Assessing the 2014-15 Pittsburgh Penguins: Part 3 - The Top Six
Following on from the previous post that concerned the bottom six I have compiled my thoughts on the top six. The top six was affected by injuries throughout the season but has been improved I feel since last season with the acquisition of Perron and Hornqvist. Crosby had a tough year but I think he will rebound next year. Malkin didn't have a great year either and slumped at the end of the season but was later revealed to be injured.
One of the first players I'm going to talk about is Blake Comeau who was a cheap off-season acquisition from the free agency pool last season. Comeau had dropped off a cliff in terms of production since his Islanders day and it was a risky pick-up. It paid off though as Comeau had his best season since 2010-11. Comeau struggled in the play-offs though with 1 point in 5 games and I think he is more a third line player with the ability to fill in the top six were needed. If the Penguins can bring someone in to place into the top six then he should be knocked down to the third line.
In the centre of the second line is Malkin. Malkin had an up and down season where he went on strong stretches which were contrasted by a huge slump at the end which went into the play-offs. Despite his struggles he still finished with an above PPG pace with 70 points in 69 games. He closed the season out with a sprained ankle and it was evident as he went 5 play-off games and the last 5 regular season games pointless. I think this season was a rough one for Malkin, he will be fine when fully fit.
Two players with brief appearances in the top six were Pascal Dupuis and Beau Bennett. Dupuis played the first 16 games of the season before being ruled out with a blood clot on his lung which is far to serious to play with. He has been out for the whole season and secretly hoped to return if the Penguins made a run in the play-offs.
Beau Bennett has also suffered at the hands of the injury gods this season in someone that is a sad recurrence for him. Bennett's development has been really hampered by the constant injuries such as bone breaks and tweaks. Despite this Bennett managed to play 49 games this season which was a personal best for him. His offensive production hasn't materialised and I wouldn't be surprised to see him released at the end of the play-offs.
Next is a player acquired mid-season in David Perron. Perron started out well with 5 goals in his first 6 games. A potential sign of things to come. But he had two big blank spells of 7 and 12 games where he was kept of the score sheet which highlights a potential for inconsistency in his play. Perron worked well with Crosby and I think he should be given until January next season at least. James Neal struggled in his first season with the Penguins but flourished after. Perron has a wicked shot and it is something that Crosby will enjoy exploiting.
On the other side is Patric Hornqvist who was part of the trade that involved Spaling moving from Nashville. Hornqvist had his second best season finishing with 25 goals and 26 points in just 64 games. Hornqvist is a player who has jelled well with Crosby after being given time to settle and build some chemistry. Hornqvist has a lethal shot and shot at 11.4% this season, just under 2% higher than his career average. Hornqvist is a great asset and I look forward to another strong season from him.
The last winger in the top six was Chris Kunitz. Kunitz's production has dropped since last season. Going from 68 points last season to just 40 this season. Kunitz was slated to have suffered from Iron deficiency late in the season but if that was the case then he should have been rested. The most notable change when watching is that Kunitz doesn't crash the net or go to the boards like he used to which makes it easier for the defence to clear the puck. I wouldn't be disappointed to see Kunitz traded.
Last up is the main man, Sidney Crosby. Crosby had a down year and will be keen to bounce back next year. Currently, he is at the World Hockey Championships in Prague and is showing his hunger in some dominating performances. Crosby struggled throughout the season from a recurring injury during the festive period which curtailed his strong, favoured, shooting hand. He also suffered from a large number of injuries to his line-mates. The drop in quality was obvious some nights. I wouldn't be too worried about Crosby's below par season but if the next starts of slow, then it would be cause for concern.
My next and final piece on the 2014-15 Penguins will look at the management and coaching team.
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