The Pittsburgh Penguins have gone another game without a power play goal, and changes are needed.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have gone another game without a power play goal, and changes are needed.
Despite a tight win over a tough Toronto Maple Leafs team, the Pittsburgh Penguins failed to record a power play goal for the seventh consecutive game.
With no goals on three tries against the Maple Leafs, the Penguins have gone without a man advantage goal in 21 straight chances and just one in their last 23.
Head coach Mike Sullivan hit the shuffle button on the personnel a couple of times, but that isn’t going to do the trick.
It doesn’t matter who is on the ice when the formation, structure, and plan of attack are being picked apart with ease.
In one power play chance in particular against the Leafs, the Penguins looked genuinely nervous to enter the zone and set up for chances; once they get in the zone, it’s a passing fest.
Sullivan mentioned weeks ago that the Penguins are sometimes lean on trying to ‘pass the puck into the net’ and find the perfect shot.
Most of the time, the perfect shot won’t be there, forcing them to overpass and lose opportunities.
Not only is the passing wasting time and energy, the Penguins are struggling even complete those passes with in the zone.
According to a stat from Sportlogiq displayed on Hockey Night in Canada, the Penguins sit 31st in the NHL in offensive zone pass completion on the power play with 78.2%; they also rank 30th in offensive zone turnover rate with 14%.
On the season, the Penguins man advantage has generated seven total goals on 56 attempts; good for 12.5% and 26th in the NHL.
The Penguins have had the third least opportunities in the NHL, but allowing those chances to slip away has cost them multiple games.
Sidney Crosby said following the game on Hockey Night in Canada that he didn’t win enough face offs to start those chances.
Regardless of face off wins or passes not being completed, the Penguins need to change something within their structure to find goals with the extra man.
The team won’t survive with a power play group lacking power and they’ve had a similar structure for nearly a decade.
Something has to change, and fast before more games are allowed to get away thanks to this crucial area of the game.
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