Penguins work on power play during final practice before playoff opener
The Pittsburgh Penguins spent a good portion of their final practice before the start of the playoffs working on the power play.
The team does power-play drills at the end of most practices, but usually, they are limited to offensive-zone play. On this occasion, the Penguins also worked on bringing the puck up ice and entering the zone.
“We’re just trying to get to execution,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “We’ve got to make the right decisions there. Timing is important, cooperative play. You’ve got to skate proper routes. You’ve got to finish your routes. Puck support is a critical part of having success on the entries.”
The power play is an area where the Penguins could use some work. They went 4 for 30 over their last 11 games, not to mention the league-leading 15 shorthanded goals they allowed this season.
If their power play is clicking, it’s an area where the Penguins could press an advantage in the series against the Islanders. For the season, the Penguins ranked fifth in the league on the power play with a 24.6% success rate. The Islanders ranked 29th at 14.5%.
Jonathan Bombulie is the TribLive assistant sports editor. A Greensburg native, he was a hockey reporter for two decades, covering the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for 17 seasons before joining the Trib in 2015 and covering the Penguins for four seasons, including Stanley Cup championships in 2016-17. He can be reached at jbombulie@triblive.com.
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