Is the Penguins Powerplay Turning Things Around?

The Penguins have excelled defensively this season, ranked 6th in the league for goals allowed but you can't be great at everything they say, the Pittsburgh Penguins offensive struggles come greatly because of their abysmal powerplay. The Penguins power play is ranked 26th in the NHL scoring at a 14% rate.

Erik Karlsson lack of offense compromises for his great defensive play

It's easy to start pointing fingers, as fans try finding a solution for their teams power play struggles, Erik Karlsson has been newest victim. The veteran hasn't lived up to his offensive expectations after winning the Norris Trophy the season prior with the San Jose Sharks. He has 28 points in 38 games this season, 7 on the powerplay.

Despite these underwhelming numbers, the reigning Norris winner is improving drastically defensively and has been a big part of the teams defensive success so far this season.

Quality over Quantity could be a solution for the Pens

The Pittsburgh Penguins should look into taking a different approach with their powerplay lines. They have all their "stars" on the first unit and lack quality on their second unit who get just as much ice time during the powerplay. Perhaps they shall put Evgeni Malkin on the second unit to balance out the units and better their chances at succeeding.

How Important is it for a contending team to have a good powerplay

Stats don't lie, to be a legit contender in the NHL you need to have an effective powerplay. The league leaders are the Rangers, Hurricanes, Lightning, Bruins, Oilers, Leafs, etc.

The image below shows how important a strong powerplay is.


These are all teams that are favorites heading into the postseason. If the Penguins want to be considered a contender, they need to polish up their powerplay, and fast.