Crosby: Penguins have 'come a long way' since start of camp

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- It's difficult to put too much stock into preseason results, but some weigh more than others.

The Penguins' preseason finale Friday night, a pronounced 7-4 win over the Sabres at KeyBank Center, was as close to a dress rehearsal as things can get. Although some roster spots are still up for grabs and line combinations aren't set in stone, the lineup the visitors put forth here could very well be the lineup when the regular season opens next Tuesday.

"For all intents and purposes, that was an NHL game," Mike Sullivan would say afterward. "Both lineups, I think, were really strong, which was great for both teams."

Things were significantly more great for one team. It was pretty meaningful in the things that can be taken from it, both at the individual player level and the overall team level.

"I think we've improved as the preseason's gone on," Crosby said after taking this seriously enough to engage in a preseason fight. More on that below. "We've got a lot of new faces, and it's not easy for guys when they come to a new team and adjust and things like that. I think they've done a really good job of paying attention to details, and I think as a group, we've come a long way since the first day camp."

• The power play was 1 for 22 in the six preseason games that preceded Friday, with the lone goal coming from Sam Poulin in Detroit. The anticipated top unit of Crosby, Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang, Evgeni Malkin and Rickard Rakell had all dressed for only one of those first six games, Monday in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and the power play went 0 for 6.

When Sullivan was asked before this game what would serve as an indication that the power play took a step forward, he quipped, "A goal would be really good." He got not one but two, as the power play went 2 for 3, beginning with Malkin's second-period redirect of a shot pass from Karlsson at the point:

Although Karlsson and Malkin were deep in a one-on-one conversation before that play started, Karlsson told me afterward they weren't planning that out or anything. That was just two superstars doing what they do best.

"The guys that I'm playing with right now, they find a way to get into the right spot at the right time," Karlsson said. "If I'm the one having the puck, then it's easy for me to see."

The other power-play goal came from Letang in the third, finishing off a pass from Crosby:

"It's a work in progress, but it's nice to get rewarded," Crosby said of the power play. "And we'll just keep working on it like everything else. I mean, that's what we want, but it's nice to get results and build off that."

Even when the power play wasn't scoring tonight, it just looked much different. Much more movement, many more shot attempts, generally more quality. That Karlsson assist from the point is something that can be expected -- he attempted 24.44 shots per 60 minutes on the power play last season in San Jose, which would have been better than any Penguins player with the exception of Rakell (26.63). Beyond that, the execution was just better.

"I thought we did a better job beating their pressure," Sullivan said of the power play. "We didn't hit as many sticks and things of that nature. I think one specific area we probably got better at that might have helped with the execution is we were working away from the puck to support so when we were under pressure, we had outs. We didn't have to challenge sticks everywhere to find an out."

For a power play unit that has a new look -- with a totally new face in Karlsson and then Letang being moved from the right point to the left flank -- things seem to be coming together rather quickly.

• When I'd asked Drew O'Connor after practice Thursday in Cranberry about potentially playing alongside Crosby and Bryan Rust, he said that the key would be to "get in there, win some puck battles and look to get the puck to them, and hopefully it'll go well." Well, Crosby and Rust might have to start getting him the puck more.

There are five players in the entire NHL who have more than three goals this preseason, and only one of them did it in fewer than four games: O'Connor. He played in three of the Penguins' preseason games, and scored twice in the opener and twice tonight. He was top-line left winger for both of those games, but the circumstances were different. In the opener, he was part of a very depth-heavy lineup and was centered by Radim Zohorna. In this one, he was with Crosby and Rust in what could be the top line to open the season.

I asked Crosby Thursday what he thinks O'Connor could bring to his line, and the first thing he pointed to was O'Connor's speed: "He's fast. He takes the puck hard to the net and is strong on battles. He definitely brings a lot of speed." Both of O'Connor's goals Friday came after he used his speed to create some separation for himself:

That first goal must have felt especially good after O'Connor was twice denied on breakaways in his last preseason game.

"Hopefully, if I'm using my legs, I can get some breakaways," O'Connor said after this one. "So that was nice to finally finish one, that was the first one that went in. It felt good for that to go in. But I think it's something I'll continue to work on." 

"I thought he played well," Sullivan said of O'Connor. "Obviously, he scored a couple of goals. But more than that, I think he was on pucks. He used his speed, he used his size, I thought he was solid defensively. There were a few areas where just little details on faceoffs and things of that nature, I think we can help him improve. But overall, I thought he played a real strong game."

It's looking increasingly likely that Jake Guentzel won't be out for the five games that were originally anticipated. He's been skating on his own for weeks and has practiced with full contact twice now, taking the additional step of rotating in with line rushes and power play work on Thursday. It wouldn't even be surprising to see him ready for the first game or two of the season. But if not, O'Connor looks more than capable of filling in.

• The fourth line was what we've seen throughout camp and even back in the informal skates prior to camp: Matt Nieto, Noel Acciari, Jeff Carter. I thought Nieto's energy and speed were noticeable especially from that line. They contributed a goal and, naturally, it came from Carter:

Nieto is tenacious, and Acciari is great defensively. They bring a lot to the bottom six. Carter went from third-line center to fourth-line wing. He's on the second power-play unit in a net-front role (that he's well-suited for given his size) and was used very sparingly on the penalty-kill here. His role has gotten as small as it can be while remaining in the lineup. If he can chip in offensively now and then, not be a liability defensively, and jump in for the occasional key draw (like tonight, when he went 2-0), he'll be just fine.

I haven't seen anything this preseason that's an indication that Carter is going to have another year like last year, and that's coming from someone who often pointed out when he struggled last season. He's not that far removed from being a fine player from the bottom-six, recalling that he was good for the first half of 2021-22. Might be worth it to wait and see how that line actually looks in the real games before ragging on the guy. 

• The third line is where there are spots up for grabs -- that, and the 13th forward spot that the Penguins will use when healthy. Lars Eller will center that line, and O'Connor will be one of his wingers when Guentzel is back. If Friday's lineup is any indication, the frontrunners for those spots seem to be Jansen Harkins (claimed off waivers from Winnipeg this week) and Colin White (still unsigned and on a professional tryout contract). Had the Penguins not claimed Harkins, PTO forward Austin Wagner or Zohorna might have been one of those two names. But Harkins especially seems to have set himself apart in his two games since being claimed and could be the guy who actually gets a spot on the third-line wing. Harkins had two shots on goal in 11:35 of ice time, including 47 seconds on the power play with the second unit. His speed is noticeable, and he's hard on pucks. That led to two takeaways on a night when the Penguins only had six total as a team.

Sullivan called it "another really strong game" for Harkins.

"He's made an impression on us in the short time he’s been here," Sullivan added. "We're trying to get to learn his game a little bit more intimately than we know it. But as I said to you guys before, the people in our hockey operations department – Kyle (Dubas) included – think very highly of Jansen, and I see why. He has good size; he can really skate. He chased down a couple of pucks tonight to negate icings. And he's got a real good shot. He's got a good release. He's got good velocity on his wrist shot. He's shown an ability to score at the American League level. Whether or not he can do it at the NHL level, time will tell. There's a lot about his game that has impressed us."

I spoke with Harkins after this game and asked how he thinks this two-game audition of sorts went for him.

"It was a quick turnaround," he said. "So I just tried to get in and show what I could do in a small sample size. I'm not trying to be too picky on my game. I mean, it's preseason, Just have some energy and go out there and play hard. ... It's kind of hard to tell (how things went) when it's so quick, but you just try to go out and play with lots energy and hopefully things fall into place a little bit. It was a good couple of days."

If Harkins doesn't make the Penguins' roster, he'll have to go back on waivers to be sent down to the minors. Because Winnipeg had him first, the Jets would be able to reclaim him and send him straight to the AHL if they're the only team to put in a claim.

• Quick, and no cheating: Which player led the Penguins' defensemen in scoring this preseason? I'll give you a hint -- he's Swedish. Correct! Marcus Pettersson! He finished with a goal and two assists in two games, and all but one of the assists came in this game. Even better than his goal in this one was the impossible-looking setup from Rakell:

• If you needed a sign that Crosby's fired up for the start of the season, just look at his second-period fight against the 22-year-old Peyton Krebs in the second period. Crosby saw Letang at the receiving end of hits from both Krebs and Tyson Jost, and immediately stepped up to Letang's defense:

"I just saw Tanger get hit," Crosby said after the game, shaking his head. "I don't even think I got the right guy who made the initial hit, I just saw the aftermath and saw two guys, and it looked like two guys kind of ran him. I didn't know it'd end up that way, but it's part of the game." 

Sullivan liked what he saw for two reasons -- Crosby was standing up for Letang ... and the fight only lasted a few seconds.

"It's a testament to his leadership," Sullivan said of Crosby with a hint of a smile. "He's sticking up for a teammate in that situation. I was glad it didn't last long. We certainly don't want to put him in those situations. But I just think that's testament to his leadership."

• A better testament to Crosby's leadership happened about two hours before puck drop. There was no morning skate here and, as the Penguins always do for these close preseason games, they flew up to Buffalo the afternoon of the game. It was a quick turnaround for the equipment staff, who made it to the rink with the players right around 5 p.m. Crosby was the first to grab an equipment cart and start pushing, and a train of players in suits followed his lead:

TAYLOR HAASE / DKPS

Drew O'Connor and Evgeni Malkin help move equipment to the Penguins' locker room before Friday's game in Buffalo, N.Y.

THE ESSENTIALS

• Boxscore
• Live file
• Scoreboard
• Standings
• Statistics
• Schedule

THE THREE STARS

As selected at KeyBank Center:

1. Drew O'Connor, Penguins LW
2. Casey Mittelstadt, Sabres C
3. Marcus Pettersson, Penguins D

THE INJURIES

• Defenseman Mark Pysyk is out "longer-term" with a lower-body injury. Sullivan wasn't sure how the injury would affect Pysyk's future with the Penguins, given that he is on a professional tryout contract.

• Forward Jake Guentzel is sidelined after having right ankle surgery to repair an issue sustained late last season. He is expected to miss somewhere around five games to start the season and has resumed skating with the team in a full-contact capacity and started to rotate in with the Penguins' forward lines and power play units on Thursday.

• Defenseman Will Butcher is sidelined with an undisclosed injury. He has resumed skating with the depth players remaining in camp.

• Forward Raivis Ansons is dealing with an upper-body injury sustained in the last month of the AHL season. He has resumed skating with the depth players remaining in camp.

• Defenseman Owen Pickering is dealing with a lower-body injury (believed to be an ankle injury) sustained during offseason training. He has resumed skating with the depth players remaining in camp.

THE LINEUPS

Sullivan’s lines and pairings:

Drew O'Connor - Sidney Crosby - Bryan Rust
Reilly Smith - Evgeni Malkin - Rickard Rakell
Jansen Harkins - Lars Eller - Colin White
Matt Nieto - Noel Acciari - Jeff Carter

Ryan Graves - Kris Letang
Marcus Pettersson - Erik Karlsson
P.O Joseph - Chad Ruhwedel

And for Don Granato's Sabres:

Jeff Skinner - Tage Thompson - Alex Tuch
Jordan Greenway - Casey Mittelstadt - Zach Benson
JJ Peterka - Dylan Cozens - Victor Olofsson
Zemgus Girgensons - Peyton Krebs - Tyson Jost

Rasmus Dahlin - Connor Clifton
Owen Power - Henri Jokiharju
Mattias Samuelsson - Erik Johnson

THE SCHEDULE

That's a wrap on the preseason. The Penguins have a day off on Saturday, followed by 11 a.m. practices at PPG Paints Arena on Sunday and Monday. The real games start Tuesday, beginning with a 7 p.m. meeting at home against Connor Bedard and the Blackhawks.

THE MULTIMEDIA

THE CONTENT

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