The Penguins have gone six consecutive games without a power-play goal and, after going 0 for 11 over that span, entered Monday with a 17.6 success rate that ranked 21st in the league. But coach Mike Sullivan said that unit has a lot to feel good about, and it’s not just that Evgeni Malkin and Alex Galchenyuk will soon be back.
Before mentioning those two, who could both return in the coming days, Sullivan rattled off a list of positives that included “a lot of scoring chances,” improved execution when the Penguins are breaking out of their zone and then trying to cleanly cross the far blue line and pouncing on loose pucks in the zone.
“Just from a process standpoint and what we can control, the power play’s been very good,” Sullivan said. “There’s a lot of things … we’ve done a real good job at. What I’d like to see is just a little bit more finish. And I don’t think they’re far off.”
That viewpoint was echoed by Kris Letang, who said the Penguins have “played a lot better than the percentage we’re at.” He has enjoyed their new approach to the power play, which has been a lot more free-flowing than last season.
“It just keeps you in rhythm. Everybody is interchangeable,” the All-Star defenseman said. “There’s no set position really. Obviously, you want your defensemen on top, but it’s fun to just be able to be free and kind of act your instinct.”
He said that has helped the Penguins with both puck retrieval and back-checking. Instead of getting caught standing still, often they’re already in motion.
Of course, the NHL is a results-oriented business. The more stationary power play they used a year ago, with Phil Kessel anchored in the left circle, was among the best in hockey. But a dozen games is a relatively small sample size. The Penguins say more goals are on the way, along with Malkin and Galchenyuk.
“Obviously, if you add a guy like Malkin to the mix or Galchenyuk to the mix, it just raises the skill level and playmaking ability to another level,” Sullivan said. “But the two groups have done a really good job to this point, in our mind.”
Dumoulin back at practice
Brian Dumoulin practiced for the first time Monday since he was a surprise scratch after skating in pregame warmups before the Oct. 19 loss against Vegas.
“I was trying to play through something and I got in warmups and just couldn’t do it,” said Dumoulin, who has a team-best plus-7 rating in eight games.
He didn’t travel with the team on their recent three-game road trip. Instead, he rehabbed his injury in Pittsburgh and skated here Saturday and Sunday.
“It felt good,” he said. “Obviously, with the long trip, it was just me and Geno and Gally here. It’s just good to be back around the guys and see everyone again.”
Sullivan said Dumoulin – who practiced with his regular partner Letang – will be a game-time decision the home game Tuesday night against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Malkin becomes a citizen
Malkin, who also returned to practice Monday, confirmed a report stating that he recently became an American citizen. The Russian has a dual citizenship.
“It's my second home. I've been here 14 years,” Malkin said, adding that his young son has an American passport and could eventually go to school here.
Malkin also addressed a report from his home country that said he lost millions of dollars in bad investments in Russia that could also lead to legal issues.
“Right now, it's garbage for me,” the 33-year-old said. “I know I'm a good guy. I don't know what to say about that. It's a little bit crazy this morning for me.”
Rust pays up on a bet
Bryan Rust, who most certainly is not a Michigan man, sported a blue and maize ball cap with a big block M throughout the post-practice media access Monday.
The forward, who attended Notre Dame, explained that he had lost a friendly bet to Jack Johnson after Johnson’s alma mater beat Notre Dame Saturday. That football game wrapped up while the Penguins were playing the Stars in Dallas.
“When we got off the ice, Jack made a point to ask me what size my hat was,” he said. “Came in here today, Jack already had it hung up and ready to go.”
Matt Vensel: mvensel@post-gazette.com and Twitter @mattvensel.
First Published: October 28, 2019, 9:53 p.m.
