It all started against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the power play of the Pittsburgh Penguins looks to be turning a corner.
It was far from a perfect performance against the Minnesota Wild, but the power play of the Pittsburgh Penguins looks to finally be coming alive.
In five opportunities with a man advantage, the Penguins scored a pair of power play goals but also gave up a short handed tally late in the contest.
Heading into Minnesota, you wouldn’t be wrong in saying the Penguins power play units were downright bad.
The players deployed became gun-shy and weren’t taking enough shots; plain and simple they needed to shoot the puck more.
Through the first 16 games of the season, the Penguins power play was 25th in the NHL with an 18.18% conversion rating.
You could see it in the loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Penguins power play unit was building momentum.
One opportunity in the second period against Toronto saw the Penguins attempt numerous shots and multiple great looks at the net.
Head coach Mike Sullivan said following that game that he was encouraging signs from the power play on that attack in particular.
"That's the semblance of the power play I think they are capable of," Sullivan said. "They can build on that."
Former Penguins goalie Matt Murray did plenty of standing on his head to keep the attackers at bay, but there was a seed planted.
That seed isn’t fully bloomed, but it might be sprouting as the Penguins entered Minnesota and walked out with a pair of man advantage goals.
The first one a 5-on-3 chance where Kris Letang not only shot the puck on net, but recorded his first goal and power play point of the season.
One of the biggest criticisms of the Penguins power play is how Letang hasn’t been shooting the puck enough; he was rewarded that time with a goal to take the lead in the contest.
The second power play goal didn’t come from any sort of designed setup, rather just a one-time opportunity that showed off the skill of both Jake Guentzel and Sidney Crosby.
A pass that barely makes it through to Crosby for a shot that barely squeaks through Filip Gustavsson.
The power play would give up a short handed goal late in the game to let the Wild get back within one.
Giving up a timely short handed goal like that is far from ideal and something that can’t happen, but the power play should take the small victory and consider going 2/5 a step forward.
The Penguins and their power play units aren’t where they would like to be yet, but this is a game they can build off and gain much needed momentum.
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