This article is part of our The Daily Puck series.
Around the Rink
If you're like me, you've probably seen Gladiator oh, 10 or 20 times since it came out in 2000. You'll remember Russell Crowe as Maximus rushing into the Coliseum, sword in hand while Proximo shouts out, "We mortals are but shadows and dust, shadows and dust, Maximus!"
The Pittsburgh Penguins have pretty much been on center stage since the moment Pittsburgh won the right to pick Sidney Crosby in the 2005 NHL lottery over Anaheim.
Since winning the Stanley Cup in 2008-09, the Penguins have underachieved, never making it past the Eastern Conference finals. Most recently, the organization hired Portland Winterhawks coach, Mike Johnston, only to fire him 15 months into his tenure.
The reason for Johnston's firing is simple: Crosby isn't scoring. He's rebounded from a miserable start to put up 19 points in 28 games, but he's scored only six goals on 79 shots. A happy Crosby is a happy Pens team, and Crosby isn't smiling right now,
You can throw in a faulty system predicated on puck-moving blueliners supporting its forwards, too. In theory the practice sounds good but the team just didn't have those types of blueliners. I can't think of one opponent fearful of Rob Scuderi jumping into the attack.
Scratching 18-year-old rookie Daniel Sprong for eight consecutive games despite GM Jim Rutherford imploring Johnston to play him probably didn't help much, either.
And that brings us to the coaching change Pittsburgh made Saturday. Former Boston Bruins coach Mike Sullivan steps up from the AHL Baby Penguins to lead the NHL squad. Sullivan compiled an 18-5 mark in Wilkes-Barre prior to his promotion.
After coaching his first practice at Consol Energy Center on Sunday he spoke to the media.
"What are our strengths as a group and how do we play to those strengths to have a competitive advantage?" Sullivan said. "I don't think it's any secret that the Pittsburgh Penguins are built around speed and skill. That has to be part of our identity on how we're going to play."
The new coach will look to jumpstart an anemic offense that ranks 26th in goal scoring (2.34 goals per game) and 27th on the power play (15.6 percent).
Can he do it? Can he help turn around moribund output not only from Crosby, but also from the well-paid Phil Kessel. What of Patric Hornqvist? His production has pretty much disappeared.
The coaching change can't hurt. Provided Sullivan sticks to his thesis statement and plays to Pittsburgh's perceived strengths of speed and skill, stars like Crosby and Kessel could stage big-time comebacks.
We'll find out starting Monday night against the Washington Capitals.
Sullivan better hope speed and skill works, otherwise he'll join a long list of underachievers in Pittsburgh who've turned out to be little more than shadows and dust.
Projected Goalie Starters (all times Eastern)
For updates on the projected goalies later in the day, check our Projected Goalies Grid
Edmonton Oilers (Anders Nilsson) at Boston Bruins (Tuukka Rask), 7:00 PM
Washington Capitals (Braden Holtby) at Pittsburgh Penguins (Marc-Andre Fleury), 7:00 PM
Tampa Bay Lightning (Andrei Vasilevskiy) at Columbus Blue Jackets (Curtis McElhinney), 7:00 PM
Los Angeles Kings (Jonathan Quick) at Ottawa Senators (Craig Anderson), 7:30 PM
Buffalo Sabres (Chad Johnson) at Detroit Red Wings (Petr Mrazek), 7:30 PM
Injury News For Teams Playing Monday
Edmonton Oilers
Benoit Pouliot, LW - Pouliot (lower body) is not quite ready yet, but appears to be close to rejoining the lineup.
Rob Klinkhammer, LW - Klinkhammer (lower body) isn't ready to rejoin the lineup yet.
Oscar Klefbom, D - Klefbom has a fractured finger and will not travel with the Oilers for a four-game road trip that begins this Monday against the Bruins.
Nail Yakupov, RW - Yakupov will miss 2-4 weeks with an ankle sprain.
Dillon Simpson, D - The Oilers signed Simpson to a three-year, entry-level contract Tuesday.
Connor McDavid, C - McDavid (shoulder) is healing faster than expected, and he could be back in the Oilers lineup in mid-to-late January.
Boston Bruins
Joonas Kemppainen, C - Kemppainen has been placed on injured reserve with an upper-body injury.
David Pastrnak, LW - Pastrnak, who has been out since Oct. 31 due to a fractured left foot, has resumed skating on his own.
Chris Kelly, RW - Kelly suffered a left femur fracture in Tuesday's game and will be sidelined 6-to-8 months.
Washington Capitals
Brooks Orpik, D - Orpik (lower body) will begin off ice therapy, rather than surgery.
Jakub Vrana, RW - Vrana underwent successful wrist surgery Wednesday morning, adding that he will require 3-to-4 months before returning to "full hockey activities."
Pittsburgh Penguins
Pascal Dupuis, RW - Dupuis will no longer play hockey because of a medical condition related to blood clots.
Kris Letang, D - Letang (undisclosed) will miss roughly two weeks, Elliotte Friedman of Hockey Night in Canada reports.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Mattias Ohlund, D - Ohlund (knee) was placed on long-term injured reserve Tuesday.
Tyler Johnson, C - According to Lightning coach Jon Cooper, Johnson will be out for at least a week with his undisclosed injury.
Ondrej Palat, LW - Palat will not return to Saturday's game after suffering an undisclosed injury.
Jonathan Drouin, C - Drouin (lower body) won't play Saturday against the Capitals.
Cedric Paquette, C - Paquette (upper body) will likely miss another one to two weeks.
Mitchell Stephens, C - Stephens (foot) is heading to Team Canada's IIHF junior selection camp. He has five goals and six points in seven games this season while missing time with a broken foot.
Erik Condra, RW - Condra (lower body) remains at least a week away from returning to the lineup, Joe Smith of Tampa Bay Times reports.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Sergei Bobrovsky, G - Bobrovsky (groin) has been placed on injured reserve.
Markus Hannikainen, RW - Hannikainen (shoulder) is expected to miss two months and was placed on injured reserve.
Rene Bourque, LW - Bourque (undisclosed) will be out at least a week.
Cody Goloubef, D - Goloubef (jaw) is expected to miss six weeks.
Los Angeles Kings
Matt Greene, D - Greene (upper body) will undergo shoulder surgery Thursday and is out indefinitely.
Trevor Lewis, C - Lewis (upper body) didn't participate in line rushes during pregame warmups, indicating he won't play Saturday against the Sabres.
Kyle Clifford, LW - Clifford (upper body) didn't take part in line rushes during pregame warmups, indicating he won't play Saturday against the Sabres.
Dwight King, LW - King (foot) remains about two weeks out from resuming skating.
Ottawa Senators
Chris Phillips, D - Phillips is not making much progress in his attempt to return from offseason back surgery and his career may be coming to an end.
Milan Michalek, LW - Michalek (finger) is now on injured reserve.
Clarke MacArthur, LW - MacArthur (concussion) is not nearing a return and remains without a timetable.
Buffalo Sabres
Tyler Ennis, LW - Ennis (upper body) skated on his own Sunday, but remains week-to-week according to coach Dan Bylsma.
Robin Lehner, G - It's been over nine weeks since Lehner's high ankle sprain, but he's still not practicing.
Mark Pysyk, D - Sabres coach Dan Blysma considers Pysyk week-to-week with his lower-body injury.
Cody McCormick, C - McCormick (blood clots), who is only taking light practice with teammates on the injured reserve, still has no timetable for return.
Detroit Red Wings
Kyle Quincey, D - Quincey (ankle) resumed skating Thursday, but is likely to be out until late January.
Johan Franzen, RW - Franzen (concussion) was placed on long-term injured reserve Thursday, Fox Sports reports.
Drew Miller, LW - Miller (jaw) will undergo surgery Saturday and be out for six weeks, Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reports.
Teemu Pulkkinen, RW - Pulkkinen (shoulder) will be out the next six-to-eight weeks.
Hot
David Backes, RW, STL – Backes registered a Gordie Howe hat trick on Saturday, scoring a game-winning goal, adding an assist and besting Jamie Benn in a fight. He followed that up with an assist Sunday and now has eight points in his last 10 games after starting with seven points in his first 20 tilts. Backes has averaged better than a half-point per game in each of his last seven seasons and is on pace for another similar showing in 2015-16.
Brian Dumoulin, D, PIT – Dumoulin has tallied five assists and compiled a plus-6 rating in his last five games. He's being used in a shutdown pairing with Ben Lovejoy but his offense is beginning to show up on the radar. He totaled only two points in his first 23 games, so there's no guaranteeing the recent success will last. That said, his ability to hit long passes with his head up is a desirable trait which figures to serve him well as his game matures.
Cold
John Tavares, C, NYI – Let's see if putting JT on the cold list can heat him up a bit. Prior to Sunday, Tavares had scored only two points in his last eight games. The Islanders won six out of eight of those games, so his slump came at the right time. He potted a goal in a 4-0 win over New Jersey on Sunday, so perhaps he's warming up.
Jakub Voracek, RW, PHI – Thank goodness that early season slump ended when Voracek finally potted his first goal of the season Nov. 14. What? You're telling me he hasn't scored a goal since? The Flyers are doing everything they can to resuscitate the winger but he isn't out of the woods yet -- he has points in only two of his last seven games. What's even more disappointing is that there's little correlation in production between Voracek and Claude Giroux. Giroux has 15 points in his last 10 contests. It might be wise to lower Voracek's point prediction into the 55-point range after his 81-point outburst in 2014-15.
Recommended Pickup
Phil Kessel, RW, PIT – He is overdue like a library book. The winger has two points in his last seven and one was an empty-net goal. The coaching change in Pittsburgh figures to open up the offense and Kessel looks to benefit as much as anyone. The team will be looking to impress its new coach and it plays three of four games at home. Kessel is getting a second chance to make a first impression and needs to take advantage of that opportunity.
