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Pittsburgh Penguins power play falling apart under Kyle Dubas
When Toronto Maple Leafs President Brendan Shanahan made Kyle Dubas walk the plank back in May, many were surprised to see Dubas find dry land so quickly. A few days prior to being let go by the Leafs, Dubas told the media in Toronto that he'd either be back with the Leafs or gone from the sport entirely for the season and that he wouldn't pop back up elsewhere in the weeks that followed. That, as fate would have it, was not the truth.
Dubas signed on in Pittsburgh, albeit with a new title, as President of Hockey Operations. He would also eventually name himself GM of the club, though the jury is still out on whether he'll retain both titles beyond this season or search for a full-time GM in the summer.
Dubas made several splashes in his first summer in the front office in Pittsburgh, not only luring Noel Acciari away from the Leafs, bringing him along for the ride in Pittsburgh, he also brought Jason Spezza with him and pulled off a smaller deal for Reilly Smith and a blockbuster deal for Erik Karlsson. Not a bad way to put your fingerprints on the team instantly.
Unfortunately for Dubas and the Pens, his summer additions have not worked out the way he had hoped. The Penguins are 7th in the Metropolitan Division with an 11-11-3 record and appear to be at risk of missing the playoffs. One aspect of their game that has been sorely lacking is the power play.
Per Sportsnet Stats, the Pens are now 0/34 in their last 34 power play attempts. As bad as that looks on paper, it's even worse when you find out that it's the longest power play drought since Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang have been in the National Hockey League.
Granted, Dubas isn't the one behind the bench running the power play. Making sure the power play executes, that's head coach Mike Sullivan's job. Still, with Dubas running the show, it has to be a bit unnerving for him to know that his additions are not performing up to expectations just past the quarter-mark of the season.
I'm not sure whether it's simply a matter of too many cooks in the kitchen or even a bit of a decline from some of the elder statesmen on the team. Whatever the cause of the drought, the Pens will need to find a solution to avoid slipping any further out of the playoff picture in an ultra-competitive Metropolitan Division.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 7 | 588 ANSWERS Pittsburgh Penguins power play falling apart under Kyle Dubas Will the Penguins miss the playoffs in their first season under Kyle Dubas? | ||
| Yes | 441 | 75 % |
| No, they'll figure things out and make it | 147 | 25 % |
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