Reilly Smith discusses the opportunity to join the Pittsburgh Penguins top power play unit and how he hopes his presence could turn it around. Through eight games of the 2023-24 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have only scored two power play goals on 20 total chances. The addition of Erik Karlsson to a group that already featured Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang, gave extremely high expectations for the Penguins man advantage unit. With only a pair of goals to speak of, something is clearly not working; whether it’s the personnel or the scheme, it hasn’t been good enough. Without a goal in 16 straight chances, the Penguins have made another small adjustment to their power play. After a few games of Bryan Rust on the top unit, he was moved back to the second for Reilly Smith. In his first handful of games in a Penguins uniform, Smith has looked outstanding with four goals and a great chemistry with Malkin. Smith is hopeful that his chemistry with Malkin will carry over from even strength to the man advantage. “Hopefully we get a couple of opportunities tonight and make the most of it,” Smith said. “Other than that just stick to my game.” The change in dynamic won’t be a clean maneuver for the two, but some of the other names might provide a new opportunity for the entire unit. “Power plays are a lot different from five-on-fives,” Smith said. “There’s a lot more time and space. Sid, Guentz, and Geno have been out there a long time together so they have that chemistry. I’ll just try to feed off of them and chip in when I can.” Head coach Mike Sullivan stated before that he didn’t plan on making any huge changes to the power play despite the struggles. Giving Smith a promotion isn’t necessarily a huge move, but it’s another new look for the lagging group. Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins [http://insidethepenguins.com/]for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more. Passing of Former Penguins Forward Raises Player Safety Questions [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/passing-pittsburgh-penguins-adam-johnson-player-safety-questions] Penguins 'Staying With' Struggling Power Play [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/pittsburgh-penguins-staying-struggling-power-play] Penguins vs. Avalanche: Time for Wake Up Call [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/pittsburgh-penguins-anaheim-ducks-wake-up-call] Hockey World Mourns Loss of Former Penguins Player [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/players/hockey-world-mourns-pittsburgh-penguins-adam-johnson] GAME RECAP: Senators Stifle Penguins 5-2 [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/podcasts/game-recap-ottawa-senators-stifle-penguins] * undefined * undefined
