Power play: Pens behind Rangers?

The Pittsburgh Penguins have gotten off to a decent start in the 2008-09 season, going 2-1-1 in… The Pittsburgh Penguins have gotten off to a decent start in the 2008-09 season, going 2-1-1 in their first four games before last night’s contest with the Washington Capitals. Pittsburgh is in second place in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference, behind the surging New York Rangers. However, much hockey is left to be played. The Pitt News’ Penguins experts tune in with answers to some early season questions. The Penguins have struggled to score in their first few games. What has the problem been, and what needs to be done to fix it? Nick LaMantia: The Penguins are trying too hard. They’re looking for the pretty play when a simple shot on goal would suffice. Ugly shots score goals ‘- ask Brooks Orpik. The team has been outshot in all of its games except for the 3-1 loss to Ottawa in Sweden. Shoot more, score more. Simple solution. Jay Huerbin: It’s still early in the season, and it’s not uncommon for teams to struggle to find rhythm in the first games. For Sidney Crosby, he’s seeing new wingers again. Just look at the game against Philadelphia. He started the game with Ruslan Fedotenko on his left side, only to finish with Pascal Dupuis there. Kris Letang and Alex Goligoski are going to need time to fill the shoes, or rather skates, of the injured Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney. It may sound cliche, but team and line chemistry is the root of scoring goals. Coach Michel Therrien has done a good job so far. He just needs to make a few slight adjustments, and the Pens will be right back to being the offensive powerhouse that they are. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the club through the first few games? JH: It’s not so much a weakness as an adjustment, but the offense has not lived up to its potential. But with Jordan Staal back to playing wing and Petr Sykora back from injury, things should change. The defense and goaltending have been spectacular. It took a couple games, but the defensemen have begun to fit in. Marc-Andre Fleury has been a top-tier goalie. Special teams went through a rough patch in Sweden but are back on track. NL: Despite the high number of shots against, the team is strong in its own end. Starting with Fleury and moving through the defensemen to the backchecking of the forwards, the team is playing Therrien’s system almost flawlessly. The weaknesses have been a lack of production from the stars. Crosby has only two points, and Malkin has three through four games. These guys need to put pucks in the net. Plain and simple. How big of an impact will Petr Sykora have now that he is healthy? NL: The line of Staal-Evgeni Malkin-Sykora really jelled in training camp, and if Staal can perform Ryan Malone’s duties from last year, this line will be just as potent. JH: General manager Ray Shero got a steal when he signed Sykora two offseasons ago. A player in his prime, Sykora is working well with Malkin. With his health back to normal, Sykora should contribute not only on the line with Malkin, but on the power play as well. He’s the definition of a sniper and someone whom the Penguins need in order to begin scoring goals. Will the New York Rangers keep up their blistering pace? And are they better than the Penguins? JH: Even with the departure of Jaromir Jagr, the Rangers have still found a way to win. Their roster did not change that much during the offseason, so the team is working well with another year of experience together. Right now, the Rangers are the best team in the Eastern Conference. They might be better than the Penguins now, but it’s an 82-game season and anything can happen. Talk to me April 12, 2009, when the Penguins are sitting atop the Eastern Conference heading into the playoffs. NL: The Rags are led in scoring by a former eighth-round pick (note: there are only seven rounds since 2005) in Aaron Voros and Brandon Dubinsky, a sophomore player. Their production will almost certainly curtail. But what falls will be made up by Scott Gomez, Markus Naslund and company. Don’t forget about ‘King Henrik.’ Any team with Henrik Lundqvist at goalie has a chance at the Cup. And yes, right now, they are better than the Penguins.