There was a lot of good and bad from this season. We saw some guys emerge, some regress and some come and go. I said in September this would not be the same team, and that was true. The September/October team was miles better than the March/April team, but that happens sometimes. Either way, it still ended with the same result as the last six springs, no Stanley Cup.
There have been a lot of writings already, and this one will be similar to some, different from others. I have a lot to explore over the next few sections, and will do so as best I can and as short as I can to hold your interest. So here is what you will read in the following piece:
- My thoughts on the season overall and the ending.
- My "Highlights and Lowlights," which I will discuss what I thought was good about this team this year and what wasn't.
- My final "Report Card" for all the Pens players.
- Looking ahead. What I think we will see this summer for 2015-16.
The End of the Road
Instead, this was a season of a fast start and an agonizing final few months. They opened up the season with huge wins; scoring goals in bunches and boasting a power play that could control the globe. That began to fall off in mid-November. It began to free fall by February and by the end of March we were wondering if the Stanley Cup Playoffs would even happen. It came down to the last game of the season, with key players out for the season, a power play that couldn't score on a wide open soccer net and big names underperforming at epic levels.
The Pens made the playoffs for the eighth consecutive year by a hair and stick of Brandon Sutter. They played better in the playoffs, but the Rangers were still by far better. A four-one Rangers series win ended another season for the Penguins.
The team that began in October was a ghost of the team that went into the first round matchup with New York. Several players were traded. It seemed everyone missed significant time with injury and many players were so Dr. Jekyl, Mr. Hyde this year that it was infuriating to watch at times. Every team has its highs and lows, remember the 2008-09 season, but there was too much inconsistency for these guys to be a serious contender by the end.
The Pens are out. Break out the golf clubs, pack the bags and enjoy the beach. That being said, it's hard not to look back on this year and wonder what could have been. I certainly have been doing so for a few weeks now and I'm sure many out there have. It's just the nature of the game. So let's get more in-depth on the year that was.
My Highlights and Lowlights
- The Injuries: There is no doubt in my mind that if this team was healthy we would still be playing. The Pens lost Pascal Dupuis in November for the season. Lost Olli Maatta just a couple weeks later. Christian Ehrhoff was in and out of the lineup before being knocked out for good in early February and Kris Letang missed the last 10 games and all the playoffs on an unnecessary Shane Doan hit. Those were just the guys who never came back. The Pens lost Patric Hornqvist for several weeks with a knee injury and he also played through a broken rib down the stretch. Blake Comeau missed a few weeks with a broken wrist and never really regained the strength for the stretch run. David Perron pulled core muscles that hampered his shot. Malkin was plagued by nagging injuries all season and Beau Bennett proved to be just as fragile as ever with a multitude of different injuries. It is impossible to remain healthy all year; to think otherwise is absolute insanity. That being said, the injuries the Pens sustained were normal wear and tear, but also of the freakish nature. Without the latter, this team likely would still be playing.
- The Power Play: It is hard to believe that it went so bad, so fast after such a blistering start. The Penguins boasted a power play of over fifty percent the first six weeks of the season, then it seemed to only scored six more power play goals all season. That is completely unacceptable for a power play that boasts Kris Letang, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. In their exit interviews, the players said they should have shot more. In his closing presser GM Jim Rutherford reiterated that fact. The fact is the power play cost them greatly this season. Blame goes not only on the players, but assistant coach Rick Tocchet as well.
- Jekyl/Hyde Play: After this fast start, this team just played entirely too inconsistent, especially some of the big names. Many would point to Brandon Sutter having a bad year, but I disagree there. I thought Sutter had good numbers for a guy who played nearly every game. No, my blame lies more in the zone of Chris Kunitz, Evgeni Malkin and, to a point, even Sidney Crosby. Let me start with Crosby. I don't want you to think I think he had a bad year. 86 points is pretty damn good, no doubt. However, I thought he was very inconsistent this season, which is odd for him. He would go multiple games without points, then put up 3 assists and then get shutout for a few more. That's not like Sid and neither were his goal scoring droughts. Again, I'm not saying Sid had a bad year. I think he was just inconsistent. On the other hand, Chris Kunitz nosedived so hard into the shallow end that it's almost unfathomable. He went from 60+ points for several consecutive seasons to just posting over 40 this year. Perhaps that broken foot from November affected him more than we know, but even before then he wasn't the Chris Kunitz we know. There is a lot of talk he may be bought out this summer, and it may be worth exploring if this is what we can now expect. Malkin has me more infuriated. He was top 10 in scoring, but let's face it, Geno was not Geno this season. No goals in his last 15 games played and not points in his last 9 is completely unacceptable. Granted, management didn't give him much to work with in linemates, but he could have been better than he was.
Alright, let's get away from the negativity and take a look at a few of the good things that came from this season.
- The Play of Kris Letang, Patric Hornqvist and Marc-Andre Fleury: This trio was phenomenal, even with two of them missing a quarter of the season. Hornqvist was everything I could have hoped for coming in from Nashville. He was a bulldog in front of the net, provided very good numbers and was comfortable with Crosby almost immediately. Most importantly, Hornqvist never took a shift off. It was 110% every game, every shift. That is what I love about him and as Dejan Kovacevic always asks, "Can we clone him?" Kris Letang was great this year too and very much deserved a Norris nomination. He led the league's defensemen in points despite missing twenty games and it was evident the impact his presence has on this team. Just look at the last 15 games for proof. Same can be said for Marc-Andre Fleury. He was the team MVP and it is an absolute travesty that he did not get a Vezina nomination. He led the league in shutouts and was top five in wins. Had the Pens not squandered games down the stretch, he would have gotten not only a nomination, but a win. He kept this team alive, and deserved much more from his teammates.
- The Beginning of the Youth Movement: I really liked what I saw from several of the Pens young players. Olli Maatta was very good again until he was lost for the season, even playing the first month of the season while knowing he had a tumor. Derrick Pouliot was everything he was tagged to be and I think he will be better than both Maatta and Letang with more playing time. Brian Dumoulin and Scott Harrington were both solid in expanded playing time, especially Dumoulin. I liked what I saw from the likes of Bobby Farnham, Scott Wilson and Bryan Rust. I think all of those guys will play a role going forward. I will go more in-depth into the expansion of the youth movement going forward in another piece later this week.
- Defense and Penalty Kill: After several years of sketchy defensive play, the defense was the best we've seen in years. Kris Letang was the best when healthy. Paul Martin was outstanding until he wore down at the end of the year. Scuderi, haters be damned, had a very solid year whether they will admit it or not (but he is not worth 3.75 million annually going forward). Ehrhoff was solid when healthy. The PK was outstanding from the word go. They at one point killed 39 straight and got better after the trades for Daniel Winnik and Max Lapierre. Though the Ben Lovejoy for Simon Despres deal left us scratching our heads, the Ian Cole for Robert Bortuzzo deal was better than we could have ever hoped for. Cole will be a staple on our blueline next year and I'm excited to see what he does with a full year. The defense and PK kept this team afloat, along with Marc-Andre Fleury. Without them, we wouldn't have even made the playoffs.
Big Dave's Final Pens Report Card
Alright, in this section I will give you my grade for every Penguin player for this season and also head coach Mike Johnston. Grades range from "A+ to F."
HC Mike Johnston (B+): I thought Johnston had a hell of a year despite all the problems down the stretch. We saw in the opening of the season that his puck possession, carry the puck in a pack system worked well. Losing Maatta, Letang and Ehrhoff forced his hand to going to a different system with less than fleet-of-foot defensemen. I don't hold him responsible for the scoring whoas, mostly because that system yielded more shots and puck possession than the game they were forced to play at the end of the year. I think Johnston deserves to be back and with a healthy core of defensemen and some more speedy wingers, the Pens will be very good next season.
Craig Adams (D): It was a rough year for the veteran. 38 years old and frankly over the hill, he did what he could while he played but the writing was on the wall. He was good for us in 2009 and he played a major role in the penalty kill for years, but his time has come. It's time to hang them up.
Beau Bennett (C-): He is fragile. That is definitely the biggest knock on him. When he is "healthy," he appears to be terrified to play along the boards and terrified to possess the puck. Is he being handcuffed by his linemates? Sure, he is probably better than a fourth line winger. However, he does little to show he is better than that, especially when he immediately is getting rid of the puck when it comes close to him.
Taylor Chorney (C+): His grade is only this low because he only played in a handful of games. That being said, I was impressed by his play. It is still incredibly weird seeing someone else wear the #44 jersey, but Chorney was serviceable in the handful of games he played. He is an unrestricted free agent this summer, and from the sounds of it will be brought back. I see him more as a seventh defenseman, but he may evolve into more.
Ian Cole (B): Like Chorney, his grade is only this low because he only played about 25 games for the Pens. However, Ian Cole was the Penguins best player coming down the stretch. He put up points in all but two games in their last 10 and was solid again in the playoffs. Not bad for Robert Bortuzzo.
Blake Comeau (B+): I expected Comeau to be a fourth line winger who may chip in 5-10 goals. Instead, he saw a lot of time on a line with Geno and before the wrist injury looked to be on his way to a 30 goal season. I really liked his physical play and he is more of an offensive threat than many think.
Sidney Crosby (A-): As I said in the last section, Crosby had a good year but a very inconsistent one. He almost won the scoring title for the second consecutive year while going through more stretches of games without points than any other season of his career. He played well in the playoffs, but think he would have had a better year with Hornqvist healthier and Kunitz cashing in even half of the prime chances he had.
Steve Downie (B-): There was a lot to like about Downie's year and a lot to dislike. I loved his scoring touch, 14 goals and 28 points from a bottom six winger is what you want. I also loved how he stood up for his teammates and it did lead to fewer muggings of Sid and Geno. That being said, he was entirely too undisciplined. He led the team and the NHL in penalty minutes and many of those cost the Pens wins. He simply cannot do that. I have no problem with him coming back, but his leash would have to be razor thin.
Brian Dumoulin (C+): Dumoulin didn't play in a ton of regular season games, but he was phenomenal in the playoffs. That is why I have him at the grade he is at. Often forgot about when surrounded by the likes of Maatta, Harrington and Pouliot in the system, he proved to be a capable defenseman and one I expect to play top-four minutes next season.
Pascal Dupuis (N/A): I didn't give Duper a grade because of the injury situation. In the games he played, he was really good. He scored 11 points in the less than 20 games he played and was great on the PK. I hope to see him back healthy to start with for next year. From there, I hope to see him return to form.
Christian Ehrhoff (C+): I thought the signing of Ehrhoff would be great for the Pens. When healthy, he typically had a booming shot from the point and was a very good defensemen who could skate. He was all those things, when he was healthy. He missed most of the final half of the season with a concussion and even when he was healthy, he didn't shoot as much as I had hoped. I think the grade is fair, but it could've been much better.
Patric Hornqvist (A+): He was the best forward this season period, even missing close to twenty games with injury. This guy was everything advertised when he was traded for. He was a beast in front of the net, put up 50 points and gave everything he had every single shift. I think he will only get better next year alongside Crosby and if he stays healthy 70 - 80 points is not out of the question.
Chris Kunitz (C): He just wasn't very good. I have a hard time believing he regressed that much over one summer, but the proof was in the pudding. He went from 35 goals to 17 and 60+ points to 40. Thats a problem, especially when he is getting paid over four million annually and eighteen minutes a night.
Max Lapierre (C): This grade would be much lower if not for his playoff play. He was almost non-existent in the regular season. He played great on the PK his entire time here, but otherwise was not noticeable. He stepped his game up in the playoffs scoring a point and getting the Rangers off their game, but he needs to do that in the regular season too.
Kris Letang (A): Letang had a Norris Trophy worthy season. Once again, the writers outside of Pittsburgh are oblivious to the importance of Letang. He put up 54 points in three-quarters of a season and was probably the Pens best overall skater. He played close to 30 minutes a night and his absence the last few weeks was glaring. The Pens go as far as a healthy Kris Letang goes, and that is not as bold a statement as it sounds.
Ben Lovejoy (C): I really like the defenseman Ben Lovejoy has become since being traded by the Penguins. His return, however, left much to be desired. He needed to adjust to a new system, while simultaneously playing ever growing minutes. He was on the ice for 11 of the Rangers 12 post season goals. Frankly, I think he was just worn out before the playoffs started. Had he played in a 17-18 minute per night role, I think he would have been huge for the Pens.
Olli Maatta (N/A): As with Dupuis, Maatta has no grade with his health situation. I give the kid credit, he played extraordinarily well while worrying he may have a cancerous tumor in his neck and playing through pain in his shoulder. The thing that really has me steamed, is the shoulder thing could have been avoided. The medical staff allowed him back too soon, now he will be coming off his second consecutive shoulder surgery next fall. I have no doubt Maatta will be ready for next season and will be a huge factor in the Pens success.
Evgeni Malkin (B+): The seventy points he scored gets him this high a grade, but this Malkin was not anything special. I know he played through injuries, but there is no excuse for him to go 15 games without a goal and 9 games without a point down the stretch. I know he was handicapped by playing with inferior wingers, but he is still one of the best players in the world. He can do more and he knows it.
Paul Martin (B+): Martin was worked to the bone and then some. I didn't think this was his best season as a Penguin, but he held that defensive corps together when everyone else was washed away by injury. He won't return, but Martin was very good overall, especially defensively for the Pens.
David Perron (B-): He was great in his opening stanza with the Penguins, then disappeared into the night the final few weeks of the season and the playoffs. He stated he suffered a core muscle injury at the end of the regular season, but he still needed to be much, much better than he was. I think he will rebound with an offseason of training.
Derrick Pouliot (B): His first foray into the NHL was everything I hoped it could be. He carried the puck well, he possessed it well and his offensive talent is better than even Letang's. He still needs some polishing on the defensive end, but he will be a monster for the 2015-16 Pens.
Rob Scuderi (B-): I thought Scuderi had a good year. He did what he was brought here to do, anchor the last pair and be the key to the PK. He did both. His play dipped at the end of the year, but any 37 year old defenseman who played 25 minutes a night for a month straight would struggle.
Nick Spaling (B): I think Spaling had one of the most under the radar years for the Penguins. He looked out of place when playing in a top six role mid-season, but he posted 27 points on the season and was a great penalty killer. I think he will be even better next year, especially if he is allowed to solely play a bottom six role.
Brandon Sutter (B): Unlike all the analytics specialists out there, I thought Sutter had a great year. He scored 21 goals and 33 points while playing the majority of the season in the bottom six. He had nine goals down the stretch and played his best hockey when the Pens were struggling the most. CORSI be damned, Sutter had a good year.
Scott Wilson (C-): He only played half a regular season game and three playoff games, but this kid is going to be a solid bottom six forward. He has a good shot, is comfortable carrying the puck and will be physical.
Daniel Winnik (C): Besides his PK play, he wasn't anything special. His trade in also created the salary cap situation that absolutely killed the Penguins going down the stretch. He is a good bottom six forward, but we saw him too much in the top six and still saw little offensive production.
Thomas Greiss (C-): He didn't play much, but he wasn't out of this world when he did. In the early part of the year, he played well, but it fell off more and more as the season went on. I also was not impressed by his play in the final period. He often played lights out in the first two periods, and gave up a lot in the final third. That's a red flag for me. I'd have preferred Zatkoff.
Marc-Andre Fleury (A+): He was the team MVP. His play carried the Penguins to the playoffs and a shot in the Rangers series. He deserved more than what he got from his team. Period.
The Journey Ahead
- The Pens need to get younger, especially at forward. I will have a piece on this later in the week, so check back for that.
- Mike Johnston and Jim Rutherford will be retained and they probably should be. Johnston was forced to change with all the injuries, especially to his defensemen. When healthy, I think this team was as good as any other. Rutherford did a decent job, made some good trades but mangled the cap situation. I think he has some work ahead of him this summer, but I don't think there is a better option.
- The summer will bring the Pens time to get healthy, which will be a big boost to this team. A healthy Letang, Maatta, Dupuis and Pouliot will go along way.
- The Pens will have some cap flexibility this summer for the first time in several years, however, I don't expect them to be big spenders in free agency. There are several restricted free agents available that I like, but not much in the unrestricted realm.
- Trades will be made, the question is who. I think the Pens will more a player or two this offseason. For more thoughts on possible guys on the move, check out my "Who is in, who is out" post later in the week.
The future for the Penguins is not as dark as the past few weeks would make it seem. A clean bill of health, some cap flexibility and a younger group will make this team much, much better. The summer should be interesting, and there will be a lot of new faces next year. To some, that is scary. To others, it is a new beginning. As far as I am concerned, if it leads to the Cup, do what has to be done.