The Penguins' power-play currently ranks No. 14 in the NHL with a 21.4% success rate on their opportunities.
For the season, the Penguins are a top 10 team in the rate at which they attempt shots and generate expected goals, but some of that is buoyed by a strong showing right out the gates.
Over their current six-game losing streak, though, the Penguins haven't been doing nearly a good enough job to take advantage on the power play. Since the skid began, the Penguins are roughly league-average with how frequently they are shooting, but rank toward the bottom of the league in how many of those attempts are actually making it on goal.
Following the Penguins' optional morning skate at PPG Paints Arena on Saturday morning, Mike Sullivan was asked if he'd like to see his top unit get the puck through more from distance.
"I think we need to shoot the puck more, in general," Sullivan said. "Whenever any aspect of your offensive game — when you go through struggles, I think part of the solution is always to simplify and take some of the thinking out of it. And I think with our power-play with our top guys, I’ve always believed that they’ve been at their best when we have a shot mentality, when we think shoot first. If we put pucks on the net, the rebound goes somewhere, it forces decision-making on our opponents, and that’s when those guys do their best work."
There's no denying that the Penguins' inability to find consistent success on the power play has hampered the team as a whole at certain points, and with the way they've performed late in games during even-strength play recently, that's a bit of a problem.
With the high-end talent the Penguins possess, they need to rely on the power play to push them over the top when the rest of the game might not be going their way.
Kris Letang has attempted just seven shots during 41.5 minutes of ice-time on the power play this season. None of those attempts made it to the net. Four of them were blocked, and the other three missed the net.
"I don’t think we’ve looked to shoot the puck nearly enough, and I think that’s an area that will help us start to get the power play on track," Sullivan said.
MORE FROM THE SKATE
• Jake Guentzel missed practice on Friday due to illness, but participated in the optional morning skate on Saturday. After the skate, Sullivan said Guentzel is "feeling much better," but he will be a game-time decision, as will the rest of the Penguins' lineup.
• Josh Archibald was given a maintenance day on Friday and did not practice. He did not participate in the optional morning skate.
• Saturday morning was the first time Jeff Carter hit the ice with his teammates since suffering a lower-body injury against the Kraken on Oct. 29 in Seattle. He was out there before everyone else, getting some work in with skills coach Ty Hennes, then stuck around for the skate. He will not play Saturday night and remains day-to-day.
• Ron Hextall said he was hopeful that Teddy Blueger would be activated from long-term injured reserve for Saturday's game to make his season-debut, but that will have to wait a bit longer, as Sullivan said he will not play. Blueger has been out since training camp with an upper-body injury.
• Here are the players who took the option to participate in the skate Saturday morning: Evgeni Malkin, Guentzel, Carter, Blueger, Brock McGinn, Drew O'Connor, Sam Poulin, Marcus Pettersson, P.O Joseph, Chad Ruhwedel, Tristan Jarry, Casey DeSmith.
• Jarry was the first goalie off the ice at morning skate and will get the start in goal.
• Martin Jones will start in goal for the Kraken. He is 5-3-1 this season with an .893 save percentage and 2.69 goals against average.
• Puck drops at 7:08 p.m. tonight. Taylor Haase and DK will join me in the evening for your coverage of the game.