Over the years, I’ve liked to drag out the famous line from Gene Hackman as coach Norman Dale in the terrific sports movie “Hoosiers.”
Again today, it is appropriate.
“My team is on the floor.”
So said Ron Hextall on Monday afternoon about his Penguins on the ice as the NHL trade deadline came and went.
“I like our group right now.”
I like this Penguins team every bit as much as Hextall.
I liked the addition early Monday morning of two-time Stanley Cup winner Jeff Carter, who can fill a big need by stepping in as the third-line center. If everyone is healthy — a big if, for sure — who wouldn’t like a Sidney Crosby line with Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust, an Evgeni Malkin line with Jared McCann and Kasperi Kapanen, a Carter line with Jason Zucker and Evan Rodrigues, and a Teddy Blueger line with Zach Aston-Reese and Brandon Tanev?
“I know our guys are excited about this deal, as are our coaches and our management team,” Hextall said of acquiring Carter for two conditional draft picks that he really didn’t want to give up.
I like the depth that the trade for Carter brings. Freddy Gaudreau, Colton Sceviour, Mark Jankowski, Sam Lafferty, Anthony Angello and Radim Zohorna have filled in nicely for the injured Malkin, Kapanen, Tanev, Zucker and Blueger. All the depth guys contributed to the team’s current 15-4-1 surge, 9-3-1 without Malkin. All contributed to the 52 goals in the 13 games without Malkin. All will be ready for the inevitable injuries that happen during a long playoff run.
“Our will,” Hextall said when asked what has impressed him about his team. “You can argue we’ve had five of our top forwards out for an extended period of time. We’ve just kept winning games. Acquiring Jeff is really a credit to the job our players have done.”
I like the goaltending. Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith each had a bad game in the past 10 days, and each responded appropriately. They have played so well for so long that it’s reasonable to think they can carry the Penguins a long way. The team will need both goalies to make a deep playoff run. It needed Marc-Andre Fleury and Matt Murray in 2016 and 2017.
I like the power play. It has scored in eight of the past nine games, going 11 for 27. McCann has five of those goals and has earned a spot on the top unit until Malkin returns, perhaps even after. Can you imagine how strong a second group would be with Rust?
I like the coach. Mike Sullivan has the Penguins fighting for first place in the East Division with the Washington Capitals and the New York Islanders despite having a staggering 222 man-games lost. He has shown he can win in the playoffs. Two Cups are the proof.
I’ll always like any team with Crosby.
There are no guarantees, of course.
I liked the Penguins in 2019 before they were swept in the first round by the Islanders. I liked them in 2020 before they went out in four games in the first round against a bad Montreal team. I know they have lost their past three playoff series, going 1-9 in the past 10 games.
Beyond that, these Penguins aren’t perfect.
I’d feel better if I knew when Malkin, Kapanen and Tanev are coming back. Adding those guys to the lineup is better than anyone Hextall could have received in a trade. “Oh, 100 percent,” he agreed. It’s concerning that Hextall said he doubts Tanev will be ready by the end of the regular season. He did say Kapanen should be back in 10-14 days and Malkin before the playoffs.
The Penguins’ defensemen scare me against bigger, stronger, more physical teams — say, the Capitals or the Boston Bruins. The Penguins have been weak at times in front of their net, especially on the penalty kill. It is a legitimate concern.
But the Penguins aren’t the only team in the East that isn’t perfect. Goaltending is an issue for the Capitals. The Islanders won’t have captain Anders Lee in the playoffs. The Bruins are having trouble scoring goals.
Did I mention I like Crosby and Sullivan?
I’ll take my chances with the Penguins.
