The Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2-1 road loss to the Boston Bruins on Saturday was one of the team’s flattest performances of the season from an offensive perspective.

The Penguins were limited to 24 shots, tied for their fifth-lowest total of the season (with the low-water mark of 21 coming in a 5-1 road loss to the New York Rangers on March 25).

Perhaps no area of the Penguins’ game illustrated their stagnant offense Saturday better than the power play. Five of those 24 shots against the Bruins came with man-advantage situations but did not lead to goals as the Penguins finished 0 for 3 with the power play.

Saturday’s futility was hardly a new trend. Over their past eight games, the Penguins’ power play has generated one goal on 20 chances, a conversion rate of 5%.

Penguins coach Mike Sullivan suggested a pretty simple solution.

Shoot more.

“They’re getting some looks,” Sullivan said to media in Boston on Saturday. “It’s not that they’re not getting the looks. Some of it is just execution. I think we could shoot the puck a little bit more. I know that’s something that I know that (assistant coach Todd Reirden) has talked to the group about, just simplifying everything that we do out there. And shooting the puck a little bit more and creating some offense off of that.”

That message appeared to be received by Tuesday’s practice in Cranberry. At least by the words of one member of the team’s top power-play unit.

“These things happen in the season where things are good and things are bad,” said forward Bryan Rust, who leads the team with nine power-play goals this season. “For us, as of recently, I think we’ve done some really good things. We’ve just got to get a few more pucks to the net. Maybe we haven’t shot the puck as often as we should. The more we do that, the more those other things are going to open up for us.”

Beaulieu takes the ice

AP The Penguins acquired defenseman Nathan Beaulieu in a trade with the Winnipeg Jets on March 21.  

Penguins defenseman Nathan Beaulieu participated in his first practice as a member of the Penguins on Tuesday.

Acquired from the Winnipeg Jets the day of the trade deadline (March 21), Beaulieu is on long-term injured reserve due to an undisclosed injury he suffered March 4. Given the Penguins’ limited salary cap space ($11,861 according to Cap Friendly), Beaulieu, who carries a salary cap hit of $1.25 million, is not expected to be available to play until the postseason starts as the NHL’s salary cap does not apply to postseason play.

During Wednesday’s practice, Beaulieu wore a white jersey to signal no contact and skated on a fourth pairing with reserve defenseman Mark Friedman.

Sullivan did not offer any kind of target date for when Beaulieu would be cleared to play.

“We don’t have a definitive timeline to this point,” Sullivan said. “But the fact that we get him on the ice in a non-contact capacity, obviously, that’s a big step. We’re excited to get him out there. I thought he did fine for the first practice. It’s not easy jumping in at this time of year after missing some extended time like he has. But I thought he had a strong practice. We’ll see where it goes. At this point, we don’t have a timeline.”

Jersey sponsor revealed

Pittsburgh Penguins The Penguins will wear a Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield patch on their black home jerseys starting with the 2022-23 season.  

The Penguins announced healthcare provider Highmark will serve as the team’s first jersey sponsor beginning with the 2022-23 season.

An unspecified multiyear agreement was announced Tuesday for the home jerseys. A road jersey sponsor will be announced at a later date.

All 32 NHL teams are slated to have jersey sponsors beginning next season.

Follow the Penguins all season long.

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