Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Defensive depth brings big decisions for Penguins
When it comes to deciding the defense pairings for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs first-round series against the New York Islanders, Mike Sullivan has some important decisions to make.
Just don’t call them difficult.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are as about as healthy as they have been on defense all season, and that defensive depth could be a real advantage for them this postseason.
“It’s a good problem to have,” Sullivan said. “It’s not even a problem. It’s a challenge. It’s a good challenge to have.”
1. Perfect timing: Kris Letang returned for the last two games of the regular season, and the Penguins are close to having their top defense pairing back together.
Dumoulin, out with a lower-body injury since March 31, has returned to practice. That he skated without restriction was a positive sign. That he was partnered with Zach Trotman could be an indication Dumoulin is close but not quite ready to play in a game situation.
Sullivan made no commitments, calling Dumoulin “day-to-day” and a “game-time decision.”
“He’s a huge part of our team,” defenseman Justin Schultz said. “We’re a way better team with him in our lineup.”
When Dumoulin is ready, he will play with Letang.
That’s when decisions must be made.
2. Time to rewind: Before we look forward, let’s take a look back to the start of the season.
When the Penguins lost Justin Schultz for four months to a fractured leg in mid-October, their defensive depth became an issue.
The defense corps featured Dumoulin, Letang, Olli Maatta and free-agent addition Jack Johnson. But it also included Chad Ruhwedel, Juuso Riikola and Jamie Oleksiak.
By late February, the Penguins had Ruhwedel (upper body), Dumoulin (concussion), Letang (upper body) and Maatta (shoulder) on the injury report.
“Injuries happen. It’s part of the game,” Maatta said. “You don’t wish that happens to anybody but when it happens, you have to have the next guy up.”
That’s where Jim Rutherford got involved. The Penguins general manager made it a priority to address the defensive depth.
“That’s the evolution of the season,” Johnson said. “Sometimes, there’s no movement on the roster. Sometimes, there’s quite a bit. It’s always with the intentions of improving the team.”
Rutherford did just that.
3. Making moves: At this time last year, the third defense pairing was Oleksiak and Ruhwedel.
Now, they probably wouldn’t crack the top eight.
In fairness, Ruhwedel is injured. But Oleksiak was traded to Dallas for a fourth-round pick, the same team from which he was acquired and for the same compensation.
Where Rutherford deserves credit is for the deals he made to get the Penguins through the season and develop defensive depth for the playoffs.
In December, he traded winger Daniel Sprong to Anaheim for 22-year-old Marcus Pettersson, who was a workhorse in playing 57 games for the Penguins and 84 for the season.
At the trade deadline, Rutherford added physicality with the 6-foot-5, 217-pound Erik Gudbranson.
And it was just what the doctor ordered.
4. Going deep: The Penguins have the kind of defensive depth that reminds me of their 2017 Stanley Cup championship run.
Even though they learned Letang would be lost on the eve of the playoffs, the Penguins had added veterans Ron Hainsey and Mark Streit to a group that featured Dumoulin, Schultz, Maatta, Ian Cole and Trevor Daley.
Now, the Penguins have Letang, Johnson, Schultz, Maatta, Gudbranson, Pettersson and Trotman, with Dumoulin almost ready to return.
“We’ve got eight healthy guys here right now,” Schultz said. “We feel like anyone here can step in and play and we’re confident with any of the guys, any of the six D we have in. It’s a good feeling to have.”
5. Odd man out: When Dumoulin returns, he will be paired with Letang with Johnson and Schultz the likely second pair to give the Penguins a strong top four.
That leaves the next two.
“All those guys have done a great job in helping us win games down the stretch,” Sullivan said.
With Sullivan’s preference for pairing his shooters by left-right combination, it could come down to choosing between left-handed shots Maatta and Pettersson to play alongside the right-handed Gudbranson.
Where Pettersson has an advantage as a smooth skater who has played well when paired with Gudbranson, Maatta has a clear postseason edge as a two-time Cup champion. Maatta has two goals and 21 points and is plus-23 in 68 career playoff games. Pettersson has no points and is minus-4 in four career playoff games.
If Tuesday’s practice was any indication — when Maatta skated with Letang and Pettersson with Gudbranson — Dumoulin might not be ready for Game 1.
When Dumoulin is back, don’t be surprised to see Maatta play alongside Gudbranson. But that’s the luxury of having defensive depth, being able to put a quality performer into the lineup when it becomes necessary.
“It’s huge in the playoffs,” Johnson said. “It’s a long journey and a lot of stuff happens. It’s a tough game, a hard-fought game every night. You need to have that depth, and we definitely have that.”
And that depth might be the difference for the Penguins.
Kevin Gorman is a TribLive reporter covering the Pirates. A Baldwin native and Penn State graduate, he joined the Trib in 1999 and has covered high school sports, Pitt football and basketball and was a sports columnist for 10 years. He can be reached at kgorman@triblive.com.
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