CRANBERRY, Pa. -- These Penguins are in deep doo-doo. They know it. They’re feeling it.
And man, are they ever flailing.
That was very much the vibe, believe me, at the team's almost awkwardly upbeat, up-tempo, 40-minute practice Tuesday afternoon at the Lemieux Sports Complex, one in which coaches were chirping up a storm, players were manufacturing some smiles, and all concerned were ... well, visibly concerned.
"I mean, it's hockey. You've still got to have fun with it, right?" Brian Dumoulin told me afterward. "Even though we're struggling and not winning games ... you can be miserable all you want, but what's that going to do? For me, I'm a positive guy. I'm always trying to be on that side. I try to smile as much as anyone, try to lift guys up."
He took a deep breath.
"It's not easy. Obviously. Guys are upset. But for the most part, that's not going to do us any good."
That couldn't be more right, at least from this perspective. Which is why I'll approach this column the same way, offering five solutions to some of what currently ails this eclectic collective:
5. Focus on the 'details.'
The Penguins have won once in the 10 games since that perfect-in-so-many-ways Canada trip. That's 1-7-2, to be precise. And what's maybe been the most maddening aspect of this plunge, which has been wholly unlike anything witnessed in the Mike Sullivan era, is that the losses have come with so many different looks. The culprits have varied from general offense to the power play to penalty killing to goaltending to flat-out not trying very hard.
This latest loss Monday night, 5-4 in overtime to the Sabres, was defined by yet another new one: Their zone exits were far too difficult, and, concurrently, Buffalo's zone exits were far too easy.
"That's an element that we work on almost daily because our coaching staff believes in the importance of it," Sullivan said after practice, specifically of his team's zone exits. "I do think we can be better at it."
To that end, Sullivan and staff spent a good chunk of practice stressing alternate breakouts, including right up the middle. That's smart, and it comes with precedent, as this actually was the franchise's breakout of choice when winning Stanley Cups. If it's a decision that reads the coverage right, and it's delivered accurately, it can be deadly, as Derick Brassard illustrated Monday:
But the other half of the equation is equally important. There were countless occasions Monday when the Penguins stubbornly tried to exit their zone up the wall, only to encounter one or more white sweaters. Newcomer Tanner Pearson was guiltier than most, but he had no chance at receiving this Evgeni Malkin misfire that led to Casey Mittelstadt's tying goal in the third period:
Wall play also was addressed in practice, and loudly, I might add. Sullivan stopped one drill and let Dominik Simon — and the entire rink — hear all about how he angled his body incorrectly on a pinch. The coach demonstrated that he should be facing the opponent, not have his back turned, then explained in detail why that is.
Not that Simon didn't know.
"I messed up," he told me. "Those are the kinds of details we've got to get right. They're little things, but those add up."
4. Stack two lines, leave them be.
Malkin was given a "maintenance day" away from practice, Sullivan said, but he's expected back for the game Wednesday night against the visiting Stars. Sidney Crosby returned to practice, and, although he's still being called day-to-day, both captain and coach made it sound like he'll be back, too, after missing a week.
Wonderful. Now make that count.
As is often spoken in the business world, it's essential to build from one's strengths. The Penguins' strengths, going all the way back to the winter of 1984, are their superstars. So load up the top two lines, and let the rest fall where they may. If the bottom two aren't going to score — and they might never — then at least assure the top two can.
In this practice, Crosby was between Jake Guentzel and Patric Hornqvist. That's just about right. Crosby and Guentzel can command the puck down low, and Hornqvist can be Hornqvist. The second line is likely to remain intact, with Malkin between Pearson and Phil Kessel, and that makes sense, too. Pearson spent the better part of his Monday at the Buffalo crease and was rewarded for it with his first goal:
He'll present an option there for two stars better left to create from the perimeter.
The lines after that, sadly, aren't relevant enough to discuss. Because what's needed most now is stability. Most of the injured players are either back or soon will be. Let them sort it out. Let them find that "chemistry" Jim Rutherford claimed is lacking. Let them sort this out without having to search for new nameplates every other shift.
3. Stand by the No. 1 goaltender.
This, of course, is where stability is needed most.
It won't come with Casey DeSmith. I was writing this even when he had a good couple of games here or there, and I'll reiterate: Matt Murray is this team's No. 1 goaltender, and this team will not go anywhere — not now, certainly not in any playoffs — unless that case is clear-cut.
Yes, he's got to earn it. And no, he hasn't done that to date, at least not within the first quarter of this season.
But take a quarterback out of his huddle in the third quarter or a starting pitcher off the mound in the third inning, and the best of the best won't have a chance to build up the confidence to climb out of a hole like this one. Murray has made 11 starts to DeSmith's eight, and that's plain silly. Murray started back-to-back games earlier this month, then lost his net. He started back-to-back games last week, then lost his net. And it's not as if DeSmith has outshined him of late, conceding 11 goals over his own past three games.
Knock it off already.
Murray was the first goaltender off at practice, and he spoke to reporters. Both were strong signs he'll start against Dallas.
So was this slight edge he showed when I asked what he and Mike Buckley, his goaltending coach, are aiming to improve:
Good for him. Sounds like a plan.
2. Follow the hot hand.
Not many of the Penguins are performing well at the moment, to be kind. But a couple of them are, and it never hurts, when seeking broader confidence, to follow those already feeling it.
Hornqvist's apparently on a personal mission to pick his team up, with three goals, three assists and 17 shots in the past three games. It's never a bad idea to follow that guy, including in the literal sense because that's where the goals are.
Brassard was flying Monday, as shown above, and he was doing likewise at practice, pinging shots off pipes to boot, all with plenty of teeth showing. Not sure I've seen him like this since his arrival in Pittsburgh. Maybe he's another player ready to elevate his game.
Jack Johnson has been the Penguins' best defenseman for a spell now, and he's bringing the heart to match. And if that can't be accepted at face value, then I'll humbly submit this check on Riley Sheahan at practice I was able to capture:
Be sure to play that with the sound up. It crunches.
"We all need to just play our best hockey," Johnson told me afterward. "Just go out there, do our best and have fun."
1. Settle down.
Seriously. Enough with the trade threats and other hysterics.
The team that did all that damage across Canada is the same one that's here now, minus Carl Hagelin and plus Pearson. I covered that trip. It wasn't a mistake. It wasn't a mirage. Sullivan's system, which he's right to defend, worked just fine when it was being applied with diligence. He can get better. His players can get better. I'm betting they will.
But it won't happen without the stability I've been citing. That won't come overnight, and it might not come Wednesday night, but it has got to come soon. For that to happen, an attempt at stability has to start even sooner.
