Despite not having played a game in a Penguins uniform yet, their newest defenseman, Dmitry Kulikov, sounded like he's been with the team for quite a while when speaking with reporters following his first practice at PPG Paints Arena Monday.
Or maybe Mike Sullivan is already making his mark on him.
"I don’t know if I can describe myself and how my game is. I’d rather somebody else describe my game," Kulikov joked following practice. "But I try to play an honest game, work hard and try to play the game the right way. Don’t cheat and make plays when they’re there, make simple plays when I have them. Play hard on defense, and also be part of the offense, of course, because I believe it’s a five-man game. When you’re defending, all five defend, and when you’re on offense, all five guys should be on offense. If you’re a defenseman, it doesn’t mean that you just stay at the blue line and let the forwards do all the work. You gotta help out, too, on offense."
Here's 16 seconds from his on-ice session:
After arriving in Pittsburgh Sunday night, Kulikov skated on the third defense pairing alongside Jan Rutta during line rushes at practice Monday, supplanting P.O Joseph. Sullivan expects him to play Tuesday night against the Blue Jackets, suggesting Joseph will be out of the lineup for just the fifth time this season.
"He’s a real trustworthy defenseman," Sullivan said. "He’s good on the penalty-kill. In Anaheim, he played against a lot of teams’ top players all year long. His size and his strength, I think, will help us. He’s just a reliable, trustworthy guy that brings a defensive conscience, some solid penalty-killing ability and makes us harder to play against back there."
Much has been made of Kulikov's poor statistical profile this season, but Sullivan's right about the context behind those results. Not only was he consistently going up against top competition in a large role with the Ducks, he was doing it on hockey's worst defensive team in well over a decade. No matter how good a player might be, their impact will be influenced by their environment.
Although it hasn't been the case this season, Kulikov, 32, is coming off three consecutive seasons with a consistently strong ability to help his team limit quality chances against. Unsurprisingly, those results came along when he was playing low-end second-pairing or high-end third-pairing minutes versus the borderline first-pairing minutes he's played in 2022-23.
It's not a guarantee, but a reduced workload in terms of minutes and competition might put him back on track to find success with the Penguins. Regardless, he's not looking to change a thing about his playing style. He knows why he's here.
"I don’t know that I have to do anything different," Kulikov said. "Obviously I’m here because of how I’ve played previously. They like what kind of game I’m playing and we’ll see on the game days where I am [in the lineup]."
MORE FROM PRACTICE
• Jake Guentzel was the only absence at practice. Sullivan said it was a maintenance day for him and that he should be ready to go Tuesday night. Danton Heinen assumed his spot on the left wing of the first line during line rushes.
• Ryan Poehling is continuing to deal with a nagging upper-body injury. He did take part in line rushes, centering the fourth line, but did so in a white non-contact jersey. Despite the non-contact designation, Sullivan viewed his participation with the team as a big step forward.
"Ryan's really frustrated," Sullivan said. "He's a competitive guy. He wants to be in the lineup, and it's hard when players go through that. We're trying to support him through that process. He's been a very good player for us. He's another one of those versatile guys that can play the wing, can play center, can kill penalties. We can move him around the lineup, brings a ton of speed and size and reach and things of that nature. He certainly makes us a better team when he's in our lineup."
• After spending his first two games with the Penguins on the right wing of the third line, Mikael Granlund was shifted to center during line rushes, flipping spots with Jeff Carter.
"I can play any three positions up front," Granlund said. "I’ve been doing that all my career, so it’s not a big deal, but it was good to get a couple reps as the center and getting to know the system even more."
When he was first acquired, Sullivan made note of easing him into things. Now, it's time to figure out where in the lineup the Penguins can get the most out of him.
"We know he’s capable of playing center," Sullivan said. "He can play all three positions, he’s comfortable there. We’re trying to figure out combinations that give us the balance we need that give us the best chance to win. So, we’re going through a little bit of a process here to try to figure out what those look like. Part of it is, are we a better team when he’s playing center for us, or are we a better team when he’s playing on the wing? We’re not sure the answer yet, but that’s part of the process, for sure."
• Here's the entirety of the Penguins' workflow, sans Guentzel:
Danton Heinen - Sidney Crosby - Rickard Rakell
Jason Zucker - Evgeni Malkin - Bryan Rust
Drew O'Connor - Mikael Granlund - Jeff Carter
Nick Bonino - Ryan Poehling - Josh Archibald
Brian Dumoulin - Kris Letang
Marcus Pettersson - Jeff Petry
Dmitry Kulikov - Jan Rutta
P.O Joseph - Chad Ruhwedel
• Rust jumped up to the top power-play unit while Granlund made his first appearance on the second unit after not logging any power-play time through his first two games with the team.
PP1: Crosby, Rakell, Rust, Malkin, Letang
PP2: Carter, Granlund, Zucker, Heinen, Petry
• I'm not sure if it means anything at all, but Granlund was used as the entry guy quite a bit when the second unit transitioned the puck up ice. It would make sense to utilize him in that manner, as his passing and vision are the two best skills he brings to the table.
• If you're into this kind of thing, Granlund's stall in the Penguins' locker room is Teddy Blueger's old stall, right next to Crosby. Bonino's stall is Brock McGinn's old one.
• The Blue Jackets are next up on the schedule. It's a 7:08 p.m. puck drop at PPG Paints Arena Tuesday night. I'll be there with Dejan Kovacevic for your coverage.
