Penguins promote defenseman Matt Grzelcyk to top power-play unit
The Pittsburgh Penguins raised some eyebrows when they opened the season with two defensemen — Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang — on their top power-play unit.
For the better part of a decade, if not more, they have primarily utilized only one defenseman along with four forwards.
But not even a month into the current season, they have already altered that deployment.
To be certain, they are still using two defensemen. But Matt Grzelcyk has replaced Letang on the top unit with Letang sliding to the second power-play squad.
That change took place in Thursday's 2-1 home win against the Anaheim Ducks and carried over to practice on Friday.
While the Penguins' overall results on the power play have been sturdy with a conversion rate of 20.6%, things haven't been all that prolific as of late. In their past four games before Saturday, they were 1 for 9 (11.1%).
"We're looking for better execution," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "We're looking for power plays that work collectively together where we can have success. We're scoring goals on the power play. We're also looking at the process, what it looks like and its sustainability. We just think that it was at the point where it's been a few games in a row where from a process standpoint, we weren't satisfied with where it's at. So we're trying to effect a little bit of change. We'll see where that goes. It's not etched in stone. We can move these guys around, but we thought we'd try something different and so that was part of the motivation."
Grzelcyk is working the center point of the top unit, distributing the puck to luminaries such as Karlsson as well as forwards Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
"You want to make everyone happy, obviously," Grzelcyk said. "But at the same time, you just want to make the best play that's available in front of you. I'm just trying to play with instincts as best I can. Obviously, we watch video together and talk about some plays we want to run. But there's only one puck out there.
"Just be mindful you can't always be on the perimeter, you've got to get it on the net at some point. Whether that's me trying to take initiative and throw one on the net and make a play off that, that's when their skill takes over. That's when it's hard for the (penalty kill). They're such good players and they have such a high hockey IQ, it doesn't really matter what plays you run. You just try to get them as much time and space as possible."
Lizotte returns
Penguins forward Blake Lizotte made his Penguins debut Thursday. He logged a team-low 5:39 of ice time on eight shifts while centering the fourth line.
Part of that limited deployment was rooted in score and situation. The Penguins trailed most of the game and there was a number of special teams situations.
Additionally, coaches wanted to ease him back into the lineup after he had been sidelined for the better part of a month due to a concussion he suffered in September during the preseason.
"He was fine in the first game," Sullivan said. "It's not an easy thing, he hasn't played in a month. In a perfect world, we'd get him more team practices and get him more of an opportunity to assimilate back into the group. We felt at this particular point in time, that it was important that we put him back in the lineup. So, to a certain extent, he's trying to play his way into game shape and game readiness. We tried to protect his minutes a little bit and ease him in. When you haven't played in a month and then you go into a game, you feel like the game is going a million miles an hour and there's 25 guys on the ice.
"But as he gets into it and he plays a little bit more, the game is going to slow down in his brain and he's going to get more comfortable with the spatial awareness of the guys on the ice and the traffic and all of those things."
A free agent signing in July, Lizotte acknowledges he is still a work in progress.
"It's kind of just getting my feet wet only playing a handful of minutes, which is a great way to ease into it," Lizotte said. "I missed basically all of training camp. I haven't played (a game of consequence) in five months and had one team practice. Kind of got thrown into the fire there without any kind of reps with systems. But overall, the body felt good. I feel pretty confident I can get better moving forward."
Contact is a big part of the rambunctious Lizotte's game. He professed no hesitation in engaging physically coming off his respite.
"You just dive in," Lizotte said. "If you play scared, it's worse off for you. Going forward, it's kind of all in. That's how I play regardless. It definitely takes some time to get your feet wet when other guys ... have had 10, 12 games. They're all in mid-season form. So, it takes a second to catch up."
Puljujarvi scratched
Penguins forward Jesse Puljujarvi is expected to be a healthy scratch for the second consecutive game going into Saturday's home contest against the Montreal Canadiens.
After an impressive preseason, he had a productive start to the regular season, posting five points (one goal, four assists) in his first six games. But his minutes began to decline starting with a 4-3 road shootout loss to the Flames. Four games later, he was a spectator and not a participant in Thursday's contest.
"He had a great start to our season," Sullivan said. "The conversation I had with Jesse was about just redefining expectations and how we think he needs to play to help the Penguins win games. The biggest thing is just attention to detail and playing on the defensive side of the puck, playing away from the puck. He was doing some real good things offensively. He was doing a pretty good job of getting in on the forecheck.
"I just felt like the details of the defensive aspect of the game or his play without the puck was not where it needed to be or was slipping. That was the conversation that him and I had in just trying to define what the expectations are for him to have success with the Penguins."
