Penguins Wrap: More Blown Leads; Youth Movement; How’s Sid?

Continued concerns were more plentiful than answers over the past week for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Missed chances, blown leads, costly mistakes. You know the drill. The Penguins do, too, but they can’t seem to do anything about it.

Analysis has turned to looking at how bad things can get, what changes could or should happen and some stark realities.

There was perhaps a peek at better times to come — although it was noted that there could be a substantial wait — with young players such as Owen Pickering and Vasily Ponomarev getting called up and installed in the lineup.

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Saturday: To say things haven’t gone as the Penguins hoped is an understatement. PHN takes a look at coach Mike Sullivan, president of hockey operations/general manager Kyle Dubas and the defense in 3 Thoughts.

With disappointment comes youth. Or something like that. For their game against the San Jose Sharks, defenseman Owen Pickering made his NHL debut.

This was cover-your-eyes stuff. The Penguins got off to a strong start before imploding and blowing a three-goal lead against the lowly Sharks, although they were able to recover enough for a shootout win.

Coach Mike Sullivan made a shift toward rookies and younger players. Get the full analysis in the Penguins report card.

Sunday: Defenseman Owen Pickering accounted for himself well in his NHL debut against San Jose, then offered an interesting account of the experience in the locker room report.

Monday: It might be hard to face or hard to fathom, but the Penguins’ fall is still in progress. The toughest times are still to come.

Catching up on a few things, a further look at Pickering’s debut and an update on defenseman Kris Letang, who had been out ill. It’s here in the Penguins notebook.

Tuesday: Stop us if you’ve heard this before. The Penguins, yes, blew another lead, this time a two-goal advantage in the third period against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Then they went on to lose in overtime.

The exasperation was palpable after the loss to Tampa Bay. The players couldn’t find the words. Coach Mike Sullivan questioned the players’ pride in playing a defensively sound game. It’s all in the Penguins report card.

Wednesday: Something has to give. The players are in need of a strong message. In this take, that something needed to be a “bag skate” or some sort of punishment.

How are all these blown leads and mistakes happening? Glad you asked. Take a look at some examples, including video, in this Penguins chalkboard.

Accountability is tough to get, tougher to hold on to. The Penguins have lost a lot of it. That usually means moving in different directions. So PHN wants to know, where are the changes?

Thursday: Amid all the finger-pointing, there are a few players who specifically need to shoulder some responsibility. Also, the question arises: Are Mike Sullivan and Kyle Dubas on the same page? A look at those things in this Penguins analysis.

A two-day break between games allowed for something the Penguins need and want to work on in practice — physical drills and puck battles. There also were updates on some players who have been out in this practice report.

Sidney Crosby leads the team in points. However, the long-time Penguins captain can’t be thrilled with the way the first quarter of the season has gone. So PHN got a chance to ask him in a one-on-one chat how this rough stretch affects him away from the rink.

Friday: We know you guys love this stuff. While the Penguins probably won’t be making a big splash on the trade market before the trade deadline, if then, there are some smaller moves that could appeal to Kyle Dubas. Here are three trade targets.

The Penguins hosted the best team in the NHL, the Winnipeg Jets, and difference in the teams’ records played out. No worries about a blown lead; the Penguins never led in the loss and were outmatched and outclassed.

Sidney Crosby got into a fight, the veterans let the team down, the opponent scored first — again — and things are not getting better. A deeper look in the Penguins report card.