"I think the penalty-kill's a really important area."
This was Bryan Rust yesterday. He and the Penguins were kind enough to arrange a conference call with reporters, and I sure wasn't about to ask him how he's whiling away his time through the ongoing apocalypse. When I've got a hockey player on the line, I'll ask about hockey playing.
So I did. Brought up penalty-killing, of all random things. Specifically, what it'll take for a unit that's already ranked No. 10 in the NHL to something truly special, as well as how important that is.
"Both special teams are, especially once you get into the playoffs," Rust continued. "I think, for us, the more we can get stable units and stable D-pairs, that helps with the chemistry on the ice, the communication, knowing what guys' tendencies are. The more you're on the same page, the better you are at the kill."
Obvious answer, right?
Well, maybe not as obvious as it should be.
See, here's why I asked: Of all the Penguins' many facets we'd picked apart while the season was still proceeding, it sure feels like the PK was always set off to the side. It was ... OK. Overall, their kill rate of 82.1 percent was just 0.2 ticks away from ranking as high as the No. 7 Devils, but they also stretched more than four games in a row without a goal just once, and never really dug any deep hole, either.
They were just there, basically.
Which got me to thinking, if only because there's no shortage of time for that these days: Will that really be good enough?
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