Tim Benz: What's wrong with the Penguins? Here are 2 theories to debunk

The optimistic way to look at the Penguins is to hope that Tuesday’s 5-2 win over the New Jersey Devils will be the kind of victory that gets this recently rudderless team back on a Stanley Cup course.

Unfortunately, their current stretch of losing eight times in 11 games suggests a lot more than one victory against a non-playoff opponent is in order before we should infer that is happening.

To that end, let’s debunk two increasingly popular “What’s wrong with the Pens???” theories.

Let’s be clear. I’m on record as saying that any criticism hurled at the Penguins in recent weeks probably has some level of truth to it.

But these are two angles where an accurate concern from Twitter hot takers and talk show callers turns into a wildly misrepresented opinion.

1. “The Penguins are better off when they don’t have all of their stars in the lineup!”:

That’s just not true.

The sun has never risen over the Hill District on a day when that franchise was better off without the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Matt Murray and Kris Letang.

To make any statement to the contrary would be suggesting that three Stanley Cups and four conference championships happened despite their presence on the roster.

I’d argue the exact opposite. Along with the likes of Phil Kessel, Marc Andre Fleury, Jordan Staal, Sergei Gonchar and Chris Kunitz, those guys are largely responsible for the salad days of the last 13 years.

What I think people are trying to say is that when all the stars are in the lineup at once, the Penguins become too offensively reliant. They get too fancy and high risk. They get away from sound coaching because they feel superstar status allows them to freelance. An air of warranted confidence erodes into one of arrogance because of past successes.

Stating it that way, I see a lot of truth in the concern.

I’d also argue that’s all been true since roughly the 2010 playoff loss to Montreal. Yet the Penguins have won a ton of games and multiple titles with this core and that style since then.

That doesn’t make anything we’ve just discussed right. It just means it’s a conquerable issue.

Of course, the players have to wake up and play the right way as they did in 2016 and 2017.

Meaning, allow their speed and talent to shine within the restraints of defensively responsible play and a disciplined approach through the neutral zone and into the offensive end.

Instead, the Penguins have recently allowed those elements to become diametrically opposed. Forcing offense and dangerous passes in place of simple grinding, shooting and basic offensive zone play.

Let’s not forget taking undisciplined penalties out of frustration when those things go awry.

Those are issues head coach Mike Sullivan addressed through accountability and discipline when he first got to Pittsburgh. His stern approach helped the Penguins win two Stanley Cups. Because of all the success he has enjoyed with those players, maybe that tough love has slipped.

A popular fan belief is that the Penguins are better off having Sullivan be a taskmaster over lesser players and call-ups from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

That’s wrong. The team is better off when their star players are all healthy and playing smart hockey. The team is better off when their coach is holding them to that high standard.

But to argue this team is better off without them is absurd.

If the Penguins do qualify for the playoffs, what would some of you prefer? Enter Game 1 of the postseason with Malkin, Crosby and Letang as healthy scratches?

Yeah, I didn’t think so.

2. The goalie rotation killed Tristan Jarry’s season:

No, it didn’t.

Math killed Tristan Jarry’s season. And so did a lot of the defense from his teammates.

At the time of his All-Star announcement, Jarry was 13-6-1. He was tops in the league in all major goaltending categories with a 1.99 goals against average, .935 save percentage and three shutouts (tied).

Those numbers were unsustainable. It was like watching Josh Bell mash homers at a “Ruthian” pace for the Pirates through May. Then he regressed in June.

The same thing is happening to Jarry. He was playing over his head and so was the team in front of him.

On the season, Jarry is 20-12-1. His save percentage is .921. His goals against average is 2.43.

Those are all, by far, career bests. That shows me he is still a good young goalie having the best year of his NHL career and he is just in a slump right now. Unfortunately, that slump has also coincided with some rotten play by the skaters on the ice with him, so his margin for error has been minimal.

I know. Over his four-game losing streak, Jarry’s save percentage is a lousy .844. His goals against average is 4.50.

But, like Bell, this is a correction back to statistical reality. Not a product of more sporadic playing time. All season long, when Murray has been hot, so has Jarry. Now, when Murray has struggled, Jarry has, too.

Between Jan. 7 and Feb. 18, the Penguins went 11-3-1. Jarry was 6-2 during the stretch. Murray was 5-1-1. So was the rotation “ruining” either goalie then?

I feel bashing Jarry by way of blaming rotation is essentially a move by Penguins fans to tacitly blame Murray for Jarry’s recent demise. And that’s unfair.

Can’t we just go back to blaming Murray’s glove hand for everything?

Those were simpler times.

So, Penguins fans, what I’m saying is this. There are innumerable problems and people to blame for why things have been so bad for the local hockey team the last three weeks.

We don’t need to invent issues that don’t exist.