Shea-ved Ice: Pens Impressive In 2-0 Start
The Pittsburgh Penguins have opened the season with a 2-0 record and have looked pretty impressive thus far.
When head coach Mike Johnston took over, he said he wanted to play an up-tempo style with a focus on puck possession.
Granted, this is a limited sample size, but he's kept his word to this point.
The Penguins have lit the lamp 11 times already. Sidney Crosby has three of those tallies and has been absolutely flying.
I can't remember the last time I've seen Crosby with this much pep in his step.
Part of the equation could simply be that he actually has room to skate. Take his first goal against the Anaheim Ducks on opening night for example.
When Crosby received the pass from Chris Kunitz, he had an entire zone between him and Ducks defenseman Ben Lovejoy. Naturally, Crosby built up a full head of steam, turned Lovejoy into a pylon and got a fortunate bounce of John Gibson's equipment for the goal.
This was not and has not been an anomaly.
Let's backtrack a little bit to see why this is such a significant change from Dan Bylsma's system.
Specifically, let's look at the playoff series against the New York Islanders and Columbus Blue Jackets over the last two years.
What gave the Penguins trouble was their opponent's team speed and ability to suffocate the breakout.
The opposing forwards could freely pinch down on the Penguins' wingers. Meanwhile, the defense could spy any Penguin looking for the stretch pass in the neutral zone.
Effectively, this left the Penguins' defensemen with no passing options. As a result, turnovers were forced and the opponents went back on the attack.
With Johnston's system, the Penguins give themselves options with the puck leaving the zone. Whether it's a "D to D" pass, a chip to a wing or skating the puck, the goal is to have space and speed exiting the zone.
As for the offensive zone, the amount of puck and player movement we've seen in these two games is leading to a lot of the goals. It's a pretty simple approach.
Puck movement and player movement is going to create confusion for defenders. Assignments are going to get missed and goals are going to be scored.
However, there has been a third factor with the Penguins' offense that has been a welcome sight.
Traffic in front of the net.
Finally.
Finally, there are guys going to the net and parking themselves in front of a goaltender. Whether it's Chris Kunitz, Patric Hornqvist, Steve Downie, etc., it's having an effect.
Look at the goals scored by Kunitz and Malkin last night on the power play. Kunitz deflected a puck home from two feet out and Malkin sniped the top shelf due to a screen in front.
Even Brandon Sutter cashed in on a rebound last night because he was near the front of the net.
Having traffic in front will be an even more welcome sight in the playoffs, where dirty goals are essential.
This isn't rocket science. It's coaching to your strengths.
The systematic problems with the Penguins over the past couple of seasons were not big ones. Johnston has simplified some things, which gives his stars more time with the puck on their stick. None of that is a bad thing.
If I was going to nitpick and state the obvious, I'd say the penalty kill needs work. Five power play goals allowed in two games is a bit troubling. However, consider that the Penguins have only allowed one goal at even strength.
For those new to the game of hockey, most of the game is played at even strength on most nights.
The even strength systems are taking root, special teams will be worked on as the season progresses. There's no need to panic just yet.
For now, the Penguins are playing a much more enjoyable style of hockey. There's creativity and speed, but with a shoot-first mentality and traffic in front of the net.
So far, so good.
You can follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/sheavedice
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