes from trying too hard.

Ryan Graves-Matt Grzelcyk: Nope

Sullivan tried something. He’s short a right-handed defenseman and doesn’t seem to view Jack St. Ivany as a viable option right now. However, it absolutely didn’t work.

Graves continues to struggle. Grzelcyk continues to struggle. Their struggles did not cancel out.

Mike Sullivan: 

The coach is pushing every button, pulling every lever. Like driving a racecar with three wheels and missing a cylinder, at some point, it’s just not possible. There probably isn’t a combination of players, a motivational speech, or a video session that can make a few players play with intensity or pride.

There are many passengers on the team and other players who have licked the stamp and are mailing it in. That usually means the head coach gets a phone call from the GM.

We don’t think Knute Rockney could inspire this group, but Sullivan is going to try.

“It’s not an easy experience to go through what we’re going through,” Sullivan said. “The biggest thing for me is to try to inspire these guys and make sure that we don’t give in to our emotions, that we’ve got to have some resilience to us.”

It’s hard to blame him, but it’s also probably going to land on him. That’s the business. Something has to give.