Penguins' Mike Sullivan says Alex Galchenyuk needs to find 'the quiet ice'

Alex Galchenyuk is the only Pittsburgh Penguins forward without a goal, but Mike Sullivan said it has nothing to do with his shot.

“He can really shoot,” the coach said before Friday’s game against the New Jersey Devils.

Galchenyuk has only five shots on goal in the past five games, but the trick for the former No. 1 draft choice (third overall by the Montreal Canadiens in 2012) is finding what Sullivan calls “the quiet ice.”

“I think he’s got to get himself in positions to shoot more,” Sullivan said. “That’s the most important thing. That just boils down to the process, just playing the game the right way, finding the quiet ice or the soft spots in the offensive zone so that he can avail himself for those types of opportunities.

“I don’t think Alex is reluctant to shoot the puck.”

Galchenyuk, who is a minus-3, has six assists in 13 games.

He’s a rookie?

John Marino is a defenseman with a plus-6 rating, so Sullivan has barely noticed that he’s a rookie.

“It really doesn’t enter in our conversation,” he said. “Everything we’ve thrown at him, he’s handled extremely well. We just think he’s a real good player. I think he’s gotten better with every game.

“He’s real mobile. He’s strong with the puck. He’s stiff in the battles. He’s got good puck poise. He defends hard and he’s starting to add an offensive dimension to his game. (He has six assists in 20 games.)

“It seems like the more responsibility we give him, he thrives on it. He’s a guy who can eat up minutes. He’s like (Brian Dumoulin) in that are regard. They can play a lot of minutes and they can handle the minutes. It’s a combination of his fitness level and his overall game is pretty efficient.”

Simon in the middle

The Penguins moved Dominik Simon to center during Thursday’s 4-3 overtime road loss to the New York Islanders. Typically used as a winger, Simon centered Dominik Kahun and Patric Hornqvist.

“I thought he did well,” Sullivan said. “I liked his line. I think the two Doms (Simon and Kahun) have a little bit of chemistry. They’re both pretty smart players. They’re good in tight space.

“(Hornqvist) brings an element of grit. He’s heavy on pucks. He’s good in front of the net. That was some of the logic in putting that line together.”

Simon logged 10 minutes, 22 seconds of ice time on 15 shifts and had two shots on goal on four attempts. He was 3 for 9 in faceoffs. During the preseason, the team experimented with him at center after he centered the Czech Republic’s top line in the IIHF World Championship tournament in May.