Penguins Thoughts: Whose Stock is Up, Whose is Down?

MONTREAL — A 1-2-0 start is better than being winless, and a victory over Detroit on the road allowed everyone to breathe and the runway to get longer for the Pittsburgh Penguins team, which has seven players who have not yet played 30 games with the franchise.

However, no one was using the newbies as an excuse, and no one felt like the team needed to jell. Such camaraderie has already formed, as evidenced by Anthony Beauviller’s pair of goals against Detroit and offensive pressure beside Sidney Crosby.

“I just think it’s a work in progress, and it’s a game of momentum. We’ve got to find a way to sustain it more consistently than we have to this point,” coach Mike Sullivan said after the Penguins’ 4-2 loss in Toronto. “You know, we didn’t have a very good outing in the first game. I thought that in the second game, we played pretty solidly in Detroit against a pretty dynamic offense team. It’s a matter of finding more consistent play and more balance when we’re rolling lines over the boards.”

Three games is hardly an adequate sample size to judge long-term outlooks. Still, it does set the stage for a crucial game against Montreal, followed by a pair of crucial Eastern Conference games against the Buffalo Sabres and Carolina Hurricanes.

A 1-2-0 start isn’t bad, but anything less than five points in the first five games is cause for concern. The Penguins sputtered, creaked, and stunk their way to an insurmountable standings deficit last season. Lest you think an early earning bell from this writer is premature, multiple players have also referenced the need to start better this season.

So, the players know it, too.

With a bit to praise and more to fix, there are ample things to analyze.

Penguins Stock Up

Kevin Hayes

Raise your hand if you were concerned about the Penguins acquiring a $3.5 million player who was a healthy scratch in St. Louis last season and has another year on his deal. Instead, Hayes has been one of the most pleasant surprises–coach Mike Sullivan isn’t asking too much of Hayes, installing him as the fourth-line wing. Still, his playmaking skill has already chipped in offense, and he’s become one of the Penguins’ primary penalty killers.

He’s filling part of the role voided by Jeff Carter’s retirement and is doing so at a higher level.

Joel Blomqvist

He’s been exceptional. In full disclosure, this was the goalie we saw last January when then-Wilkes-Barrere/Scranton Penguins defenseman Jack St. Ivany said, “He’s our best player. He’s our heart and soul.”

We were disappointed in Blomqvist’s preseason performance and felt it was risky to start him in Detroit. Riskier still was to start him in Toronto. Well, he proved us wrong and did so in spectacular fashion. His save percentage is only .906, but the match and the eyes tell dramatically different stories.

His performance must be making Dubas wonder if there’s a new home for one of the veteran goalies.

Evgeni Malkin

He’s been really good. There was a good chance that Malkin slipped further, but the extra summer clearly helped him. Malkin has his le. He’s showing off some one-on-one moves, distributing the puck well, and managing the puck well.

In other words, we’ve not been treated to ghastly turnovers or watched him try to force his old ways into the game. Four assists in three games is a healthy total.

Anthony Beauvillier

Two goals and top-line duty. After bouncing from Vancouver to Chicago to Nashville last season, stability and playing beside Crosby must feel like a dream.

“I think what (Beauvillier) does is he helps them in the puck pursuit game and in getting after defensemen and forcing turnovers,” Sullivan said. “And so if they don’t have the puck, he helps them get it back. And then when they do have it, I think he has the ability and sufficient offensive instincts to capitalize on some of the opportunities that Sid is going to create.”

Stock Down

Marcus Pettersson

It’s not been a good start to the season for Pettersson, who has struggled to get up to speed. He’s committed a few turnovers and been beaten in the defensive zone a few times. He didn’t have a few bad games in a row at any point last season. It’s likely no cause for alarm, but seeing Pettersson have a bad game or two has been a rarity.

Tristan Jarry

Sullivan might think we’re overthinking the goalie situation, but he once again put a goalie ahead of Jarry, the Penguins’ presumptive starter. Jarry wasn’t very good in the first game of the season but hasn’t played since. So, it’s impossible to assess his play. However, his stock took a big hit when Sullivan rolled with Joel Blomqvist over him Saturday.

Trading Sideways

Rutger McGroarty

No points in three games, and he’s been a little bit invisible so far. Sullivan may pull him out of the lineup or bump him up to Evgeni Malkin’s line to jumpstart the rookie’s season. He hasn’t looked as good in the regular season as he did in the preseason, and it’s go time.