Tim Benz: For the Penguins power play, every day is 'Groundhog Day'

Because of covid-19 issues with the New Jersey Devils, the Penguins won’t play again until Feb. 6 against the New York Islanders. The games against New Jersey at PPG Paints Arena have been postponed.

So what will they do with the downtime? Working on the power play is a good start. Its inability to score Monday night against the New York Rangers cost them the game. They lost 3-1 and were 0 for 6 on the power play. Meanwhile, the Rangers scored in one of their four man-up opportunities.

This may take longer than four more days. I mean, despite having great superstars all over the ice for decades, we’ve always had the same complaint in Pittsburgh about the power play.

“Just shoooooot!!!!!”

This year, though, that issue of overpassing feels worse than ever. Because with the Penguins aging stars, the presumption is that the team’s naturally gifted talent 5-on-5 will fade, too. By extension, stealing a few power play goals will be all the more important.

That’s why it’s also increasingly vital to keep the process simple and start firing more pucks on the net. But, you know, make sure they actually get on net.

Missing the net is an issue, too, and when that happens the Pens pass the puck around the zone even more and the vicious cycle continues.

As of Tuesday morning, the Penguins’ 13.9% power play efficiency rate was 23rd in the league, inexcusable given their roster. Last year, the club finished 20th at 19%. And it’s not like the Pens are failing to get chances. They’ve had 36. That’s tied for the ninth-highest total in the NHL.

Yet the power play unit is 0 for 19 over its last five games.

The rate of scoring in all situations, but especially on the power play, needs to increase as well because keeping the puck out of their own net has been a concern, too. At the start of play Tuesday night, the 37 goals allowed by Mike Sullivan’s team were the fourth most in hockey.

The team’s save percentage 5-on-5 is .896, second worst in hockey. Only the Ottawa Senators — with former Penguin Matt Murray as one of the goaltenders — has a worse number at .872.

Stop me if you’ve heard this from Sullivan before.

“We’ve talked about just simplifying the game,” Sullivan said after the loss. “Trying to shoot the puck more, creating offense off of that shot. It looks like we are looking for a better play that is not there.”

I know Groundhog Day was Tuesday. Am I too late for a Ned Ryerson or Phil Connors reference?

“Do you ever have deja vu, Mrs. Lancaster?”

“I don’t know. But I could check with the kitchen.”

Augmenting the angst of Penguins fans when it comes to the power play is that the team is struggling so mightily on it while their former net-front master, Patric Hornqvist, is thriving in his first season with the Florida Panthers.

As Brian Metzer points out in our “Breakfast With Benz” podcast, Hornqvist already has five points on the power play, while the entire Penguins team only has five power play goals.

Jake Guentzel has tried to fill that role to a degree with the Penguins, but unlike Hornqvist, he doesn’t anchor himself in front of the goalie. And when he does, he’s not as big or pestering as Hornqvist was.

Guentzel tends to dart and dodge in and out as the net-front guy. And what difference does it make if the shots never come on net anyway?

“We’ve got to do a better job of putting pucks at the net. Creating offense that way,” Sullivan added.

It’s not that complicated. Certainly easier than studying 19th century French poetry.

Hey, maybe that’s it. Maybe Sullivan should start explaining the power play in French.

“Tirez sur la rondelle, Evgeni!”

Brian Metzer and I discuss — in English — the Penguins’ power play problems, the goaltending woes, the general manager search and the health of the defensemen in Wednesday’s “Breakfast With Benz” podcast.

Enjoy it in your car. And don’t drive angry!