One of the more interesting personnel combinations that we've seen as a result of the Penguins' various ailments is the defense pairing of Mike Matheson and Kris Letang, the Penguins' top pairing in Thursday's game against the Flyers
Both defensemen are players who tend to take more risks offensively, and so they are typically paired with a partner who isn't that, to give the pairing some balance.
What happens when two players like Matheson and Letang are paired together?
In their first game together against the Flyers, Matheson and Letang tied for the team-lead in giveaways, with each being credited with three. Matheson had the only giveaway that was costly on the scoresheet, leading to Scott Laughton's game-tying third-period goal.
Matheson and Letang balanced those risks out with the offense they were able to help generate, and they were the Penguins' most effective pairing in terms of shot attempts for vs. allowed when on the ice at five-on-five. When they together at five-on-five, the Penguins attempted 22 shots and allowed 23. Of those attempts allowed, though, that pairing was on the ice for the most high-danger attempts faced, with five of the Penguins' total of 11 at five-on-five that night.
Those results came with the Matheson and Letang pairing getting most of their even-strength ice time against the Flyers' top like of Sean Couturier, Claude Giroux, and Travis Konecny.
"I thought we did a lot of good things offensively," Letang said of the pairing after that game. "I thought we did a good job breaking out of our zone. We had some odd-man rushes, we gave up some chances. I don't think I played my best game. I thought that I need to improve a lot. It was a long time, 10 days, so I have to be better. And I think it's going to make our pairing better also. But it was fun. Mike is a really smart player out there. He's really good, skates like the wind. So it's fun to play with a guy like that."
Todd Reirden, who remains acting head coach while Mike Sullivan is in COVID protocol, typically focuses on the defense in his duties as assistant coach. He said following Saturday's morning skate that the Matheson-Letang pairing (as well as the other two pairings used last game) will remain intact to start Saturday's game against the Wild.
Reflecting on last game, Reirden liked what he saw from that pairing in terms of what they were able to bring offensively, and he thinks that they'll fare well tonight against the Wild after so much time spent against the Flyers' top line last game.
"I've looked at it a little bit last year," Reirden said of Matheson and Letang working as a pairing. "At different times, they end up on the ice together. Obviously, both of them have outstanding skillsets in terms of not only skating, but the ability to do things shot-wise, offensively, playmaking and whatnot. A tough task the other night was spending a lot of their minutes against Philly's top groups. So I think they'll be more comfortable tonight as they go against again, a very difficult opponent Minnesota tonight."
MORE FROM THE SKATE
• Reirden said following Friday's practice that Bryan Rust would be a game-time decision for this game. Rust took part in the Penguins' optional morning skate, and Reirden said afterward that Rust remains a game-time decision.
• Reirden said that everyone in COVID protocol -- Sidney Crosby, Marcus Pettersson, Chad Ruhwedel, Brian Dumoulin, Sullivan -- remains in protocol.
• Both goaltenders and 11 skaters participated in the optional skate: Tristan Jarry, Casey DeSmith, Dominik Simon, Brian Boyle, Teddy Blueger, Sam Lafferty, Jeff Carter, Rust, Drew O'Connor, P.O Joseph, Mike Matheson, Taylor Fedun, Mark Friedman.
• Of the above group, Carter is a notable addition, he typically doesn't take optional skates. The rest of the players are regulars at the optional skates.
• Tristan Jarry will start in net. The Wild will start Cam Talbot.
• With Reirden, Mike Vellucci, and skills coach Ty Hennes as the three coaches behind the bench, Reirden said that responsibilities have changed slightly. Reirden, like Sullivan, oversees everything, especially the defense and power play. In games now, Vellucci is the one changing the defense, and Reirden is changing the forwards. Hennes focuses on individual players and systematic elements. Then between periods, they communicate with Sullivan through WebEx.
• Former Penguin Alex Goligoski is a member of the Wild this season, and has a shot at reaching 1,000 games.
"I am really impressed with how his career's gone for him," Reirden said. "And all the credit certainly goes to him in his commitment to continue to improve and stay updated with with his game and how the game has changed a little bit. When we had him here in Pittsburgh, I really enjoyed working with the player. I think we saw things from a very common standpoint in terms of the attributes that he could bring to our team in Pittsburgh earlier in our career, and that was the ability to add to the offense, skating, an elite puck mover, mostly a second power play guy, but a real competitor."
