The Pittsburgh Penguins are beginning to see old habits return in the new year.

No one in the Pittsburgh Penguins locker room was happy with how the 2022-23 season ended.

Just a point out of a playoff spot, the Penguins missed the postseason for the first time since 2006 and forced numerous changes throughout the organization.

Now, 16 games into a new year, changes have definitely been made both on and off the ice, but some of the old habits and outcomes seem to have stuck around.

The Penguins missed the 2023 Postseason thanks to a multitude of reasons, but some of the most notable ones are starting to resurface and cause a truly mediocre start.

Lack of Depth

One of the biggest areas of concern last year was the Penguins’ extremely thin depth; the bottom six forward group struggled to score on a regular basis and really had a tough time playing defense.

New president and general manager Kyle Dubas set out to revamp the Penguins’ bottom six with numerous new faces.

The names Dubas signed for the depth roles had a pretty common theme: defense.

Heading into the year, it was clear the Penguins’ bottom six wouldn’t allow many goals, but could they score?

So far, the answer has been a resounding no; over the last six games, the Penguins have scored 19 goals with only three of them coming from players not named Sidney Crosby, Bryan Rust, Jake Guentzel, Erik Karlsson, or Evgeni Malkin.

Drew O’Connor, Lars Eller, and Radim Zohorna are the three other names to score in that time, and Zohorna has since been promoted to the second line in place of Ricakrd Rakell.

Lagging Power Play

At the end of the 2022-23 season, the Penguins power play finished with a 21.72% conversion rate, good for 14^th in the NHL and just barely above league average of 21.31%.

This time around, with the added weapon of Karlsson, the Penguins power play is floundering with a 15.91% rate and 25^th in the NHL.

With only seven power play goals in 16 games, the Penguins power play looks like one of the most flawed in the league.

Consider the names; Crosby, Malkin, Karlsson, Guentzel, Kris Letang on the second unit.

Rust has had a resurgent start to the year and Reilly Smith found good chemistry with Malkin early on.

There is no reason for this power play to struggle the way it has; it’s shown flashes of brilliance, but nothing has come around consistently.

Tristan Jarry

It was a risk re-signing Tristan Jarry to five years and over $5 million annually, and everyone knew that.

Much like the power play, Jarry has shown flashes of what makes him great, but more often than not, his untimely misses and miscues have taken the spotlight.

Jarry carries three shutouts on the year, yet has a 6-7-0 record; when he’s not pitching a shutout, he’s usually allowing at least three goals against.

Following their loss to the Anaheim Ducks, Jarry said he needed to be better, for the next few games he was, but then the wheels fell off again.

Head coach Mike Sullivan says there isn’t any worry with Jarry’s inconsistencies, but they certainly need to be sorted out before things fall too far out of reach for the Penguins.

There are absolutely other problems that still surround the Penguins, and some of them carry from last year, but they will need to be fixed fairly soon.

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more.

THN Archive: From Russia With No Love for NHL

GAME RECAP: Hurricanes Continue Dominance Over Penguins With 4-2 Victory

Nottingham Panthers Retire Adam Johnson's Number

Penguins vs. Golden Knights: Tests Getting Tougher

Penguins' Vinnie Hinostroza Left Game with Lower-Body Injury

• undefined
• undefined