Tim Benz: Mike Sullivan points out must-fix flaws after Penguins' losses in western Canada

The Penguins’ hot start to the 2022-23 season quickly brought visions of a Metropolitan Division title and a deep playoff run to the minds of hockey fans in Pittsburgh.

A 4-0-1 start. Scoring over five goals a game. The outset of this season felt like the end of 2016 or ‘17.

Which, let’s face it, was sort of the wishful hope of keeping the core of this roster together through what otherwise could have been a very volatile offseason.

But the team’s first two stops on its West Coast swing were a fast reality check of what is more likely to come over the next six months.

They faced good teams on the road, losing on back-to-back nights in Edmonton (6-3) and Calgary (4-1). Opponents that could match or surpass their skating and scoring output.

Goals became harder to come by, netting four over two games instead of five or six per night.

Depth is getting tested with Jake Guentzel, Teddy Blueger and Jason Zucker sidelined. So the likes of Drake Caggiula and Sam Poulin were pressed into making their team and NHL debuts.

Welcome to the grind. So much for what we all wanted it to look like every game. This is the reality of the picture.

“This year we have had volatility in our game. Even within games. Period to period,” coach Mike Sullivan said after the loss in Calgary. “Some periods we look really good. Other periods it’s a struggle. We have to do a better job of bringing a little bit more consistency. A lot of that has to do with controlling momentum and simplifying the game a little bit.”

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Again, not a surprising quote. It feels like Sullivan could’ve said that at just about any point over the last four years. And it’s one I’m sure he’ll utter again at various times this season. They say a leopard doesn’t change its spots. Well, the Penguins decided to retain (or in the case of Jeff Petry, acquire) a bunch of leopards in their mid-30s.

Sullivan and general manager Ron Hextall know where those spots are on these players by now, and they ain’t changing.

Sullivan addressed one of those issues, the Pens’ propensity to build and sustain momentum for the bulk of 60 solid minutes per game. Take, for example, Monday night’s effort in Edmonton. The club was outshooting the Oilers 19-9 after the first period and had built a 3-1 lead 22 minutes into the game.

After 40 minutes, though, the Penguins found themselves down 5-3. They had been outshot in the second period 26-4.

In Calgary, it was more a matter of a bad start as the Pens went into the first intermission down 2-0 with the Flames holding a 20-6 advantage in shots. For the next 20 minutes, however, the Penguins outshot Calgary 21-4.

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“It was kind of carryover of the last game,” Sullivan said in Calgary. “I really liked our response after that. I thought the second period we turned the tide a little bit. We had a lot of chances. We got outscored in the period (2-1), that’s the irony of it. But I thought in the second period we were the better team. There were some encouraging signs. Our expectations are a lot higher though.”

Indeed. This team wasn’t kept together in the manner that it was to claim moral victories on a 20-minute basis. Nor was it designed to go 2 for 16 on the power play. That’s been the Penguins output with the man advantage over four road games this season.

Not good enough for a unit that has as many stars on it as the Penguins do. A refrain often said last year when the Pens finished at 20.2%, 19th in the NHL.

“Our power play is going through a struggle right now,” Sullivan admitted. “But we know these guys are capable guys. We have got to find a way to help through the process and get them on track. … We have to work through these challenges. I would like to believe we can bring more consistency from period to period.”

And game to game. And venue to venue, as the Penguins are 3-0-0 to begin the year at home, with a goal differential of plus-13. They are 1-2-1 away from PPG Paints Arena.

As is the case with all things when it comes to hockey analysis in October, the key part of the analysis is that… it’s October.

There’s a lot of golf to be played. In fact, the Penguins are barely out of the first tee box.

But Sullivan has been on this course with these same guys many times. And I get why he’s a bit concerned about them spraying the ball all over the place so early in the round.