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Penguins Blog: How Team Improved in Shootout; Why Koivunen Struggling
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- Penguins Blog: How Team Improved in Shootout; Why Koivunen Struggling
Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images
In the first 11 attempts this season, the Pittsburgh Penguins won exactly one shootout. In most attempts, they weren't even close as opposing goalies stuffed Penguins shooters, and even if the Penguins goalies stopped two of three, the Penguins could not muster a goal.
Or other nights, the Penguins would find a goal in the shootout, but goalies Tristan Jarry , Arturs Silovs , and now Stuart Skinner , would be lit up for two, or even three.
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This season, Silovs bottomed out in the NHL skills competition to decide games, but a recent uptick from a .350 save percentage to a .404 represents some progress. Skinner has won the last two, and his season shootout rate is up to .552.
The Penguins have put a lot of work into the shootouts. While practice may not yield quick results, months of trying to figure it out have yielded some tangible results.
"Yeah, 100%. I think we've been able to get a lot of practice in with that on breakaway situations and also shootout situations. The cool thing about it is that (goalie coach Andy Chiodo) is always very intelligent with how he talks to me, how he presents different situations to me," Skinner said Thursday night after beating Ottawa 4-3 in a shootout. "So I've been able to learn a lot from him. And we've just been hammering on it. I've been working on it big time. And it feels really good that it pays off. Got a couple, a few breakaway saves in OT, and then we were able to manage to win the shootout. So yeah, it's huge."
The Penguins are only 3-11 in shootouts this season and if their postseason goals go unmet, there will be a lot of fingers pointed to that specific soft spot that lingered for most of the season, though it could be noted the Penguins were 1-6 last season in shootouts and 6-12 in overtime and shootouts in the season before that.
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In other words, the Penguins have stunk after regulation for several seasons running, and the combination of factors has as much to do with the situation as it does roster construction and the sheer number of times goaltenders have been able to see Sidney Crosby 's, Evgeni Malkin 's, and Kris Letang 's favorite shootout moves.
Saturday, Rickard Rakell , Egor Chinakhov and Ben Kindel were the shootout participants. Chinakhov and Kindel scored. Kindel's straight ahead move was the winner.
"Yeah, I think it's just kind of an ongoing process. You're always looking for different ways to score, and practice is a big, big opportunity for that, to just finding for moves that may work," Kindel said.
Practice may help, but having the raw materials to develop is equally, if not more, important. In recent shootouts, the Penguins shooters have deployed the slow move (Rickard Rakell) and beat goaltenders simply by attacking from the side then to the center of the ice with a clean wrist shot.
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The Penguins have put in the video work and dabbled after many practices over the last few months. They are finally getting a little payoff.
Ville Koivunen
As of publishing, the Penguins have not yet made any roster moves. Many publicly questioned why Rutger McGroarty was not or has not yet been called up from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, especially considering Ville Koivunen's struggles.
It's a fair question.
If there is any frustration from management or coaches regarding Koivunen's play, they are dealing with it by keeping him in the lineup.
The Finnish winger showed playmaking skills and an NHL game at the end of last season when he notched seven assists in eight games playing on lines with Evgeni Malkin or Sidney Crosby.
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However, this season, Koivunen has notched just seven points, including a pair of goals in 35 NHL games. It has not gone well, and Koivunen has no shots on goal in his last three games.
Coach Dan Muse has also limited Koivunen's ice time to about 10 minutes per game over the last three games. However, there were also high points. He was physically engaged and notable in the Penguins' 4-3 win over the Utah Mammoth on March 14, and had a pair of good games against Boston and Philadelphia on March 7 and 8.
After speaking with WBS coach Kirk MacDonald and Koivunen in February, and chatting with Koivunen frequently since his call-up before the March 7 game against Boston, there is one quote that stands out.
"I want to do more (chirping and agitating). But I feel like if you see something first, you can do it. It feels like if you don't do it enough first, then it's like no one cares. What are you going say there?" Koivunen said. "So, I think, first you have to be better on the ice and stuff, and then you can maybe start doing that more."
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MacDonald fully supported the notion that Koivunen is at his best when he's physically engaged and driving opponents bonkers. It's been a feature of his game that he has not brought to Pittsburgh this season, and it's because he doesn't feel like he should or it would be effective because he's not playing well enough.
He's not playing well enough, so he doesn't want to engage those physical aspects, so he's not playing well enough. It's a vicious cycle.
Utah specifically targeted him with hits and behind the play whack. Rather than shrink, he gave it back and had one of his best games. If there is one key to unlocking Koivunen's potential, it is simply him playing like a pest.
Whether he has the confidence to do so is another matter. And therein lies the struggles of Koivunen.
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The post Penguins Blog: How Team Improved in Shootout; Why Koivunen Struggling appeared first on Pittsburgh Hockey Now .
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