The Penguins recently had a 10-4-3 run, which might seem decent at first glance, but Mark Madden argues that it’s not as promising as it appears. Despite winning 10 games, they also lost 7, and Madden warns against being enticed by the so-called “loser point.” Before this streak, they were six points out of a wild-card spot and seven points away from third place in the Metropolitan Division.
Even after the recent run, they are still five points away from a wild card and seven points from third place, having made minimal progress. The team seems to be losing momentum, with three losses in the last four games, including blowing a 2-0 third-period lead against Las Vegas.
Madden questions the team’s choices, such as arriving early in Vegas for a rookie party, despite not having many rookies, and canceling practice on Thursday. The Penguins appear to neither be collapsing nor improving.
Persistent issues include struggles in three-on-three situations, a power play that has converted only six times in the last 50 attempts, and inconsistent goaltending. Madden acknowledges the excellence of the penalty kill but notes that the bottom six players don’t contribute enough.
Defensemen like Ryan Graves, P.O Joseph, and Chad Ruhwedel have seen slight improvements, but Madden argues that the Penguins can only count on three skaters consistently: Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang, and Jake Guentzel.
Madden points out concerns with Erik Karlsson’s defensive performance, despite decent statistics, and criticizes his impact on the power play. He contrasts Karlsson’s play with Letang’s, who has outperformed him despite being moved down the power-play lineup.
Regarding Evgeni Malkin, Madden notes his decent stats but suggests that, at 37, he is slowing down in every aspect of his game. He describes Malkin as the power play’s biggest saboteur, often attempting overly difficult plays and leading the team in penalty minutes.
Madden concludes by stating that the Penguins’ problems can be fixed, but the first step is acknowledging them, which he believes is a challenging task for the team.
