Pens winless in Florida

Hey, I am not going to jump off a bridge like some of my friends about the play of the Pens of late.  Yes, they dropped two games in a row in Florida.  Yes, they are now under .500 against the East at 5-6-1 despite their overall record.  Yes, Brent Johnson has lost 5 of 6 starts this year, and has given up 12 goals on 86 shots in his last 3 starts.  Yes, the Penguins are under .500 on the road, losing 7 of those road games at 5-5-2.   The formula is simple for the Penguins right now.  Their even strength play has not been stellar in terms of point differential this season, but the Penguins had soared into first place based off of special teams play.  Their PK had been first in the league for most of the season, and prior to this road trip their power play had been a surprising fifth in the league.  On this trip, they both shit the bed, and not surprisingly the Penguins did not win either of their games.  I am reading posts about the play of all people Fleury, and tonight about Johnson as well.  Listen, Fleury has been one of the best players on this team all season, and going there is insane.  Johnson has not been as solid as he has in the past, but he has played well enough to win in each of his starts.  The fact that both opposing goalies of the past two games had better nights on those particular nights in no way implies that goaltending is an issue for the Penguins. Sometimes they stand on their head!   In addition, and partly related, the Penguins top line of Malkin, Neal, and Sullivan were held pointless on this trip.  People are freaking out about Malkin and Sullivan as a result.  Listen, the Penguins needed more from this line on this trip, but it is a long season.  For the most part this line has been dominant for the Pens.   Every team has its peaks and valleys in the long grind of an NHL season, and the Penguins play over the past 4 games has left a lot to be desired except for the two big third periods they had against Carolina and Colorado.  Remember that this is the same team that a week ago was the toast of the NHL.  We have no reason to believe that the coaching staff of the Penguins, and their core players will get this train right back on track, probably as early Monday night at home.   I am not minimizing the fact that these guys need to regain some focus and "get to their game," I am just betting that they will sooner rather than later.  They will not be the first team in history to come back from a two game trip to Florida pointless, and they will not be the last.  That said, it is time to get the special teams back on track, and time for them to simplify the power play again and get shots to the net and track down the rebounds versus making that extra pass.  It is also time for the big names on the blue line to get their game together and tighten up the defensive zone coverage.......and that they will, one and all.  Lets Go Pens!  Before I go, let's not forget some props to some of the Penguins!  Staalosaurus Rex punched his 10th goal of the campaign home tonight, while Kuntiz potted number 7.  Pascal Dupuis had two assists and remains an unsung hero on this team.  Finally, I thought both Niskanen and Picard played solid games, and Niskanen got on the board with an assist on the Staal goal.