The Pittsburgh Penguins snapped a four-game losing streak against the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday, Dec. 12. There were a lot of things to be encouraged by in the team’s 4-2 victory over the Coyotes, including their first power-play goal in over a month. This season, one of the Penguins’ biggest struggles has been staying consistent. Before the game against Arizona, they looked like a tired, washed-up team who could not get out of their own way. They have to get to the root of the issue and figure out how to put a consistent game together night in and night out.
Penguins Still Missing Opportunities
The Penguins started a three-game road trip on Dec. 4 against the Philadelphia Flyers. The 2-1 loss to the Flyers was not exactly how Pittsburgh planned to start off the trip, but with sloppy passes and countless turnovers, it is a wonder the game even went to overtime.
On Dec. 6, the Penguins lost 3-1 to the Tampa Bay Lightning in what may have been their worst game so far this season. They looked flat almost immediately and were shuffling their lines for most of the night to try to get something going. No one ever got into a rhythm, and the bottom six was basically non-existent all game. This was the first time all year that the team looked like they gave up during the game.
On Dec. 8, the Penguins lost 3-1 to the Florida Panthers. Because of injuries, the lines were completely shuffled for this game. In the third period, the Penguins were out-shot 13-2 through the first 17 minutes. Once again, the lack of effort and drive, especially in the third period, was evident.
During the road trip, the Penguins scored a total of three goals and had a record of 0-2-1. For the Panthers game, the Penguins called up Marc Johnstone, Valtteri Puustinen and Jonathan Gruden from Wilkes-Barre in hopes they would give the team a spark. Even though they were all relatively quiet in that game, Puustinen, in particular, is starting to make a name for himself at the NHL level.
Puustinen has played in three games and has an assist in each, including his assist on the Penguins’ first power-play goal in over 37 tries on Dec. 12 against the Coyotes. He fits in perfectly on the second line with Evgeni Malkin and Reilly Smith, who have both been pretty quiet since Rickard Rakell left the lineup about a month ago with an injury.
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With Puustinen, Malkin and Smith have three points between them in the last two games. At 5-foot-9, 183 pounds, Puustinen will never be a dominating presence in front of the net, but his strong skating and good puck-handling skills make him a good fit in the top six. At the very least, he has moved way up on the Penguins depth chart.
Penguins Trying to Get on Track
The Penguins are currently riding a two-game winning streak and are hoping their recent good fortune will continue. In their latest wins against the Coyotes and the Montreal Canadiens, the team committed to a defensive game and found success. They also switched up their strategy on the power play by making plays down low instead of from the top of the zone. By keeping the puck low, they force the opposing PK to turn and defend, which hinders them from seeing what is behind them.
The Penguins did enough to win their last two games, but they still have work to do. Next, they will face the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, Dec. 16, and will have to be performing at their highest level to compete with Toronto.