After Pittsburgh went 0-for-5 on the power play and surrendered a shorthanded goal in their 4-3 shootout loss to Philadelphia on Saturday, continuing their struggles when it comes to getting results in that area of special teams, the Penguins made adjustments during practice on Sunday.
Kris Letang moved back onto the top unit, joining Erik Karlsson, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Jake Guentzel. The Penguins had used that two-defensemen look during training camp and in the early part of the season before going back to four forwards, with Letang moving to the second unit and Karlsson remaining a fixture on the first.
The difference this time around is that Letang is back at the center point, a position he occupied for years before Karlsson’s arrival, while the reigning Norris Trophy winner as the league’s top defenseman has moved to the left half wall (Malkin is on the right).
“He has been up there for a long time, and let's say he ends up in the spot that I'm designated or I'm up top, like, it doesn't really change that much,” Karlsson said. “We’re both righties and it just gives us maybe a little bit more of an opportunity to shoot some quality shots when we get in positions to. We're going to try it out. Obviously, it hasn't gone the way that we wanted. So, we're gonna keep trying, and we're gonna keep trying until we get it right.”
The Penguins have not scored on the power play since Nov. 11 versus Buffalo, going 0-for-26 over that span. They have gotten on the board in just four games, going 7-for-64 on the year for a 10.9% success rate that has them ranked 29th in the league.
While it may seem surprising that a power play featuring so many accomplished, experienced, and elite players is finding it difficult to get results, Letang believes that sometimes, it just takes time to find the right combinations with the addition of new personnel. That was the case with the penalty kill, which for the most part, has been terrific as of late.
“Our PK at the beginning of the year didn't go so well. We had so many new guys. Now, we clarified a lot of things, guys are getting chemistries. But the difference between the power play and the PK is the PK doesn’t have to put it in the net,” Letang said.
“So, the power play has a lot of pressure, and these guys put a lot of pressure on themselves to be successful and make a difference in the game. Sometimes it takes time, and it doesn't matter what names you have on the board, it's just a question of getting it together. I don't think we're that far out.”
The Penguins are hoping that moving Letang back into a familiar role, with his longtime teammates knowing how he operates up there, can help. The Penguins trust that Karlsson, who has 19 points in 23 games after recording a career-high 101 last season, can handle whatever role he is cast in. "He can shoot the puck, he’s got a good one-timer. But he’s also got the ability to see the ice and he has good offensive instincts. I think he can make plays, also," Sullivan said.
Karlsson has been, as he put it, “a little bit of everywhere” on the power play, except for maybe down low. This current configuration will give their breakout a different look, but apart from that, Karlsson’s approach doesn’t change much regardless of where he is. “I try and do what I think is right out there and give the puck to the guy that is open,” he said.
Marcus Pettersson moved into the role Letang had occupied on the second unit alongside forwards Bryan Rust, Reilly Smith, Lars Eller and Jeff Carter. For the entire power-play group as a whole, Sullivan said an important aspect of the solution is to become a simplified version of themselves.
“Put pucks at the net, we’ve got to go to the net. I think we can be a little bit more predictable for ourselves with some of our movement, and that was something we discussed with the group today, but we’ll see where this goes,” he said.
“These guys care an awful lot about this thing, and they take a lot of pride in it, and they’re real good players. They’re very invested, and so we’re going to work with them here to work through it.”
