You've heard it by now, the Pittsburgh Penguins have a darn good offense, while the Nashville Predators run the deepest defense in the NHL.
The Predators, despite facing a 2-1 deficit in the Stanley Cup Final, have carried play through three games at even strength, often smothering Pittsburgh's speed and transition through the neutral zone.
In this case, one would think Pittsburgh could gain some offensive traction through its power play with the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Phil Kessel patrolling the club's first unit.
However, the Predators have remarkably stymied the Penguins on the man advantage as well, holding the league's third-most prolific regular-season power play (23.1 percent) to just one tally so far - a complete drop-off from Pittsburgh's production leading up to the final.
| Opponent | PP% |
|---|---|
| Blue Jackets | 33% (5-for-15) |
| Capitals | 13.6% (3-for-22) |
| Senators | 33.6% (6-for-19) |
| Predators | 7.7% (1-for-13) |
Overall, Pittsburgh's power play is running at 21.7 percent in the postseason, but has been held off the scoresheet since Malkin's series-opening goal in the first period of Game 1.
Power plays traditionally run hot and cold over prolonged periods of time, but what's most alarming from Pittsburgh's standpoint is a lack of chances. In the Penguins' 13 opportunities, they've only mustered four shots on goal, including a mere two on seven man-advantage opportunities in Game 2.
"They come with a lot of pressure," Penguins forward Conor Sheary told Yahoo's Greg Wyshynski following power-play practice Sunday. "They make you make quick decisions with the puck, and sometimes that can be difficult. Especially on the break-in. They pressure you right away and you can't make a play off the entry."
With high-danger scoring chances coming few and far between for Pittsburgh so far at even strength, the Penguins' bone-dry power play needs find its old form, and soon.
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