Stop me if you’ve heard this one before; The Pittsburgh Penguins need to simplify their strategy on the power play.
It’s an issue that’s been following the Penguins around all season, yet it’s still a common theme and it’s continuing to cost them important games.
A success rate of 20.81% is good for 19th in the NHL and far from where their power play should be especially if you consider the personnel.
According to head coach Mike Sullivan, he believes that the group needs to once again try and simplify the game when they have a man advantage.
“And I think the solution to it is, we just have to simplify the game again and go back to establishing a shot,” Sullivan said. “Getting a net front presence and trying to create offense off of that. I think that’s when our power play is at its best.”
This most recent run of poor performance from the power play has featured multiple games where the units have failed to score on 5+ opportunities and continuously giving up offensive opportunities to opposing teams.
Had it not been for a run of 10 straight games with a power play goal, the Penguins may be in hotter water as a team.
Their power play can be game changers and momentum swingers, and they showed that even in their loss to Carolina.
The Penguins went 1/6 in their fourth and final meeting against the Hurricanes, but that one came in the third period and was a catalyst for a good tilting of the ice.
There was no game-tying goal, but the Penguins showed a spark and a lot of it was fueled by the Rickard Rakell power play goal.
“I know how much these guys care, and they have the ability to be really good,” Sullivan said. “They’ve shown that for long stretches. I just don’t think we’re executing quite as well as we were when we were on the hot streak.”
The Penguins are again out of a playoff spot, but it will be a dog fight until the final whistle.
If they have any hopes of gaining ground again, they’ll need their power play to come alive again.
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