Pittsburgh Review

When Kyle Dubas, Pittsburgh's President of Hockey Operations and General Manager, addressed the media at the start of the season, he discussed the team's power play. He acknowledged that fans might become anxious if initial performances are not up to expectations. "I know a lot will be written and watched, especially if the first power play on Wednesday night doesn’t go well and the fans get antsy – that’s just the nature psychologically with power plays, and interaction with the fan base in every single city," Dubas stated.

Dubas highlighted the team's talent but noted their struggle last season, finishing 31st in league rankings for power plays despite having experienced players. Bryan Rust described last year's performance as "abysmal." However, after reassessing during the offseason, there is renewed confidence in improving this aspect of their game.

Erik Karlsson expressed optimism about avoiding negative discussions regarding their power play this year. "I think we all know that we're a much better team and have much better player personnel than we showed last year," Karlsson said.

Head coach Mike Sullivan credited new assistant coach David Quinn for bringing fresh ideas to improve their strategy. “We’ve really liked what we’ve seen to this point,” Sullivan remarked. The team plans to utilize both Karlsson and Kris Letang as defensemen on their top unit.

Sidney Crosby mentioned that having two blueliners could help defensively against shorthanded opportunities while providing offensive flexibility. "They’re both right-handed shots, both guys that can shoot the puck and make plays," Crosby explained.

The team aims to focus on movement and execution during games. Crosby emphasized moving the puck effectively: “I would say just trying to get the puck moving... Let the puck do the work.” Letang added that execution is crucial: “Execution is a big emphasis... being fast… but also being able to use the entire ice.”

Rickard Rakell spoke about adopting a new mindset with an attack mentality: “Like, what happened last season is in the past... So I think throughout these first few games... we’re all excited and hungry.”

Dubas cautioned against overreacting early in the season. He hopes for consistent improvement over time: “It’s a process for me... Sometimes you get hot at the beginning; sometimes it’s rough."