CRANBERRY — The Pittsburgh Penguins are at war with shootouts, at least on the ice.
Over the last three seasons, this one included, the Penguins have just three shootout wins and 12 losses. They are 0-3 this season and were 1-6 last season. The record indicates a lack of goals and a greater lack of saves.
Thursday, the Penguins practice their shootouts, though they did so without 18,000 fans staring over their shoulder and the game on the line.
Sidney Crosby still aced the test:
So, do the Penguins like shootouts?
“I mean, I am pro in the way that I’d rather get a winner than end in a tie. So I’m pro 3-2-1 point system, but that’s for another day,” said Bryan Rust with a wry smile, knowing full well he almost opened a can of worms.
However, Kris Letang, who is 27 for 80 (31.4%), shrugged off the skills competition. He claimed not to care.
“I don’t mind. I have no opinion,” said Letang, who ended his short answer with a shrug.
Perhaps we’ll do a team-wide survey soon.
Penguins Practice
Unlike Wednesday, the Penguins didn’t have a marathon session on Thursday, but practice still extended over an hour.
“Probably a lot of just get on the same page when it comes to D-zone and neutral zone stuff, as far as moving the puck quick and making sure we execute there,” Crosby said.
The Penguins have been dialing in their game, especially over the last couple of weeks, with mixed results. Their play has predominantly been well above board, but the results have been less a shade below mediocre with a 2-3-2 record.
However, there is very little unhappiness around the Penguins. They earned three points in Sweden with a win and an overtime loss in against the Nashville Predators, yet another rookie, Sam Poulin, is set to join the lineup, and the other rookies are playing well … and playing games with the vets because no one wants to leave the ice:
Connor Dewar-Sidney Crosby-Bryan Rust
Kevin Hayes-Evgeni Malkin-Anthony Mantha
Tommy Novak-Ben Kindel-Sam Poulin
Joona Koppanen-Blake Lizotte-Danton Heinen
Defense
Parker Wotherspoon-Erik Karlsson
Ryan Shea-Kris Letang
Ryan Graves-Connor Clifton
Matt Dumba-Harrison Brunicke
Goalies: Arturs Silovs/Sergei Murashov
Penguins Injuries
Tristan Jarry, Noel Acciari, Justin Brazeau, and Rickard Rakell did not participate in the practice after skating Tuesday morning after the team returned to North American operations.
Muse did not offer specifics on the injured players, but all are said to be progressing and their absences were planned. Their initial timelines remain the same, which would seem to indicate that rookie goalie Sergei Murashov will get at least one more start before Jarry is healthy.
Plug and Play
The Penguins have indeed inserted seven rookies into the lineup this season. They have also dropped three veteran call-ups, including Ryan Graves, Danton Heinen, and Joona Koppanen.
For the most part, the plug-and-play options to fill spots vacated by injury and ineffectiveness have been successful.
Crosby had a confirmed, yes, winning makes it easier to insert guys into the lineup.
“I think one helps the other, to be honest with you. I think it’s one of the most important things. If you’re coming into the lineup and the team is playing well, it’s usually a better adjustment,” said Crosby. “The guys coming in here have the mentality that they want to make an impact and recognize they want to be here to stay, and carve out a role for themselves, then, yeah, that helps the team in general too.”
The Penguins’ fourth line, with a pair of those “inserts,” Koppanen and Heinen, posted strong numbers Sunday in the 4-0 win over Nashville. The line had 71% of the shot attempts and 61% of the scoring chances when they were on the ice. The line also scored a goal without allowing much by the opponents.
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