It’s tough to be a Penguin

I have been rolling this post around my head for over a week now.  I kept waiting for the Pens to catch a win that would knock them back on track.  At this point I have decided to just post and call myself out later if need be.

It is a tough time to be a Penguin in Pittsburg.  After a Stanley Cup playoff, appearance in the 2007-2008 season the Pens have been unable to replicated the past season’s successes.  They are currently 4^th in their division with 46 points which puts them in 10^th place in the East and 1 point away from a playoff spot.

In the last ten games the Pens have gone 3-7 only racking up 6 points as they crossed the midpoint of their season.  There are number of reasons why the Pens are struggling and it might not get any easier in the short run.  I was able to attend their game against the Aves on Saturday and got an opportunity to see the team play up close and personal.  Last year the Pens garnered lots of press because of the wiz kid Crosby.  As the season progressed Malkin’s name joined the mix.  Then as the trade deadline loomed the Pens picked up Hossa.  It was a triple threat that proved to be just what they needed to seal the deal for a playoff showing.

In the offseason Hossa left for Detroit.  (The unconfirmed story goes, during the handshake after the final game Hossa shook Mike Babcock’s hand and told him he wanted to be part of his organization.)  Early in the season, Sergei Gonchar injured himself leaving Letang to carry the defense (by the way, Hal Gill is enormous).  The empty spots left by these player did not go unnoticed.  All these factors aside the most glaring deficit I saw from the Pens was their completely nonchalant attitude toward back checking.  Early on it was clear King Crosby and Prince Malkin were not going to bother themselves with concept of back checking.  The best thing Michel Therrien can do with the team right now is make it clear those players not back checking can go ahead and put on a suit because they will be sitting in the box.  And let’s face it, there are plenty of players in the AHL who will work as hard as they can if they get a chance.

As I put the final touches on this post it was brought to my attention that the Pens had beaten Philly, the top team in their Division, with nearly more points in the season.  The Pens have just crossed into their second half of the season so they have plenty of time to turn this season around.  However, it will not be easy and many changes are going to have to take place quickly or the Pens are going to find themselves on a golf course in May and not in their Igloo.