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Penguins Report Card: Kindel Surges. Who Rose, Who Fell in Last Shot
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- Penguins Report Card: Kindel Surges. Who Rose, Who Fell in Last Shot
Brazeau Injured; Did Muse Tip Penguins’ Hand on Brunicke?
BUFFALO —Showtime. The Pittsburgh Penguins ' rebuild was under the bright lights of KeyBank Arena on Wednesday as prospects such as Tristan Broz , Ben Kindel , and Harrison Brunicke faced the Buffalo Sabres ' NHL lineup.
The Penguins kept pace and capitalized on opportunities for a blue-collar 5-3 win. Broz, Matt Dumba , Avery Hayes, and Ville Koivunen scored goals. Filip Hallander scored the empty-netter.
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"They work hard, too. They've got the talent, they can make plays, and they're just willing to go to those hard areas, and they got rewarded for it tonight," said Dumba regarding the Penguins' young forwards.
Arturs Silovs stopped 27 of 30 shots.
Penguins defenseman Jack St. Ivany left the game in the first period with a lower-body injury, forcing the Penguins to play with just five defensemen for most of the game. Following the game, coach Dan Muse didn't have an update. The team was still evaluating St. Ivany.
And there was bad news for Buffalo. Starting goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukonen left the game after the first period when he aggravated a lower-body injury.
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Penguins Analysis
Muse and general manager Kyle Dubas engaged in a serious conversation just outside the locker room, only a few moments after the game. Dubas wore a pensive look as the decisions facing management will not be easy.
In fact, Wednesday's game probably muddied the water more than clarified it as Kindel–the team's first-round pick (11th overall)–continued his charge toward a roster spot.
"I think he's been consistent. I thought he had another game where it's the same thing–I think on the defensive side, too, you can see a little bit more. He's a little quicker to close space," said Muse. "He's been out there–him and his line–against some very good, very established NHL players these last couple of games. I think that experience for him being out there is massive. He's handled it well … At no point have I seen any hesitation with him. He's not afraid to make plays, and he's made some high-end ones here without a lot of time and space."
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The competition Muse referred to couldn't be any better. Kindel's line with Hayes and Koivunen matched up against Josh Norris with Peyton Krebs and Tage Thompson –Buffalo's top line, and Kindel had a 78% expected goals ratio.
Yep, 78% against Buffalo's top line.
The Penguins-lite lineup held its own and got better throughout the game. Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff lamented that his team wilted in the third period as the Penguins kept up the pressure.
The Penguins' PP1 power play looked dangerous as Dumba and Kindel wheeled the puck around the zone with intent. Then PP2 scored when Broz poked Philip Tomasino 's rebound past Luukonen.
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Kindel and Dumba were in sync on special teams and 5v5.
However, the Penguins looked too much like last season's natural disaster just 10 seconds after scoring the first goal. Buffalo overloaded the right side, putting defenseman Ryan Shea in an either-or situation, and Shea stepped forward to stop one Sabre. Still, Josh Norris got behind for a clear path (and goal) against Silovs.
It was the wrong read by Shea to go forward on Peyton Krebs (19), but defense partner Ryan Graves had drifted so far out of the play on the left side that no Sabres player was within 30 feet, and he was 60 feet from the play.
Graves needed to read the play and take the center rather than…Siberia.
Overall, the Penguins played a strong game. They had defensive lapses, such as Brunicke getting burned and the Shea/Graves gaffe, but for the second consecutive game, the Penguins junior varsity roster outplayed their opposing team's varsity roster. [
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Defensively, the Penguins kept their sticks in lanes and didn't allow Buffalo to create sustained pressure in the offensive zone. The Penguins' team skating stands out as exceptional and affords them more opportunities to diffuse the attack.
In the offensive zone, the hungrier Penguins were better on loose pucks and weren't shy about getting to the net.
Muse likes his defensemen to activate more often than other coaches, but they kept the game in front of them Wednesday with the increased minutes and the lead.
Novel concept, eh?
Penguins Report Card
Ben Kindel: A
Composed. Precise. Workman-like. There was a lot to like about his game on different levels than his Monday breakout against Detroit . Wednesday was a professional effort; he didn't try to do too much, but was ever present. Sharp little plays replaced bigger plays, and by the end, he emerged as one of the Penguins' best forwards, if not the best.
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Kindel won eight of 12 faceoffs in the first two periods and finished 9-6.
Because the roster is overcrowded, it's a tough call whether he makes the NHL roster, but he gave Penguins management enough justification to make the call.
Tristan Broz: A
The Penguins are putting Broz in tough situations to find out if he can handle them in the regular season. He's not getting the offensive zone starts that others are getting, but the Penguins are grooming him for a role with tough minutes.
A power play goal highlighted a solid defensive performance. Broz had a few moments in the offensive zone, but the line had only two shots on goal after 40 minutes. To their credit, after two periods, they allowed zero shots by the Sabres' third line of Jiri Kulich with Jack Quinn , and Josh Doan .
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"I think (his game) has gotten better. He's been out there in a lot of different situations, and game to game, it's kind of changed a little bit. That has been something that we've done by design," Muse said. "I think there's been some games where he's been in more of the D-zone starts, there's some games there where it's maybe a little more on the penalty kill time, but I think he's been good. I think he's in the right spots and the details are pretty solid."
Filip Hallander: B
Not quite the standout performance as Monday. Hallander has a problem; even when he makes a good play, he doesn't seem to draw attention. He earned a hard-fought assist in the second period when he held off a defenseman at the net front before Avery Hayes swooped in to clean up the garbage.
He won some wall battles, lost some wall battles, and had a few shots on goal, then scored the empty-netter. He played a solid game.
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Rafael Harvey-Pinard : C
The puck just didn't like Harvey-Pinard Wednesday. He didn't factor much. An early third period turnover in the defensive zone almost resulted in a Buffalo goal.
Harvey-Pinard hurt his NHL chances on Wednesday.
Ryan Graves/Ryan Shea: C+/B
St. Ivany's injury scrambled the pairs, breaking up the duo later in the first period.
Shea played on his offside on Wednesday, as Muse wanted to get a look at the D-man's versatility that former coach Mike Sullivan used almost exclusively. The pair were burned for the goal shown above. Graves took another minor penalty in the second period and was otherwise underwater in shot attempts against. Graves wasn't bad, but
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Shea played solidly. After the goal, he largely kept it simple. Shea stepped into the zone a few times, but not in a risky manner. Shea also had three blocked shots in two periods, which led the Penguins' D-men.
Shea's sharp headman pass to Koivunen launched the winger for a breakaway goal in the third period. Shea had his head up and didn't waste a moment. Shea elevated his play in the third period.
Harrison Brunicke : C
Brunicke had a few very nice moments, carrying the puck deep and aiding the play in the offensive zone, but…
He also had some shaky moments in the defensive zone, including Buffalo's third goal when Rasmus Dahlin left him standing flatfooted at the blue line for a breakaway goal.
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He chased the game at times. For the second year in a row, he had a roster spot within his reach but didn't close well. The Brunicke discussion and decision will be a bellwether for the organization's path forward.
Unlike Kindel, who closed with a flourish, Brunicke didn't bring his best.
Matt Dumba : A
The veteran has staked his claim. There is little more he can do. On Wednesday, Dumba was the Penguins' best defenseman as he pushed the play, blasted a goal, and was generally strong in the defensive zone.
"I think I played a good game. I feel like my game's gotten better and better through camp. I'm happy about that," said Dumba.
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Removing all external factors, Dumba earned a spot.
Arturs Silovs : Solid
After some inconsistent work earlier in the preseason, Silovs was very good. The goals against were breakaways–that's on the team, not the goalie.
Silovs controlled his rebounds and looked like an NHL goalie. That's all he had to do. Mission accomplished.
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