Penguins' high-tempo offense leads to quick success
PITTSBURGH – When general manager Jim Rutherford began adding speed and high-tempo performers to the Pittsburgh Penguins roster this season, players quickly realized that success could be found in a hurry.
“Piece by piece we got faster as the year went on and the style we are playing right now is allowing us to play fast,” center Matt Cullen said. “The other part is when you get comfortable in your system it allows you to go faster because you know where the puck is going.”
The Penguins are flying these days, ripping up the ice like Lamborghinis on the autobahn. They racked up goals at a 4.44 goals-per-game clip in their final nine games in the regular-season, and even the tighter-checking NHL playoffs hasn’t slowed the Penguins down.
Penguins rout Rangers in Game 5 to eliminate New York from playoffs
On Saturday, the Penguins posted a 6-3 win against the New York Rangers that wrapped up their Eastern Conference first round series in five games. The Penguins scored 21 goals in the series, averaging 4.2 goals per game. They will now play either the Washington Capitals or Philadelphia Flyers.
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“They finished as the hottest team in the league and they play real sound defense,” said Rangers coach Alain Vigneault. “And when they get the opportunity they have the firepower to finish.”
Last summer, Rutherford acquired dynamic offensive player Phil Kessel, which signaled his intentions to play an attacking style.
But when coach Mike Johnston’s puck possession style wasn't producing wins fast enough by December, Rutherford fired Johnston and replaced him with Mike Sullivan, a coach known for holding players accountable and moving the puck with pace and purpose.
Concluding the team needed more speed, Rutherford traded for puck-moving defenseman Trevor Daley right after Sullivan was hired. He also promoted Conor Sheary, a smaller winger who can dart around the ice like a water bug. By January, Bryan Rust, another small, quick forward was brought into the mix. Rutherford completed the transformation by trading with the Anaheim Ducks to add Carl Hagelin, one of the NHL’s fastest players.
“We do a good job of settling into our game and when we do that we have four lines now that can really generate offense and pressure,” Cullen said.
Eleven different players had points in the clinching win against the Rangers. That’s not uncharacteristic of how the Penguins now play. Ten of the 12 forwards who played in Game 5 scored in the series. Their top three centers – Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Nick Bonino – totaled 20 points against the Rangers. The Penguins' secondary scoring is as dangerous as primary scoring on some of their opponents.
Sheary, 5-9 on his tallest day, has jumped from the American League to being Sidney Crosby’s linemate.
“When you add guys like Sheary and Rust and they are playing a lot of minutes, those guys make you a lot faster,” Cullen said. “Then Hagelin made us a lot faster. Daley made us faster.”
The faster the Penguins got, the better they performed. Going back to the regular-season, the Penguins have scored four or more goals in 14 of their past 18 games. They are doing this at a time when the NHL has its lowest goals-per-game scoring rate in 12 years.
“I thought the whole month of March we gained a lot of confidence,” Crosby said, noting that the Penguins had to find many different ways to win. Their defensive game has also improved during their change to a speed team.
The Penguins faced plenty of adversity, starting with a poor start, continuing with injuries, a coach firing and significant roster changes. Crosby believes overcoming this season's adversity has helped as much as the speed.
“We learned a lot about this group along the way,” Crosby said. “We have come together. It has built a real strong belief in the dressing room.”