GDHQNHL15_2pg-Pittsburgh Penguins 2

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Buffalo, registering a minus-27 rating. Of course, he was plus-36 in 2009-10, so that might be a more accurate representation of his potential. He’ll likely team with Paul Martin, a sturdy veteran who isn’t known for scoring but is a strong force on the blue line. The second group includes Kris Letang and Olli Maatta. Letang scored a career-high 11 goals last year, but his minus-eight rating reversed a trend of three strong years in that category. Maata is only 20 but showed plenty last year, scoring nine times and finishing at plus-eight for the year. He has plenty of potential and could be a stalwart for a long time. There is some trouble after that. Orpik led the team with 221 hits last year, so Pittsburgh is surrendering some toughness by not having him. And Niskanen scored 10 times in 2013-14 and had a robust plus-33 rating. The Pens must hope Simon Depres and Rob Scuderi, who turns 36 in December, can provide necessary depth at the position. Robert Bortuzzo could fit into the picture, too. Pittsburgh will never want to strangle its opponents, not with the offensive firepower it possesses, but must be tighter defensively, particularly in the postseason. Goaltending No one is going to mistake Marc-Andre Fleury for Henrik Lundqvist or Jonathan Quick, but he is a solid presence in net for the Penguins and enjoyed a typically mixed season last year. Fleury had five shutouts, which tied his career high, and his 2.37 GAA fit perfectly with his performances the last three years. In the postseason, Fleury led all goaltenders with two shutouts, despite playing in only two series. And while his 2.40 GAA was better than what he managed the past several seasons, he was part of the Pens squad that gave away a 3-1 Eastern Conference Semifinal lead to New York, hardly a goal-scoring juggernaut. It’s unlikely he’ll ever be a Vezina winner, but on a team that scores a lot, Fleury is fine, so long as he delivers in the playoffs. The Penguins jettisoned Jeff Zatkoff, who started 18 games last year and have added Thomas Greiss as a backup. He had a 2.29 GAA in 20 starts with San Jose last year, and his .920 save percentage was higher than Fleury’s. Power Play It’s hard to imagine that just three seasons ago, Pittsburgh converted only 19.72 percent of its power-play chances. Last year, the number was a far more robust 23.38. That’s what happens when Crosby, Malkin and Kunitz are part of the unit. Kunitz had 13 goals on the power play, while Crosby converted 11 times, and Malkin scored on seven occasions. Putting playmakers Crosby and Malkin on the ice at the same time allows Pittsburgh to put great pressure on rivals, and Kunitz no doubt loves having two great passers feeding him. But Pittsburgh does have to replace Neal, who had 11 power play scores last year. Expect Hornqvist to step in. He had 10 goals on the advantage last year, so the situation could be under control. Letang has a big shot from the point, so he is a valuable piece of the equation, and Maata is a growing force on the power play, too. Penalty Kill Pittsburgh rebounded from a lousy 2011-12 performance while shorthanded to post one of the league’s best numbers on the penalty kill. There were many reasons for the success, beginning with the fact that the Pens just didn’t allow too many shots while a man down. That led to good goals-against numbers from Fleury and Zatkoff. Expect center Brandon Sutter to reprise his solid performance on the penalty kill, while Spaling should contribute on the unit as well, particularly since there might not be a lot of room for him among the team’s top scorers, with so many weapons around him. Veteran Marcel Goc is a strong two-way player who should see more time this year and has the ability to help out when Pittsburgh is at a disadvantage. Prediction The Penguins have enough star power to rule the Metropolitan Division, but that’s not why new GM Jim Rutherford and Johnston were brought in. The goal is a better post-season, and the changes that were made, coupled with the talent that is already on the roster should make that happen. Scoreboard 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 PLAYOFF FINISH Conf SF Conf Final Conf QF Conf QF Conf SF REGULAR SEASON 51-24-7 36-12-0 51-25-6 49-25-8 47-28-7 POINT TOTAL 109 72 108 106 101 SHOOTOUT RECORD 7-3 3-0 9-3 10-3 8-2 GOALS SCORED 249 165 282 238 257 GOALS ALLOWED 207 119 221 199 237 POWER PLAY % 23.38 24.71 19.72 15.76 17.18 PENALTY KILL % 85.04 79.64 87.78 86.11 84.10 Evgeni Malkin Claus Andersen/Getty Images


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