Plus Minus: IIHF Neck Guards, Penguins' Power Play, Coyotes' Blowout and Capitals' Kuznetsov

Welcome to another edition of THN.com’s Plus Minus feature, in which we assign pluses to positive news items in the hockey world and a couple of minuses for not-positive news items. On to it we go:

The International Ice Hockey Federation announced Monday it would mandate neck guards in all competitions it governs, including men’s and women’s World Championships and Olympic games. 

The new mandate doesn’t apply to professional teams, as pro leagues must include the decisions of players’ unions in any new policy. However, any move to make the sport safer has to be applauded. You can’t make hockey risk-free, but you can mitigate the number of accidents that take place on the ice, and the IIHF deserves kudos for acting quickly to better protect players.

It's only been a handful of weeks since the tragic death of player Adam Johnson after a skate cut his neck in an Elite Ice Hockey League game in late October. And it’s not ever too soon for a sport to respond to a tragedy by re-examining its rules and regulations and moving to give its players happy, healthy lives once the games are over. 

We can’t bring back Johnson, but we can act in his memory to keep his fellow hockey lovers safe and sound, and the IIHF is doing the right thing with mandatory neck guards.

It’s astonishing to see the Pittsburgh Penguins – the same team that employs stars Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson – struggling mightily with the man advantage, but it’s true. 

The Penguins currently have the NHL’s third-worst power play at 10.5 percent, better only than St. Louis (9.9 percent) and Washington (7.8 percent). Pittsburgh hasn’t scored a power-play goal in its past 11 games, going 0-for-29, as THN's Pittsburgh site examined. 

Penguins coach Mike Sullivan and his staff must get a handle on their power-play woes because it’s costing them valuable standings points in the competitive Metropolitan Division.

The Penguins are still in the lower half of the NHL on offense in general at 3.04 goals-for per game, but they must improve their play with the extra man if they’re going to move up through the Metro and into a playoff berth. 

Sullivan’s job isn’t yet in jeopardy, but the Pens’ record of 3-4-3 in their past 10 games is worrisome, and it could lead to even bigger changes on the power play and/or behind the bench.

After walloping the Washington Capitals 6–0 Monday night, the Arizona Coyotes are winners of five straight games, and they’re now in a playoff position in the Central Division. 

The Coyotes burst out of the gate Monday with five goals in the opening period, including two goals in three minutes from forward Nick Schmaltz – and from there, Coyotes starting goaltender Connor Ingram continued his white-hot play, turning aside 26 Capitals shots to record his second shutout of the season.

The Coyotes don’t have a point producer in the top 28 of the NHL, but they’re thriving because of their speed and smarts and the coaching of Andre Tourigny. 

We still see there being major challenges ahead for Arizona this season, but you can’t deny the Coyotes are finally looking ready to leave the past behind them and establish a new name for themselves.

The rollercoaster relationship between the Capitals and star center Evgeny Kuznetsov went down Monday when the Caps scratched him against the Coyotes for what would've been his 700th career regular-season game.

Kuznetsov has had a subpar year, with only nine points in 19 games this season, including just one point in his past six games. Washington has been better than many expected thus far this year, but the already-delicate relationship between Kuznetsov and the team is in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. 

Kuznetsov has this season and next year under contract, but he’s been linked to trade rumors before, and he will be again now that he’s fallen out of favor. The 31-year-old looks like he’s ready for a new start in a new city, and the Capitals may well choose to oblige him.