Penalties forcing Penguins to use top four defenders too much? - 01-24-13
Through all of three games in this young season, two things have emerged for the Penguins. A reliance on their top four defenders and a propensity for taking penalties.
The team's top two defensive pairings - Kris Letang (above) and Matt Niskanen as well as Paul Martin and Brooks Orpik - have taken on the lion's share of ice time on the blue line.
Just based on the smell test, one could assume this is due to a lack of trust in the bottom pairing of Simon Despres and Deryk Engelland. On paper, it would appear penalties are the primary factor.
Prior to tonight's games in the NHL, the Penguins are tied with the Rangers for most times short-handed this season at 17.
If you look at the Penguins' time on ice for their defensemen, they top four blue liners are also their top four options for killing penalties:
| Players | Overall Ice Time |
Short-handed Ice Time |
| Kris Letang | 26:17 | 3:24 |
| Paul Martin | 24:08 | 4:36 |
| Brooks Orpik | 23:19 | 5:50 |
| Matt Niskanen | 20:40 | 2:35 |
| Deryk Engelland | 10:13 | 0:35 |
| Simon Despres | 9:57 | 0:17 |
If you compare the Penguins to some of their peers, their reliance on their top four, particularly in short-handed situations, stands out even more.
Here's a look at six other teams, who like the Penguins, have played three games this season (before tonight) and have only used six defensemen:
Blue Jackets
| Players | Overall Ice Time |
Short-handed Ice Time |
| Jack Johnson | 27:20 | 2:56 |
| James Wisniewski | 24:57 | 1:23 |
| Fedor Tyutin | 23:08 | 3:06 |
| Nikita Nikitin | 15:17 | 2:40 |
| Adrian Aucoin | 15:17 | 1:53 |
| John Moore | 12:35 | 0:00 |
Stars
| Players | Overall Ice Time |
Short-handed Ice Time |
| Alex Goligoski | 23:32 | 3:16 |
| Stephane Robidas | 22:23 | 3:10 |
| Trevor Daley | 21:22 | 3:02 |
| Jordie Benn | 18:35 | 2:19 |
| Bredan Dillon | 16:35 | 0:38 |
| Philip Larsen | 15:34 | 0:11 |
Wild
| Players | Overall Ice Time |
Short-handed Ice Time |
| Ryan Suter | 25:42 | 1:30 |
| Tom Gilbert | 23:23 | 2:27 |
| Clayton Stoner | 21:55 | 2:29 |
| Jared Spurgeon | 21:48 | 1:33 |
| Justin Falk | 12:38 | 0:49 |
| Nate Prosser | 11:06 | 0:49 |
Predators
| Players | Overall Ice Time |
Short-handed Ice Time |
| Shea Weber | 27:10 | 1:01 |
| Roman Josi | 26:14 | 3:08 |
| Kevin Klein | 22:34 | 2:10 |
| Scott Hannan | 21:28 | 1:05 |
| Ryan Ellis | 14:29 | 0:00 |
| Hal Gill | 14:12 | 2:14 |
Canucks
| Players | Overall Ice Time |
Short-handed Ice Time |
| Alexander Edler | 23:29 | 1:45 |
| Jason Garrison | 23:01 | 1:34 |
| Dan Hamhuis | 22:53 | 2:32 |
| Kevin Bieksa | 22:37 | 2:53 |
| Keith Ballard | 17:36 | 0:42 |
| Chris Tanev | 17:16 | 0:52 |
Jets
| Players | Overall Ice Time |
Short-handed Ice Time |
| Dustin Byfuglien | 27:09 | 0:02 |
| Tobias Enstrom | 26:36 | 2:03 |
| Ron Hainsey | 23:21 | 2:51 |
| Mark Stuart | 18:58 | 1:48 |
| Grant Clitsome | 13:54 | 1:35 |
| Paul Postma | 13:41 | 0:00 |
There's really no reason to change how the Penguins man their penalty kill at the moment. They've only allowed two power-play goals this season, each on five-on-three situations.
But seeing them gas their top four defenders this much, this early could be an issue as this compacted 48-game season wears on.
If the Penguins want to level out their dispersal of minutes on the blue line, they can start by taking fewer penalties.
(Photo: Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)