The Daily: Does Karlsson Fit With Penguins?; Tyson Barrie Rumors

Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now is asking whether the Pittsburgh Penguins’ power play ineffectiveness is about “a lack of chemistry between the Penguins’ core and the newbie Karlsson?”

Karlsson was a 101-point scorer last season in San Jose, but the Penguins’ power play ranks 30th in the league at 10.9%. The Penguins’ power play has only scored in four of their 23 games. They have seven power play goals, and one came on a two-man advantage and another was a 4-on-3 OT goal.

The only constants on the first power play unit are Karlsson and Sidney Crosby. On Sunday, coach Mike Sullivan made his third PP personnel change in a week when he moved Kris Letang up top and put Karlsson in a shooting position on the wall.

Asked Saturday morning about whether he is jelling with the PP unit, Karlsson said:

“Yes and no. I think things like that take time. (It’s) obviously a lot better than it was two months ago. And I feel like it’s normal coming in here now for everybody because we’re familiar with each other on a somewhat personal level, and the chemistry on the ice and stuff like that,” Karlsson said. “I think the more time you give, it’s going to get — I mean, just look at the guys that have been here together for 17, 18 years. You just don’t get that. You forget they’ve played together for a long time, and it’s the same for everybody else. As we move forward, I think it’s just going to get better and better.

Should the Penguins be concerned that their goaltender has outscored their power play during the past nine-plus games?

— Dave Molinari (@MolinariPGH) December 3, 2023

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

• Jonatan Berggren played four games in four days with the shuffling from Grand Rapids to Detroit and back to Grand Rapids
• Bob Duff explains the five ways Patrick Kane can help the Detroit Red Wings once he enters the lineup.
• J.T. Compher said Robby Fabbri’s recent goal was the best he’s ever seen.
• Paywall story: Amadeus Lombardi is cooking up a recipe for success as a Detroit Red Wings prospect in Grand Rapids.

Red Wings Next Game

Coach Derek Lalonde’s Detroit Red Wings (13-7-3) play a road game against the Buffalo Sabres (10-13-2) Tuesday. Buffalo native Patrick Kane probably won’t make his Red Wings’ debut. He said it will probably be Thursday at home against the San Jose Sharks. The Sabres haven’t played as well this season as they hoped they would. They recently decided to send prize young goalie prospect Devon Levi to the American Hockey League. Buffalo has lost three in a row, including Sunday’s game against the Nashville Predators.  Tage Thompson, who usually causes the Red Wings difficulty, is on the injured list. He hasn’t played since Nov. 14.

Hockey Now Network

Chicago:  The Chicago Blackhawks (7-15-0) scratched Lukas Reichel Sunday afternoon.

Colorado: Defenseman Cale Makar missed Sunday’s Colorado Avalanche game against the Los Angeles Kings with an undisclosed injury.

Nashville: Which teams could take a run at acquiring Nashville Predators defenseman Tyson Barrie?

San Jose: Sheng Peng writes that the San Jose Sharks are starting to score, but they are still not defending.

Vegas: The Vegas Golden Knights are listing Adin Hill as day to day. Because he has been playing well, you can guess they will error on the side of caution.