Penguins Q&A: Goalie Panic, Locker Room Chatter, & Weak Spots

TAMPA, Fla. — The Pittsburgh Penguins’ wild and chaotic loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning Thursday sent many in the fanbase and some media into a tizzy. As Penguins coach Dan Muse moves toward a No. 1 goalie, even though he tries to avoid admitting it the loss made some slam the panic button and goaltending was the hot issue.

The Q&A call came via X Friday morning as PHN prepared for the trip home; a flight too early to spend the day in Tampa, but too late to get back to Pittsburgh’s mangled new airport early enough to work.

There are a few festering issues that you want to get into, but I will forewarn those hoping for validation or insights to prove popular opinion. It will not be found here.

Nay, this Q&A will be blunt truth, like we always do. As of Friday afternoon, the Penguins magic number slipped to just 10, but the goaltending debate took center stage. So, here we go.

Before we do that–with playoff travel looming, we simply didn’t budget for that. So, I’m going to ask for your help. I’ve been personally funding the last few trips. If you’d like to send a few shekels to keep this guy on the road, go here. Thank yoU!

Penguins Q&A

Why yes, I do agree (and have written so in a few successive report cards. Cmon, Big Mike!)

Credit to Dan Muse. He kept with the pairing and forced them to work it out, but many of us surely did not think they would. Girard had his legs Thursday and his first period was quite good. The pair were struggling in the defensive zone, but those seem to have abated as theyv’e begun to figure out their assignments.

Funny you should ask. I’ve been speaking with people around the league, and Anthony Mantha has name has been a hot topic. There are more than a few executives who are both impressed and surprised. Mantha has rolled through a handful of teams without nearly this level of success, and he has never strung together big years.

This has easily been the best hockey of his career. He’s playing hard, playing at both ends, and finishing. It has been impressive.

However, there are a few moving parts in this decision. It starts with the Penguins’ projections for Mantha, but also what to do with Evgeni Malkin, how much space do they need for prospects to take the next step, and–MOST IMPORTANTLY–what does Kyle Dubas want for this team?

After all, more 30-year-olds and a 40-year-old aren’t great selling points for a youth movement.

If Dubas wants to keep the hybrid approach and wants to push for another playoff chase, then three years is the MAX that I would offer. Also, it’s a firm no on any no-movement clauses.

Some executives think other teams might offer a five-year deal.

It’s fair to say Mantha is playing the best hockey of his life, but the knock has always been his motivation and his willingness to play hard. A two-year deal would be much better. Remember, it takes two to tango.

Two deciding factors: matchups and goaltenders. A hot goalie can take a team an extra round, sometimes two, just as facing a hot goalie can end a team’s season quickly.

I like the Penguins’ odds against the mushy middle of the Metro Division. They would be a big favorite over Philadelphia, a slight favorite over Columbus, and a toss-up against the New York Islanders.

The Islanders would be the worst matchup because of goalie Ilya Sorokin. It’s all gravy after that, but I know they think they could beat Carolina too.

We had a few Tommy Novak questions, and yes, there is little doubt he is struggling. He seems underwater, though Thursday he had his legs.

Without time and space, Novak fails to create it, which only lets defenders play tighter. It’s a vicious cycle, but Novak has not been good. If Elmer Soderblom continues his outstanding play, he would be better suited for a bottom-six role.

It comes down to Novak’s level of play and Muse’s willingness to keep Rakell at center. If Rakell stays in the middle, then Soderblom is a legit option, and an attractive one.

You’re reaching a bit. Kindel hasn’t exactly had a revolving door, nor has he played with repetitive minor leaguers. In fact, he’s played well this week—a real rebound.

So, let’s get to the hot-button topic.

Ok, stop it.

It’s exasperating that anyone would watch the game Thursday and put that on Stuart Skinner. That’s like blaming the quarterback for every loss. It’s the public dogma that spreads, but it’s not what hockey people will tell you.

Let’s get a few points VERY clear so we can go forward:

Most NHL teams (about 25 or more), have average or worse starting goalies.

As Scotty Bowman was fond of saying, goaltending is only a problem when you don’t have it. Well, very few teams “have it” and to compare Skinner or Arturs Silovs to Andrei Vasilevskiy and the bona fide top goalies is silly.

Skinner is a perfectly average starting goalie in the NHL. We have seen him steal several points for the Penguins, but otherwise, as the team plays well, he allows them to win, and as they play poorly, he allows them to lose. Re-read that if necessary.

The volume of “Bring up Mursahov!” was a bit frustrating Thursday. So, if you want to know why not, set emotions and frustrations aside.

Also understand, Murashov might well be the most talented goalie, but at 22-years-old, he’s hardly the most polished. Talent alone isn’t enough in the NHL.

Also doubly understand that Murashov doesn’t have any public baggage, so he’s the golden boy. Fans are free to believe he will be as good as their imaginations can conjure because there are no terrible games or years of examples to limit perceptions.

Care to guess where Murashov’s NHL save percentage crested in five games this season? A very average .897, with a 1-1-2 record.

I find the conversation to be fan porn. Everyone wants it because it feels good emotionally, but it makes little sense. Let Murashov have his AHL playoff run and give him a spot for next season when he can adjust to the NHL game under the dim lights of October hockey.

Don’t forget, Matt Murray had a few extended runs of NHL playing time before the playoffs in his first rookie year.

So, swallow hard and accept that Skinner and Silovs are the starting goalies. Accept that they will allow two or three most nights, and sometimes four when the Penguins are playing poorly.

Also, accept that Murashov very probably wouldn’t fare any better right now. Be patient. Next season.

And lastly, a little bonus:

Yep. The three guys that I seek out in the room are Bryan Rust, Ryan Shea, and Erik Karlsson. Rust conveys the emotion without a filter, good and bad. He’s also a good guy to have a chat with. Shea will talk about the Xs and Os better than any player in recent memory, and his bluntness is refreshing. But Karlsson, you just never know what he’s going to say.

Importantly, he enjoys it.

I have talked with some guys who were very quotable, but didn’t mean to be. Alex Nedeljkovic would fall under that category, and I began avoiding him after losses because I know he said some things that weren’t well received higher up, and so I stopped talking to him in certain situations for his sake.

But Karlsson…man, what a peach. He’s intelligent, has a good sense of humor, and has a certain amusement with the entire process. Last night’s quotes were spot on, colorful, and they landed hard.

He’s also a very honest sort off the record. But don’t tell him I said that.

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Penguins Q&A: Goalie Panic, Locker Room Chatter, & Weak Spots

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