Penguins Focus on Revamping Power Play Under New Leadership

During Day 1 of Pittsburgh Penguins training camp, I asked captain Sidney Crosby about the focus on improving the power play.

“You’re bringing it up already, and we haven’t even practiced it yet. That shows how many eyes are on it,” Crosby responded.

He’s right.

On Monday, the Penguins finally got to work on the power play that struggled mightily last season, converting just 15.3% of the time in 2023-24.

“We know we could’ve done a lot better last year,” Crosby said. “You’ve got to put the puck in the net. If we score, we don’t have to keep answering questions about it. It’s a process. You need to understand your positioning.”

This season, that process is under the guidance of new assistant coach David Quinn, formerly the head coach of the San Jose Sharks. Quinn replaces Todd Reirden after the Penguins ranked 30th out of 32 teams in power-play percentage.

“We had our first video session today. He’s got some great ideas, and I’m excited to see where it goes,” said forward Rickard Rakell. “We need everyone on the same page, take advantage of having the extra man, and execute. When we spend time working on it, I think it’s going to be great.”

Rakell joined the top unit in Monday’s session, playing alongside Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust, and Kris Letang. Malkin was positioned in front of the net more often, while Crosby took up space in the right circle. Michael Bunting, who showed promise in the bumper position last year, was on the second unit.

When asked if we should read into the lineup or strategy at this stage, head coach Mike Sullivan was straightforward: “Nothing.”

His response suggests that things will evolve, especially considering defenseman Erik Karlsson’s current injury. Despite Karlsson’s struggles last season, he’s expected to lead the power play again. As general manager Kyle Dubas pointed out last year, Karlsson had a tendency to try to “slap pass it through five people.”

Rather than focusing on who’s playing where, Sullivan highlighted two critical areas the Penguins need to improve: offensive-zone entries and puck retrieval.

“It wasn’t a strength last year,” Sullivan said. “Historically, our power play hasn’t excelled in entries. It’s an opportunity to improve. If you win faceoffs, you establish zone time, which gives your power play a chance. If you don’t, or if you fail on entries, you can’t generate that time.”

On puck retrieval, Sullivan believes the team has potential to thrive, especially with players like Rust and Crosby.

“A lot of goals in the league come from puck retrievals,” Sullivan noted. “When you win those battles, the other team is out of their structure, which creates opportunities. That’s when our guys are at their best — it’s instinctive hockey, not about running a perfect play. It’s just playing.”

Rust echoed that sentiment.

“Predictable to us, unpredictable to them. That’s the mindset. More simplicity in getting pucks and bodies to the net. There were times we overcomplicated things with too many passes. We need to simplify and outwork our opponents,” Rust said.

It’s a sound approach. Now, the key is getting the players to commit. Perhaps it’s about reinforcing that their natural talent is among the best in the game. Instead of striving for perfect plays, the Penguins should trust their instincts and let the highlights come naturally.

If Sullivan and Reirden couldn’t convey that message last year, perhaps Quinn can this season. Or maybe Karlsson will adjust his game. Either way, Quinn will need to find a way to maximize the skills of these aging stars.

One thing is clear: the Penguins’ dreadful power play was a major factor in their failed 2023-24 campaign. If they want to make the playoffs — and finally win a round for the first time since 2018 — it must become an asset, not a liability.