Penguins Wake Ovechkin Up, Proceed to Beat Him

Main Storylines:

• Ben Lovejoy was traded to Anaheim for a 2014 5th round pick.  Dylan Reese was recalled from WBS.
• Kris Letang will miss tonight due to an unknown ailment (I bet it’s a body injury, maybe even inner).
• Dylan Reese makes his Penguins debut, paired up with Simon Despres

Result:

Pens 5  Caps 2

Goals:  Malkin (3) (PP) from Crosby, Martin

            Dupuis (4) from Crosby, Kunitz

            Neal (7) (PP) from Kunitz, Malkin

            Cooke (2) from Sutter

            Crosby (5) (PP) from Malkin, Neal

ESPN Recap:  http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/recap?gameId=400442619

Stats:

• Most playing time: 28:08 for Paul Martin followed by 23:14 for Brooks Orpik
• Least playing time: 11:07 for Tyler Kennedy and then 11:38 for Zach Boychuk
• The Pens went 36 for 62 on faceoffs (Big 3 - Crosby: 12/23, Malkin: 10/16, Sutter: 8/13)
• Robert Bortuzzo led the team in hits (3) and penalties (2)
• The powerplay went 3/4 to increase their season total to 12/41 (29.3%)

The Good:

All smiles for the powerplay.

• Evgeni Malkin:  Geno seems to have shaken his KHL rust off completely at this point. Aside from his top corner snipe on Neuvirth and 2 powerplay assists, he’s demonstrating an increasing level of comfort in his skating and willingness to attempt various moves.  You can really tell when Malkin is feeling it based on his “swagger” on the ice, which tonight included a spin-o-rama shot (wide) and tape to tape passes.  I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the start of a goal streak for him.
• Powerplay:  While many of us (myself included) had suggested put Martin on the point and [foolishly] take Kunitz off the powerplay or split Malkin and Crosby up, Martin finally got his chance due to Letang’s absence tonight.  He ran the powerplay with poise and confidence and was certainly a factor in their 3 for 4 performance tonight.  The powerplay was clicking all over tonight as everyone made tape to tape passes and retrieved rebounds and pucks on the boards.  High skill + high effort + accuracy = lethal powerplay.  The usage of Crosby and Malkin across from each other on the left and right half boards (both had turns on each side) gave the Capitals fits and should be a fixture moving forward.
• Sidney Crosby:  All of a sudden, Crosby is tied for 3rd in points in the league and has put together a 6 game point streak.  Not bad for a guy that “started slow”, “would never return to form”, and “passed the baton.”  No matter what your feelings were going into the season, there is no doubt Crosby is playing at his elite level right now and wasn’t even slowed down by a puck to the face.  Good luck finding many players that scored the way he did tonight.  On a defensive note, his penalty killing has been quite strong too.
• Paul Martin:  As mentioned under the powerplay, Martin continues to move the puck with poise and has just simplified his game to a point of mastery.  He played a whopping 28:08 tonight, almost 5 minutes more than anyone else on the team.  Odds are you didn’t even notice it because he played that well.  I’m starting to run out of specifics to compliment Martin on because he has elevated his game that much.

The Bad:

• 2nd Line:  While Neal and Malkin looked great on the powerplay, the 2nd line still needs some work.  Neal was pass-happy, no wait, make that blind pass-happy and had issues turning the puck over.  Boychuk still had great bursts of speed and looked very much in sync with Malkin but his puck control could use some help.  The line as a whole seemed to make far too many short passes (we’ll say less than 3 ft) that were either unnecessary or too tough for someone to handle.  This line still hasn’t found their rhythm yet and I still think Jeffrey will return to the lineup sooner than later.
• Brandon Sutter:  This is certainly nitpicky because Sutter wasn’t bad; he just wasn’t up to par either.  His flaws were masked by the 5-2 win and his perfect faceoff win on Cooke’s goal, but he has had trouble controlling the puck and getting it out of the zone.  To a degree, I trust Sutter more without the puck than with the puck in the defensive and neutral zone right now.  That being said, he is still a stud when it comes to covering guys and blocking shots.  He just needs to be stronger on the puck on clears and passes.

The Ugly:

Wasn't Oates supposed to "unleash" Ovi?

• The Caps:  I had nothing marked badly enough for the Pens to put in this section (heck, I nitpicked to make a “Bad” section), so let’s attack what was ugly – the Washington Capitals.  Many fans had a bad feeling going into this game.  The Caps always play the Pens well in Pittsburgh, they had a big point to prove, and they were looking for a revenge game.  It started out strongly for Washington with the Ribeiro goal (don’t blame the refs, don’t blame the rules, Orpik got his stick under Fleury’s mask and knocked it off - lack of awareness on both of their parts).  Then there were just bizarre moves.  Pulling Neuvirth after the 2nd goal seemed foolish (and indeed did backfire) even if it was a soft goal.  The Caps as a team looked disgruntled after that happened instead of showing a renewed energy.  Why didn’t Oates use his timeout instead of going to Holtby who had gotten destroyed just days ago?  Then, why didn’t he use it after Holtby got blitzed twice in 11 seconds?  I thought Ovechkin played a strong game and looked awake again but the team as a whole just looked frazzled after the 2nd goal and had no rallying point.  What is the identity of the Capitals?  I don’t think anyone knows right now.

+/- Assessment:

Just glad the puck didn't hit Fleury's head.

• 1st GA (Ribeiro): - for Sutter (knocked off puck), Cooke (too deep in D zone, not covering point), Orpik (gets under Fleury’s mask with his stick)
• 1st GF (Malkin): + for Martin (pass to Crosby), Crosby (pass to Malkin), Kunitz (interferes with Carlson), Malkin (goal)
• 2nd GF (Dupuis): + for Engelland (breakout pass), Kunitz (passes up to Sid), Crosby (pass to Dupuis), Dupuis (goal)
• 3rd GF (Neal): + for Malkin (stretch pass to Kunitz), Kunitz (pass to the goal line to Neal), Neal (goal)
• 4th GF (Cooke): + for Sutter (faceoff win), Cooke (goal)
• 5th GF (Crosby): + for Neal (passes to Malkin), Malkin (shot that creates rebound), Crosby (retrieved puck originally, goal)
• 2nd GA (Ovechkin): - for Orpik (penalty)
• Click here to get the Season +/- spreadsheet and totals

Thoughts:

Nice and simple debut.

• Lovejoy Trade:  As you likely know, Lovejoy was traded to the Ducks for a 5th round pick.  I think it’s a fair trade, and honestly a generous trade since Lovejoy likely would have been put on waivers.  The Ducks are tearing it up right now and Lovejoy would have been claimed before he made it to them.  Pittsburgh gains compensation and the Ducks pay for depth.  It’s a solid trade for both teams.
• Dylan Reese:  I was very impressed with Reese, who played over 14 minutes in this game.  He played smart and simple hockey to perfection.  He didn’t take a single risk in passing or shooting the puck, and even made some superb line changes (I’m serious).  I noticed twice that he refused to change until his other D partner had changed and the new defenseman had already shifted over to cover him for his change.  It sounds natural and simple, but natural and simple is what wins hockey games for 3rd pairing defensemen, so good for him.
• Robert Bortuzzo:  Bortuzzo played well as usual and I had to give him credit for showing absolutely no fear with Ovechkin in the 3rd period.  The second penalty he took was certainly interference and I could have done without that (kept him out of the good section) but the first penalty was a good one.  He clearly stood up to Ovi and got into his head.  Not only that, but I will take a Bortuzzo for Ovechkin trade to the penalty box any day of the week.  Bortuzzo has quickly acclimated himself to the NHL and is showing he really belongs.

Pens Record: 8-3-0, 16 pts

Next Game:  2/9 @ NJ, 1pm

Illness Gives Kunitz Superpowers, Pens Win

Main Storylines:

• Tomas Vokoun starts against his former team.  He was perfect in his last start, making 28 saves to shut out NYR.
• The lineup remains the same with Dustin Jeffrey, Eric Tangradi, and Ben Lovejoy as healthy scratches.  Matt Niskanen is still out of the lineup with an ankle injury.
• Ovechkin before the game: “I'm standing here, I have only 3 points.  It kind of embarrasses me, but it is what it is.”

Result:

Pens 6  Caps 3

Goals:  Kunitz (3) from Martin, Crosby

            Cooke (1) from Engelland, Bortuzzo

            Letang (3) from Sutter, Cooke

            Kunitz (4) from Crosby, Malkin

            Kunitz (5) (PP) from Malkin, Neal

            Kunitz (6) (PP) from Crosby, Letang

ESPN Recap:  http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/recap?gameId=400442593

Stats:

• Chris Kunitz had the first 4 goal game of his career
• PP was 2 for 3, PK was 3 for 4
• The Pens won only 33% of faceoffs in the 1st but were at almost 50% (34/71) by the end of the game
• Evgeni Malkin was a team worst 5/14 (35.7%) on faceoffs
• Paul Martin and Robert Bortuzzo led with 4 blocked shots each (Pascal Dupuis next with 3)
• Tyler Kennedy was the only player under 10 minutes played with 9:51.  He only played 2:02 in the 3rd.
• Brooks Orpik led with 28:11 of playing time

The Good:

I want whatever Kunitz has.

• Chris Kunitz:  Do I even need to explain this one?  Kunitz added another 4 goals while “ill”, had solid puck control, and was a forechecking machine.  Obviously his 4 goals take the cake, but the biggest change in his game has simply been a massive decrease in turnovers.  Just an unreal performance by Kunitz, his first 4 goal game of his career.
• Sidney Crosby:  There is no question in my mind that Crosby played his best game of the year on Sunday.  The Pens’ captain had 3 assists and put his name back in the hat for “most-skilled grinder” in the world.  His defensive effort was superb and he displayed a plethora of creativity and hard work in the offensive zone.  Crosby was a force in all 3 zones against the Caps.
• James Neal:  Neal only had 1 assist and was a little lost on the Mike Green goal against, but he had a very strong defensive game overall.  I had him marked down 4 times for great poke checks or backchecks in the defensive zone and another 2 times for strong puck support going into the offensive zone.  It won’t show up on the scoresheet, but Neal played a very strong and responsible game to help out his linemates more than himself.

The Bad:

• Kris Letang:  Letang looked great in the offensive zone and showed two things that will elevate his game even further: patience and a wrist shot.  His defensive game was inconsistent though as he demonstrated awareness issues and committed multiple turnovers.  When the Pens started using Bortuzzo and Despres less, it looked like it hurt Letang’s game more than anything.  He doesn’t appear to have good chemistry with Engelland when they are on the ice together.

The Ugly:

Vokoun had a great game, don't let Edzo say otherwise.

• Simon Despres:  As a young defenseman in the league, Despres will face many ups and downs.  Sunday’s game was certainly a down as he took two penalties, was manhandled in the defensive zone and saw his TOI decrease as the game went on.  Here are my notes on Despres from the game: “bad pass, misses a check, gets out of position, can’t clear, getting manhandled, loses puck in neutral zone, high stick penalty, delay of game penalty.”  I’ll just leave it at that; he’ll work through it (as long as Bylsma doesn’t switch him for Lovejoy next game).
• Fluke Goals:  Though Eddie Olcyzk wanted to blast Tomas Vokoun for the Capitals’ second goal, it’s hard to blame a goalie when the puck shoots out at a 60 degree angle from the glass.  The Pens have seen their fair share of both good and bad bounces like that, so while it was ugly, I wouldn’t want Vokoun to play any different.
• Third Period:  With a 5-2 lead, the team reverted back to some bad habits like they did in the first Rangers win of the year on opening weekend.  There were more passes up the middle, more players skating away from passes, and team as a whole got a little cocky about their abilities.  With a team this talented, Dan Bylsma’s biggest challenge all season is going to be keeping everyone focused and in control for 60 minutes every game.  It’ll be something to watch all year and it's my biggest determining factor on if he's the right coach to win another Cup with this team.

+/- Assessment:

Green scores one for Mother Earth.

• 1st GF (Kunitz): + for Crosby (faceoff win), Martin (shot), Kunitz (deflection)
• 1st GA (Green): – for Neal (drifts from slot), Cooke (lets point guy go free), Letang (doesn’t pay attention to Green)
• 2nd GF (Cooke): + for Sutter (puck retrieval), Bortuzzo (pass), Engelland (shot), Cooke (deflection)
• 2nd GA (Carlson): - for no one, skaters played it right, bad bounce for Vokoun
• 3rd GF (Letang): + for Boychuk (brings in puck, gets it to the net), Cooke (puck retrieval), Sutter (pass), Letang (patience, goal)
• 4th GF (Kunitz): + for Malkin (outlet pass), Crosby (pass back to Kunitz), Kunitz (goal)
• 5th GF (Kunitz): + for Malkin (starts play, primary pass), Letang (returns puck to Malkin), Neal (pass to Malkin, creates room in slot), Kunitz (goal)
• 3rd GA (Ribeiro): - for Despres (penalty), Letang (fans on clear), Sutter (fans on poke check)
• 6th GF (Kunitz): + for Malkin (knocks puck to Neal), Neal (sends puck to Letang on point), Letang (passes to Crosby), Crosby (rotates and feeds Kunitz), Kunitz (goal)
• Season +/-: http://www.crosbyftw.com/p/plusminus-spreadsheet.html

Thoughts:

2 game assessment: waiver wire success

• Powerplay Setup:  The powerplay FINALLY made some sense (and produced 2 goals) as Letang was at the point, Malkin on the right boards, Neal in the slot, Kunitz drifting between the crease and the left faceoff circle, and Crosby moving as he pleases around the lower half of the zone.  There will still be plenty of scares with only Letang at the point, but at least now every player is in a position that is comfortable for him.  I’ll be the first one to call myself an idiot for considering moving Kunitz off the top PP now that he looks competent with the puck again.  I have a feeling this will continue to trend up and down though because the Caps didn’t look all that well-prepared for the Pens on special teams yesterday.
• Trade Thoughts:  Credit to Alex R (@Alb4619) for sparking this thought, but could we maybe see Kennedy traded this season?  He’s a restricted free agent after this season and is quickly losing playing time and Bylsma’s confidence it looks like.  Kennedy has proven himself as an NHL player, is still young, and could actually bring something back in a trade (unlike Tangradi or Lovejoy right now).  It’s something to ponder and Shero may even be able to throw one of those other two players into the mix with TK.  Again, just a thought.
• Who Gets Benched:  This section will stay in until Niskanen returns because either Despres, Bortuzzo, or Engelland will inevitably get benched when Nisky is healthy again (and there’s still Lovejoy there too).  Sunday’s game was bad for Despres but I’m still a firm believer that he has to play through everything to solidify himself in the NHL.  We all know my thoughts on Bortuzzo, I had him listed above Engelland coming out of camp.  Engelland has played well though and Bylsma clearly trusts him.  I’m sure it will turn into a “play well and you stay, play poorly and you sit” situation, so right now Despres is the leading candidate to sit in my mind, for better or worse.
• 2nd Line Wing Watch:  Boychuk has solidified himself as the 2nd line winger for now and his speed is an incredible asset with Malkin and Neal.  I can’t imagine Jeffrey or Tangradi getting into the lineup without an injury right now.  Ray Shero should send a bottle of champagne to Jim Rutherford and some wine to the 12 or so other GMs that passed on Boychuk.

Pens Record: 6-3-0, 12 pts

Next Game:  2/5 @ NYI, 7pm

Penguins Career Powerplay Stats

"Go out there and stop making me look bad."

This won't be a crazy in depth look into the Penguins powerplay.  None of the numbers here can be used to make concrete conclusions on anything.  Honestly, it's hard to *heavily* critique a powerplay after 6 games, even if it is trending down right now and already undergoing some [questionable] changes.  Anyways, I unloaded all of my critiquing for the moment in the Isles recap.

Here are just some numbers for the current roster and their career productivity, especially on the powerplay. As I learned in marketing classes long ago, any person can manipulate every stat to make it say what they want.  So I won't say anything about the stats, you can make your own thoughts and conclusions.  I just figured I would share some numbers that I was curious about.

Team Stats (since Bylsma took over):

	2008-'09	2009-'10	2010-'11	2011-'12	2012-'13
Oct	HCMT	17.7%	12.9%	21.8%	Lockout
Nov		10.2%	20.4%	15.7%
Dec		17.6%	18.4%	21.6%
Jan		18.6%	22.2%	12.1%	22.7%
Feb	15.6%	22.2%	17.0%	30.0%	?
Mar	18.2%	17.6%	4.0%	13.3%	?
Apr	26.1%	23.1%	25.0%	28.6%	?
Season	17.2% (20th)	17.2% (20th)	15.8% (25th)	19.7% (5th)	22.7% (11th)

• '08-'09 and '09-'10 seasons aren't typos. Somehow it was the exact same percentage and place.
• March 2011 - 4%, ouch.  Hard to forget that one.

Player Stats (Career, Regular Season)

Sorted by Points per Game

Player	Games	Pts	Pts/gm
Crosby	440	615	1.40
Malkin	433	533	1.23
Neal	320	222	0.69
Kunitz	539	355	0.66
Letang	356	175	0.49
Kennedy	332	158	0.48
Dupuis	756	339	0.45
Martin	556	217	0.39
Cooke	893	339	0.38
Sutter	292	108	0.37
Jeffrey	68	21	0.31
Niskanen	375	110	0.29
Lovejoy	98	25	0.26
Despres	22	5	0.23
Vitale	82	17	0.21
Engelland	151	29	0.19
Orpik	591	111	0.19
Adams	757	133	0.18
Glass	268	39	0.15
Tangradi	45	5	0.11

•  Just an interesting look/reminder of how each player has done through his career.  Sid of course being #1.  Did you expect TK to be so close to Letang?  It certainly makes an interesting case for Jeffrey too.

Sorted by Powerplay Goals per Game

Player	Games	Goals	PPG	PPG %	PPG/gm
Malkin	433	209	78	37.32%	0.180
Crosby	440	226	67	29.65%	0.152
Neal	320	117	35	29.91%	0.109
Kunitz	539	151	45	29.80%	0.083
Despres	22	1	1	100.00%	0.045
Letang	356	40	15	37.50%	0.042
Sutter	292	53	8	15.09%	0.027
Kennedy	332	71	9	12.68%	0.027
Martin	556	32	14	43.75%	0.025
Dupuis	756	157	19	12.10%	0.025
Niskanen	375	22	7	31.82%	0.019
Jeffrey	68	12	1	8.33%	0.015
Cooke	893	145	7	4.83%	0.008
Adams	757	46	3	6.52%	0.004
Orpik	591	11	1	9.09%	0.002
Lovejoy	98	4	0	0.00%	0.000
Vitale	82	5	0	0.00%	0.000
Engelland	151	7	0	0.00%	0.000
Glass	268	13	0	0.00%	0.000
Tangradi	45	1	0	0.00%	0.000

• Malkin leads in power play goals per game.  He's 3rd when it comes to percentage of career goals scored on the powerplay (not including Despres).  First - Martin with 43.75% of his goals being scored on the powerplay.  Second is Letang. 

Sorted by Powerplay Points per Game

Player	Games	Pts	PP Pts	PP Pts %	PP Pts/gm
Crosby	440	615	240	39.02%	0.545
Malkin	433	533	200	37.52%	0.462
Letang	356	175	68	38.86%	0.191
Neal	320	222	61	27.48%	0.191
Kunitz	539	355	93	26.20%	0.173
Martin	556	217	86	39.63%	0.155
Niskanen	375	110	38	34.55%	0.101
Kennedy	332	158	24	15.19%	0.072
Sutter	292	108	17	15.74%	0.058
Dupuis	756	339	39	11.50%	0.052
Despres	22	5	1	20.00%	0.045
Cooke	893	339	23	6.78%	0.026
Jeffrey	68	21	1	4.76%	0.015
Vitale	82	17	1	5.88%	0.012
Orpik	591	111	7	6.31%	0.012
Lovejoy	98	25	1	4.00%	0.010
Adams	757	133	4	3.01%	0.005
Engelland	151	29	0	0.00%	0.000
Glass	268	39	0	0.00%	0.000
Tangradi	45	5	0	0.00%	0.000

• Crosby is your leader in powerplay points per game.  He is second behind Martin in percentage of overall points scored on the powerplay.  (Um, maybe *part* of the reason Martin isn't a $5 mil defenseman is because we don't put him in a position to be.)