Shero needs another deadline win to keep Pens in Cup hunt

By Rob Rossi, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/
Sunday, January 24, 2010

Three names to think about before anybody buries the Stanley Cup champions: Gary Roberts, Marian Hossa and Bill Guerin.

General manager Ray Shero acquired those players at the last three NHL trade deadlines, and each acquisition greatly improved the Penguins. Roberts' veteran savvy and toughness steeled a young club to finish its playoff push. Hossa teamed with center Sidney Crosby to help steer the Penguins to the Stanley Cup Final, and Guerin's leadership and guile helped Crosby captain them to the Cup last year.

PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 5: Bill Guerin #13 of the Pittsburgh Penguins handles the puck against the Atlanta Thrashers at Mellon Arena on January 5, 2010 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Penguins defeated Atlanta 5-2. (Getty Images)

The Penguins, regulation losers in 10 of their past 16, will play 11 games before the NHL trade deadline March 3. Shero will have near $1 million in pro-rated cap space to improve. He might need every last dime to give his champs a shot at repeating.

A deeper look at the Penguins season to date reveals four legitimate concerns beyond their struggles from the last month:

LACK OF URGENCY

A defending champion can be forgiven for not treating every regular-season game like a Game 7. Still, the Penguins have lost at home to Minnesota, Carolina and Toronto, and were downed at Florida, Tampa Bay and Minnesota. Chances are four of those five teams will miss the playoffs, and Carolina and Toronto will contend for the worst record.

NET-FRONT NEEDED

The power play that has hovered around 15 percent all season has many problems, but one that must be addressed is finding a net-front presence. Since traffic-causing winger Ryan Malone was traded in July 2008 the Penguins have scored 96 power-play goals in 134 games. They netted 77 in Malone's final season.

MILD WINGS

Centers Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal combine to count for 59.1 percent of roughly $32 million the Penguins have designated for forwards against the $56.8 million salary cap. Crosby, Malkin and Staal have combined to score 46 percent of the Penguins' 137 goals from forwards, compared to only 40.7 percent last season. The Penguins' biggest advantage — three elite centers — seemingly will need to carry them this season even more than last if a Cup run is in the cards.

SOMETHING TO PROVE

The Penguins have played 15 games against teams I'd label Cup contenders, but I'll throw out a loss at Vancouver given their goaltending situation in that contest. However, they are 5-8-1 against New Jersey (0-3), Philadelphia (3-1), Buffalo (1-1), Chicago (0-0-1), San Jose (0-1), Boston (1-1) and Washington (0-1).