Weekend round-up: 25th January

The weekend round-up is back and I'm starting, as usual, with the Penguins. The Pens came back from a 2-0 deficit to beat the Vancouver Canucks, mostly through Evgeni Malkin who recorded his 10th hat-trick of his career. The Penguins defensively frailties were highlighted by the speed that the Canucks had. This speed made it easy for them to gain zone entries and keep the puck.

The Penguins do have to thank the Canucks as they really shot themselves in the foot. Miller imploded and went from someone on course to get an easy shut-out to someone who looked as unsure as possible with his movements. Malkin's 2nd goal ricocheted of Linden Vey as well and this was a big moment in the game. It gave the Pens a way back into the game and they used that momentum to turn the game around.

Wilkes-Barre Scranton played three games over the course of the weekend. They play twice against Portland and once against Providence. The Baby Pens split the two games against Portland, losing the first 2-1 but winning the second 5-0. Wilson became the first player over the weekend to score 20 goals in the AHL this season.
Tristan Jarry posted his 3rd shut-out of the season but neither he nor Matt Murray could do do anything to stop Providence running the score up in a 5-2 win.

Lastly, the Wheeling Nailers split two games with the Kalamazoo Wings. The first was a 2-1 OT win with Andrew Cerretani scoring the winner. Casey DeSmith earned his first victory of the season as well. The second game, a day later, when Kalamazoo's way in a 4-1 win. Wydo scored the Nailers only goal as they dropped to a 16-19-2-2 record.

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Malkin leads Pens past Vancouver in end to end game

Evgeni Malkin brought the Penguins out of a 2-0 deficit, with help from Linden Vey, to lead the Penguins back into a playoff spot, for the time being. Malkin scored a hat-trick with one goal on a 5-on-3 and two at even strength. It was Malkin's 10th hat-trick as a Penguin and comes nearly four years after his last.

The Penguins started the game slowly and were caught flat footed just 27 seconds in. Maatta was slow to skate and Jannik Hansen skated down the wing and rifled a shot past Fleury to give the Canucks an early lead. Maatta should have been quicker to react and he needs to work on his skating but Fleury really should have done better to cover the angle of the shot. However, it being the first shot, you could understand him not being settled yet. The Canucks continued to dominate the period with Hansen scoring his second late on in the period with a short-handed goal after the Pens were caught at the blue line.

For the second game running the Pens had to come back from a 2-0 deficit and they managed to get one back in the second period on the power play. Sbisa failed to clear the puck after Horvat won the offensive faceoff and played it back to him. Letang picked the puck up at the blue line and passed it to Malkin who fired it into the net past Miller. The Penguins failed to convert again in an even period and went into the third behind by one.

This is where things went mad and normality ceased to exist. The two teams started the third trading chances and Pittsburgh had a few where they really should have scored but an inability to lift pucks is a problem. Bo Horvat scored his 9th goal of the season with a wrist shot from inside the blue line which evaded Fleury and gave the Canucks a 3-1 lead.

The Penguins were able to get back within one fairly quickly thanks to a fortunate bounce of Linden Vey who ricocheted a Malkin shot into his own net to give him his second of the night. This gave the Penguins momentum and Geno soon had his hat-trick scoring on a poor line change by the Canucks.

The game was completely open before Bryan Rust managed to sneak the puck past Miller. Miller was slightly unsighted on the shot from the point and had little chance to stop it. Rust's goal saw Kuhnhackl get his first NHL point as well, something he deserves as he has played superbly.

The game looked like winding down after Hagelin gifted Crosby an easy empty net opportunity. A late goal by Hansen, his hat-trick, gave the Penguins some jitters but they held on for a valuable win. With tomorrows game against Washington postponed due to the blizzard their next game will be against the Devils.

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Pens beat Flyers at last

The Penguins scored four straight goals last night to lift themselves to a 4-3 victory of their inter-state rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers. This was their first victory over the Flyers in 827 days, and it snapped a five game winning streak for the Flyers at the Consol Energy Center which dated back to the 14th November 2013.

This is the latest that these two teams have ever had their first game of the season in the rivalry. It did lack the fight that usually goes with these games hand in hand. Part of that can be put down to the overhaul and changes the two teams have gone through since the playoff series the two played in 2012.

A constant that hasn't changed since the playoff series in 2012 is the big impact the special teams had on the game. The Flyers scored on 3 of their 6 opportunities with 2 of them in the first period to give them a 2-0 lead going into the break. The Penguins second penalty was very harsh though as Daley was given a 2 minute penalty of hooking when there appeared to be nothing untoward. However, even if you don't agree with the penalty, you still have to kill it.

After that point the Penguins dominated the play tallying 17 and 19 points in the 2nd and 3rd periods. Daley scored his 4th goal as a Penguin in just 17 games. Crosby followed up and continued his good form with his 15th of the season on Mason's short side. Mason was completely lost by the shot and look bemused that it went in. The Penguins powerplay clicked again at the end of the 2nd with a tic-tac-toe powerplay goal for Kessel after some great cycling by Crosby.

The third period was a bit quieter, Kessel added a second after a rush with Hagelin. Giroux scored a late goal for the Flyers on another extra-man advantage and made the Penguins sweat in the final 3 minutes with 5 shots on net. Pittsburgh were able to block them out and, although Letang missed two empty netters, they held on.

This was a character building win more than anything and a statement of the progression of this team that they can out-shoot anyone. The Penguins play Vancouver tomorrow first and they're slated to play Washington on Sunday but it may be cancelled due to the blizzard. News on that will come tomorrow.

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Pens fall to Blues, 5-2

Pittsburgh dropped the ball last night against a determined St.Louis Blues team that ended up scoring 4 of their 5 goals against the Penguins back-up, Jeff Zatkoff. After such an impressive win against the Carolina Hurricanes it is disappointing to see the Penguins play so poorly on the back end of the back-to-back. It means the Penguins are now 2-7-1 in the second of back-to-back games.

The game could be summed up a lot by the Blues first goal. Zatkoff, for some reason, decided to come out his net to attempt to poke check the puck away from Brouwer. There wasn't really a need to as there was no clean shooting opportunity and the defencemen were advancing so would have covered it. Zatkoff miss the puck completely and was left cold and dry as he gave the Blues an open net.

Pittsburgh lead the game briefly in the second period after a late 1st period Kunitz goal and Malkin tally early with 5 minutes remaining in the second. Hagelin earned his first point as a Penguins after springing Malkin free for him to bury it over the goalies far side. The Blues tied it up late in the second just 1 minute and 28 seconds after Malkin's goal.

At this point the Penguins were leading in shots, 31 to 17. Despite having nearly double the Blues shots they were still only able to stay level. With that number of shots you should be winning the game. The Blues didn't have a single period with more than 9 shots. The final period was the only one were they had more than the Penguins, 8 to 7.

The Blues took the most of their chance scoring three times in the final period as the Penguins came up short. It has been a problem that has been running since before Sullivan took over. But it doesn't help when you have a goaltender as inept as Zatkoff is. I really don't believe he is good enough to be an NHL back-up, I'll have more on that in the future in a separate post.

Up next for the Penguins after that disappointing performance? The Flyers. Oh boy.

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Pens shut out Hurricanes on Hagelin's debut

Marc-Andre Fleury earned his 41st career shut-out as the Pittsburgh Penguins bested the Carolina Hurricanes 5-0 in an early matinee game. The Penguins had lost the two previous game against the Hurricanes so today was a chance for a bit of revenge and to also get back in the win column after losing the last two games against the Hurricanes and Lightning, both in Over-time.

Carl Hagelin made his debut for the Penguins despite only flying over to Pittsburgh yesterday. He had a good debut, taking four shots and earning 13:15 minutes on the ice. The negative and positives in Hagelin's game are clear to see. He has excellent speed and he was good on the PK but he hasn't got the quickest hands, as was demonstrated on a breakaway when he failed to get a good deke off. However, the early signs are encouraging and he seemed to work well with Malkin and Kessel.

Sidney Crosby continued his resurgence under Sullivan, scoring his 13th and 14th goals of the season. The first goal was a questionable one as it hit his skate before going in but the referees deemed it to be a deflection and not a distinct kicking motion. Crosby's second goal was a beauty snipe from the boards over Lack's shoulders into the top corner.

Malkin didn't have the best game but he seems to have gelled well with Hagelin and there is clearly some chemistry developing with Kessel. Kessel and Malkin had two assists each, both on the same goals. Kessel has struggled a little lately so it was good to see him contributing.

The fourth line was excellent again with Connor Sheary scoring his second goal of the season, despite falling over when shooting. The fourth line continues to cycle well and can only improve when injuries are healed on other players. Lastly, it was good to see Maatta and Daley both score. Daley has been superb since the trade and Maatta showed a good improvement with his skating, which has been one of his downsides. With Letang out, both need to play well to cover.

The only downside to the game was the referee, Tim Peel, taking out Warsofsky late on in the game after losing his footing and sliding through him. Warsofsky hit the ground hard and is likely out for tomorrow's trip to St.Louis meaning that it is highly probably that Derrick  Pouliot is called up. The next two games will be tricky as they feature the Blues and Flyers and they will be a good character test of the team.

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Pens trade Perron and Clendening for Hagelin

The Pittsburgh have traded David Perron and Adam Clendening to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Carl Hagelin. The trade came late last night after the Penguins 5-4 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. After struggling the game before against the Carolina Hurricanes, Jim Rutherford had clearly had enough of Perron and felt the time was right to trade.

Carl Hagelin previously played for the New York Rangers and went up against the Penguins regularly so the team know what he is about. He is a fast skater, who is golden for breakaways and is someone who can battle physically as well with his 186lbs, 5'11 frame.

Hagelin was a fairly successful player for the Rangers during his time there. He was drafted by them in 2007 draft in the 6th round, 168th overall. He spent four seasons comitted to the University of Michigan in the NCAA before making his debut with the Rangers against the Washington Capitals on the 25th November 2011. He started that season by recording points in four straight games.

Hagelin's rookie season with the Rangers was actually his best season statistically as he finished with 14 goals and 24 assists in 64 goals. The closest he came to matching it in a full season was in 2014-15 when he finished with 17 goals and 18 assists. After playing 266 games with the Rangers and scoring 58 goals and 62 assists he was traded.

The Rangers were unable to sign him due to his good performances and their cap position at the time. They traded him to the Anaheim Ducks for Emerson Etem and a 2nd round pick in 2015. His first season in Anaheim has been a struggle and it seems the Ducks didn't want to hang around. He only had 4 goals and 8 assists on the season through 43 games before behind traded.

Hagelin and Perron have similar seasons in that they have both been inconsistent in their production. Hagelin is on a good spell at the moment with 4 points his last 5 games but he had just 5 in his first 20 games. Perron had a period between the 28th October and 25th of November where, through 12 games he scored 8 points. But apart from that good patch he has been ineffective, his last goal was against the St.Louis Blues on the 1st December.

Clendening was also included after struggling to break through the Penguins system. He was originally traded to the Penguins as part of the Sutter deal but he will find it likely just as hard to break through in Anaheim. He will most certainly spend a lot of time in San Diego with the Gulls. It is a shame that the Penguins didn't get a good look at him before trading him.

Hagelin's contract is fairly big at $4m but for the rest of this season it will be pro-rated and the Penguins will have enough space to sign other players in the summer. If the Penguins do need to clear some cap space there are some candidates available so it isn't something that should be worrying people.

I'm looking forward to seeing what Hagelin can do and I hope that after the disappointment of Perron he can fix that. I hope as well that Perron can find his game again as he is a talented player but it just wasn't going to work in Pittsburgh any more.

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Is it time for the Penguins to cut Perron loose?

During the first period against the Hurricanes last night the Penguins were in a delayed offside situation, Perron the guilty party. Despite the referee's vocal shouting of this fact Perron seemed to ignore it and ended up giving the Hurricanes a face-off in the neutral zone. A sign of frustration perhaps at his play this season. Whatever it was Sullivan wasn't happy, there was a thousand yard stare that would unsettle any man.

It has been over a year now since Perron was traded to the Penguins from the Edmonton Oilers for a 2015 1st round pick, a pick that ended up being Mathew Barzal. Since then Perron has played 85 games and tallied 16 goals and 22 assists for a paltry 38 points. He finished with a 0.51 PPG last season with 22 points through 44 games. This season he is on pace to finish with 31 points which would make it his second lowest full season total after his rookie year.

Perron started the season with a rough stretch, like Crosby and it took him 9 games to register his first point, an assist in the 3-1 win over Washington on October 28th. Perron has not been a consistent performer for Pittsburgh and for someone who is expected to contribute in a top six role that isn't good enough. His last goal came way back on the 1st December against his old team, St.Louis. One of only two multi-point games for him this season.

Sullivan has tried Perron on the top line with Crosby recently after ending his Connor Sheary experiment. A lot of players struggled under Johnston's system and have rebounded somewhat to varying degrees under Sullivan. Perron hasn't. He's only tallied 5 points in 14 games and is currently on a three game pointless streak. 

Perron has seen a reduction in his offensive zone drop from last seasons 61.2% to 57% this season but that isn't a good enough reason for a drop in offensive production. Something that has been noticeable is that Perron isn't shooting as much and his shot isn't as good as it was. He doesn't appear to have confidence in himself and has drop his S% from 9.8% last year to just 4.3% this year. His career best season in 2010-11 saw him much higher at 12.7% and there has been a continual decline from thereon. 

Perron still has his quick hands and strong upper body strength so there is no reason why he cannot return to being at least a 25-25 player. I think he really needs a confidence boosting goal to get him back in the groove. When you go through a dry patch you try harder to get back in and that can sometimes be worse. 

The Penguins shouldn't try and trade him right now, they've got the All-Star game soon and then, at February's end is the trade deadline. I think they should give him until the end of the month to see if he can snap out this funk and if he can't, then they should look at the options available out there. There will be a team out there that will be able to make him work and if it isn't going to work here, then the Pens should cut him loose.

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Weekend round-up: 10th January

Another week and another round-up. The Penguins only played one game this weekend and gave a debut to Thomas Kuhnhackl against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre on Saturday night. Making your debut against the Habs at the Bell Centre, not a bad way to start. Kuhnhackl was brought up alongside Bryan Rust who scored his first NHL goal of the season and only his second in his career.

The Penguins played a good game against the Habs controlling the play in the first period and restricting the shots that the opposition were able to take. Both teams traded powerplays in the first  and there is a distinct improvement on the movement in Pittsburgh's powerplay since Sullivan was appointed. There is still a problem with shot counts though and if you're only getting one shot, as they did on Saturday night, then you're not making the most of your chance.

Montreal had a renewed vigour in the second period and the game moved into a more balance contest with 12 shots to each side. Torrey Mitchell had a rough period, committing two penalties. On the first the Penguins managed to convert just 12 seconds in with Malkin passing the puck around the net to Kessel who fed Hornqvist in the front to slot it past Condon. Subban responded relatively quickly for Montreal with a bomb of a shot from the point. The Penguins hard work was rewarded though when Rust scored on a slight breakaway after a superb pass by Bonino.

The third period was a much tougher one for the Penguins and Montreal piled on the pressure but despite the Penguins committing two more penalties their PK and defence held firm. Part of the reason is down to Fleury playing unbelievable hockey and I think it would be fair to say that he is having a career year. Eric Fehr wrapped up the win late on with an empty net goal.

Wilkes-Barre played two games over the weekend, one on Friday the 8th and the second on the following Saturday. Wilkes-Barre won both games to stretch their win streak 5 games. The opening game was a rivalry match-up against cross-state opponents the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

The game was busiest in the first with the teams trading goals and the period ended with the Pens up 4-3 with goals from Archibald (twice), Wilson and Sheary. Sheary and Wilson both scored on their return from the NHL after being sent down. Wilson followed that up with another two goals the following night against Utica Comets. Sheary had three assists too. Jarry and Murray continue to put up incredible numbers at the other end.

Finally, the Wheeling Nailers. They played a back-to-back double header with the Orlando Solar Bears and lost both. Palazzesse and Foster split the matches but they couldn't do much as the Nailers lost 5-2 and 6-3. Wheeling led the first game 2-0 after the first period with goals from Zlobin and Wydo but 5 goals on 24 shots sunk them. Wheeling were tied going in the third period in the second game too but Orlando took their chances and the Nailers didn't. That was the big difference.

An decent weekend, the Nailers the only ones to struggle.

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Pens call up Kuhnhackl, Rust and send down Wilson and Sheary

The Pittsburgh Penguins today announced that they had sent down Scott Wilson and Connor Sheary to the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins and that they had also called up Thomas Kuhnhackl and Bryan Rust. Kevin Porter will remain on the team for now, one would think it is for his penalty kill work and due to Bennett being out short-term. When Bennett returns I would expect Porter to be sent back down.

Connor Sheary initially showed promise with his stint with the Penguins, scoring a goal and an assist in his second game with Crosby against the Bruins. However, other than that he has yet to impact on any following games and has not yet proven himself to be good enough to deserve a longer look. He is only 23 though, so his time in the NHL is not over yet.

Scott Wilson had a much smaller stint with the Penguins having played just four games to Sheary's 10. His first game was against the Blue Jackets on the 21st of December and he recorded his only point, an assist on Phil Kessel's 10th of the season. Like Sheary though Wilson looked a bit lost out there and it makes sense to try new players if they deserve it.

Bryan Rust has played with the Penguins before this season in 2014-15 where he played 14 games and finished with a goal and assist. He had a brief stint earlier in this season appearing in five games but he failed to have an impact before being injured in late October.

Following Rust on the conveyer belt up is Thomas Kuhnhackl, a native German who has struggled with injuries in the previous years. The injuries have affected his development, perhaps the most severe was a season ending shoulder injury in the 2012-13 season. Kuhnhackl spent time in Wheeling rebuilding his game and was rewarded with a full season in the AHL last year scoring 12 goals and 18 assists in 72 games.

Seeing Kuhnhackl rewarded is pleasing and I hope the new players are able to shine.

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Pens in good show, lose to Blackhawks in OT

The Penguins put in a good shift last night but fell short at the final hurdle, in overtime. Sidney Crosby continued his good form with another two points, including a neat goal that beat Crawford far side. The game started off in an even fashion with both teams trading scoring chances at 7 a piece in the first period. The Penguins got a first taste of one of the most dominant power plays in the league too, late in the first. They killed it off and went into the second even.

The Penguins welcome Scuderi back to the 'burgh and he finished the game a +1 with 11:13 in TOI. The Chicago defence is one of, if not the toughest, to play against and in the second they helped the Blackhawks take control of the game. Duncan Keith sprung Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin on a 2-on-1, which they were never going to miss. Not to be outdone, Keith's partner, Seabrook fired a shot at the next near the end of the second period which was ricocheted in by Toews to give the Hawks a 2-0 lead.

However, as mentioned earlier, Crosby has done well recently and tonight was no exception. He carried the team in the third period scoring his fifth goal in four games and, with his assist on Letang's tying goal, his 7th point in that same span. The resurgence of Crosby has been a joy to watch and it is all down to Sullivan employing a system that benefits him with fast entries and speed along with contained zone presence. Under Johnston the Pens dumped the puck a lot and lost it in the boards, with Sullivan they're carrying it into the zone which is giving them more opportunities.

The most entertaining part of the game was the overtime period that followed. Both teams traded chances with goaltenders and defenders being stripped many times. Malkin and Kessel had chances to end it for the Pens but Chicago went down the other end and Artemi Panarin scored his second of the net to end it. If this game was anything to go by, then tonight will be just as good. In all, getting a point off the reigning champions and taking them the distance is something to be pleased with.

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In the system - Weekend round-up

The Penguins system consists of three teams, the Pittsburgh Penguins playing in the National Hockey League, the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins in the American Hockey League and the Wheeling Nailers in the East Coast Hockey League. This is a new feature that I'm looking to do at the end of each weekend as a round-up of the results and any news that has arisen. I like to discuss prospects and this is one of the ways of raising points.

This was a pretty good weekend with Pittsburgh beating the Islanders 5-2 at home. The Pens top offensive players in Letang, Malkin and Crosby are performing at a higher level than they were under Johnston and it is reflected in the goals being scored. Pittsburgh only scored five goals once under Johnston, the 5-1 win in San Jose on December 1st. They've trebled that under Sullivan.

Sidney Crosby has seen the biggest improvement in his play compared to his early season start and he is starting to perform more at a level that we are accustomed of seeing from him. The  Penguins have two tough games coming up though in a back-to-back with the Chicago Blackhawks, one of the top teams in the league. If the Penguins can continue their good performances against them then it bodes well for their future.

In the American Hockey League, the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins won both games at the weekend. Shortly after being sent back down Matt Murray starred in a 4-1 win over the Springfield Falcons. Murray's record against Springfield is staggering so to see them beaten again isn't surprising.

Wilkes-Barre won their second game of the weekend against the Hartford Wolfpack with debutant Casey Desmith getting his first AHL win in a 3-2 win. Desmith stopped 22 of 24 shots whilst Bryan Rust scored his 3rd of the season but Dominik Simon, a 2015 draftee has been making waves with 29 points in his first 32 games. Simon was drafted in the 5th round, 137 overall. He has played in pro leagues for the three previous seasons, so maybe it isn't that much of a surprise, even at his young age.

Lastly, the Wheeling Nailers with goaltender Franky Palazzese playing his 6th and 7th games in a row. Wheeling opened the weekend with a 5-1 win over Brampton, Jarrett Burton scoring twice on former Thrashers prospect, Eddie Pasquale. The win ended a run of 4 losses but the following night they returned to the losing column with a 5-3 loss against the Norfolk Admirals. Wheeling had a 2-1 lead late in the first through two Anton Zlobin goals but let in four straight.

Overall, a good weekend for the system with 4 wins from 5 games. I'll be interested to hear people's thoughts on this and what can be done to improve it. Constructive criticism is always welcome.

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Daniel Sprong putting NHL disappointment behind him

Daniel Sprong isn't dwelling on what could have been this season with the Penguins. Sprong spent the majority of the season to date with the team but only played 18 games with them before being sent back to the QMJHL and the Charlottetown Islanders. Sprong showed glimpses of what could be in the future with impressive shooting power and speed, the likes of which the Penguins need.

Sprong was drafted by the Penguins in the 2015 draft after falling from the first round to the Penguins at 46th overall. It was a surprise that he dropped and rumours point to poor interviews with team representatives as the reason, teams look for the right personalities alongside skill. Their loss was Pittsburgh's gain.

Sprong is a 6'0, 180lbs right winger who spent his pre-draft years with the Charlottetown Islanders. Before being drafted he spent two years with the team and scored freely, finishing with 69 goals and 87 assists in 135 games. It was clear that he has some heavy offensive skills and since returning to Charlottetown he has picked up where he left off.

Sprong played his first game back on the 28th against the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles and promptly scored two goals in a 4-1 win. He followed that up with another great offensive performance with a goal and an assist against 2nd place Moncton Wildcats. Sprong closed out 2015 with a solitary goal in a 3-2 to Saint John.

Sprong has already had 20 shots in those three games and has been rewarded with 4 goals. It wouldn't be a surprise to see him catch the teams current leading scorer, Samuel Blais, on 17. Blais is an old friend of Sprong and his return has also seen him reunited with Chlapik, a fellow 2015 draftee.

Sprong may have had his first professional season with the Penguins somewhat ruined by their mismanagement of their most prized prospect but he has so far been a complete professional and put it behind him. Sprong plays next on the 3rd January.

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Looking ahead to 2016

2015 was a rough year for the Penguins and one that failed to show the optimism that started in late 2014. It saw a change in coach, personnel and expectations. Some things have stayed the same but the more they stay the same the more they seem to change. I've run through a few points that I think will be important during the year.

Expiring Contracts

2016 will be an important year for the future of the franchise with key players being up for contract in June. The General Manager, Jim Rutherford, is out of contract in the summer as well. He was originally appointed as a stop gap for two years to provide a quick fix to the franchise, but he has hinted at staying for as long as needed. Personally, I would give him an extension for a year if he wants to stay.

Some people have been stating that we should let him go and I can understand their reasoning. There have been a few trades that people would likely not make in hindsights and the management of some players has been questionable. But, on the whole, I think he has helped turned this team in the right direction.

The Penguins have more depth on their forwards but have regressed on their defence. That last point is seen as the biggest issue with Rutherford along with the mismanagement of Daniel Sprong and Derrick Pouliot. Both of whom were rushed, or had their time wasted sitting in the press box, in Rutherford's words. I think the team are generally happy with the direction he is going in, the team just need to perform better on the ice.

Trade deadline

Jim Rutherford was active last year at the trade deadline acquiring Ian Cole and Ben Lovejoy. Depending on where the Penguins are at that moment in time in the standings will determine what action he takes. For the Penguins it would be better to be a team in the play-offs as there will be less of a chance of some moves being made, moves that in the past the Penguins have been wrong to make.

For the first time in years the Penguins should just stay pat unless they're able to move the poor performers in the team in Kunitz, Lovejoy and Zatkoff. Overall I think the Penguins should be given the play-offs and any drastic trades should be avoided so that the Penguins can, for a change, get some good prospects in the summer.

If the Penguins are out of the play-offs by a way then we could see them as sellers and if they are at that point they should look to get as many picks or prospects as possible to improve the team going forward. Nearly all players should be made available apart from a strong core.

Mike Sullivan

We all remember what we were doing when Mike Johnston was fired. Since he was fired the Penguins product on the ice has improved drastically, the only outlier being the actual results themselves. Under Johnston the team operated a defensive system first which relied on dumping the puck into the opposition zone. The team was not effective in this system and often lost possession when dumping, making it harder to score.

Under Sullivan the team have employed an offense first system that looks at speed and shots. Carrying the puck into the zone is the preferred method and this has helped give the Penguins improved zone time and, in turn, more shots on net. Nearly all advanced metrics point to an improvement in the Penguins since Johnston was fired. The test will be to see if Sullivan is able to continue this improvement and if, at the end of the season, he deserves another season. At the moment, he does but it is early.

Star players performing

The Penguins have had trouble scoring and this has been mentioned many times. Under Johnston the Penguins were missing their leading edge over teams in talent from their 1-2 punch with Crosby and  Malkin. There was also a real lack of chemistry with the lines which lead to problems due to incompatible play styles.

Mike Sullivan has seen an improvement in the star players. Under Johnston, Crosby scored 6 goals and 13 assists in 28 games. In just the 8 games following on, under Sullivan, he has scored 3 goals and 5 assists. His production per game has nearly doubled. Malkin has seen an improvement too, from 13 goals and assists in 28 games under Johnston to 5 goals and 3 assists in the 9 following.

The Penguins need their star players to perform if they're to have a chance in the play-offs as without them their chances are bleak. Thankfully, they seem to be trending upwards and we should see that continue and a return to the "norm" for those players.

There will lots of games and lots of ups and downs for the Pens in 2016, lets hope it is a good year and one to remember for the right reasons.

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