Although much of what transpired in the Penguins’ season opener eerily resembled last season, the penalty kill was in stark contrast, at least in terms of results.
In Tuesday night’s 4-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, one in which the Penguins coughed up a third-period lead, the penalty kill went a perfect 4 for 4. Despite deploying a number of players on the PK who are in their first season with the team, newcomers like Matt Nieto thought the group that’s continuing to jell fared well in its first try in the pressure-intensive approach.
“We're still kind of adapting. A lot of us killed a different way last year, so we're still making some adjustments,” Nieto said. “But for the most part, I thought we pressured the puck well and I think when we did get beat, we had some guys block some shots, which goes a long way to a good penalty kill.”
Per Natural Stat Trick, 13 different Penguins players appeared on the ice during 5-on-4 play, with six of them donning Pittsburgh sweaters for the first time. Coach Mike Sullivan described his initial takeaways from that group as a mixed bag, later stressing the Blackhawks got a few too many open looks for his preference.
“If we get a better, sound understanding of how we're trying to play collectively as a group, we become more predictable for one another,” Sullivan said. “I think over the course of time, we’ll become more instinctive. There’ll be less thinking because it will build some habits into these guys and they'll have the ability to learn one another’s tendencies.”
Marcus Pettersson, no stranger to operating on the PK in what is his sixth season with the Penguins, pointed out the team needs to do a better job clearing the puck out of its own zone. Paced by rookie sensation Connor Bedard, the Blackhawks’ power play registered five shots and as many high-danger scoring chances against Tristan Jarry, a number of which came on second-chance efforts.
Pettersson was keen to point out that he and the other penalty killers are hardly deserving of all the credit for the opening-night success in that department.
“I think Jars was our best killer all night,” Pettersson said. “Usually when you have a goalie that's that good as a killer, it helps.”
Regardless of the reason, the Penguins penalty kill showed signs of progress relative to the tail end of the 2022-23 campaign. A group that started out last year strongly struggled down the stretch, limping to a penalty-kill percentage from Jan. 1 onward that checked in at 25th in the league.
But on Tuesday, key offseason acquisitions by president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas shone. Veteran fourth-line center Noel Acciari played as advertised, presenting a strong defensive game during his nearly four minutes of four-on-five ice time.
“In terms of the toughness that he brings, I think it’s undisputed in the way that he plays — he’ll put any part of his body on the line to block shots,” Dubas said of Acciari in July. “He’ll be very welcome here at even strength and on the penalty kill.”
Same goes for big-bodied defenseman Ryan Graves, who commanded a team-high 5:04 on the penalty kill. Certainly, it’s just one game, but the reconfiguration of the bottom six and the defensive corps paid immediate dividends for the Penguins.
A much more stiff challenge than that posed by the Blackhawks awaits the Penguins on Friday night in Washington, D.C., in Alex Ovechkin and Co. By the conclusion of what Nieto coined a “tough test” in playing the Capitals, the Penguins will have a better idea of where they stand with their penalty kill, although more time is likely required to accrue a more significant sample.
In the meantime, however, the early returns on Dubas’ efforts to improve the bottom six have provided a path for an improved penalty kill. At the very least, it’s got penalty killers like Nieto believing they’ve got what it takes.
“I think we have the guys in here to do it and I think the guys that are on the kill are guys that take pride in doing it and see it as a challenge every night. And I think that's a good thing, as well,” Nieto said. “I think we have a number of guys that can get the job done, and that's a good start.”
Around the boards
During special teams work, Chad Ruhwedel took a puck to the upper body and bowled over in pain. He practiced the rest of the morning with no apparent limitations. ... Fellow defenseman John Ludvig skated on his off side during rushes while Ryan Shea moved back to the left side.
Andrew Destin: adestin@post-gazette.com and Twitter @AndrewDestin1
First Published: October 12, 2023, 8:31 p.m.
Updated: October 13, 2023, 12:38 a.m.
