The Pittsburgh Penguins have a number of issues, but how tough they are isn't one of them.
Despite losing to the Los Angeles Kings 6-0, a lot of the discussion around the Pittsburgh Penguins is going to center on their toughness.
Are the Penguins tough enough? Why is no one sticking up for their captain? Do they need to add a bruiser at the deadline?
An NHL officiating crew were quicker to assess Sidney Crosby his first career game misconduct than give him an explanation to a previous penalty, and that’s what sparked this debate.
Prior to getting the boot, Crosby was crosschecked by Kings defenseman Michael Anderson, who was penalized for the infraction, but no other Penguins stepped in to protect their captain.
Without a third man into the fray, Crosby was left to handle his own dirty work, something he isn’t afraid to do and has been doing since his rookie season.
Do the Penguins need to be tougher? Absolutely, they’ve been getting pushed around far too often all season, but it’s far from their biggest problem.
The bottom six is still abysmal and questions continue to swirl around the goaltending situation.
If the Penguins want to add a little grit to the lineup, they’ll want to figure those issues out first.
Beyond that, who would they add for toughness? A Ryan Reaves type of player isn’t going to work in Mike Sullivan’s system.
If that’s the focus all of a sudden, they’d want to zero in on a Chris Kunitz style; a player who had loads of skill and not afraid to mix it up after whistles or throw wrecking ball hits.
Josh Archibald loves to throw the body but isn’t much of a fighter; Jason Zucker is a close comparable, but that’s not his role.
Again, the Penguins have their issues, but their toughness and willingness to fight back isn’t the main focus, right now.
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