UNIVERSITY PARK – When senior captain Brandon Biro ripped the game-winning goal past Robert Morris goaltender Justin Kapelmaster from the left slot halfway through the third period last Friday, the sense of relief through Pegula Ice Arena was almost palpable.
Biro became the sixth Penn State player to ever eclipse 100 career points and give the Nittany Lions a narrow 2-1 win, but the offensive struggles that continued into Friday almost seemed to overshadow what was an incredible milestone for Biro.
Penn State is still fourth in the nation in scoring offense but scored just two goals in its final two nonconference games. Last year's highest scoring team in the Big Ten is accustomed to finding the back of the net almost at will over the past few seasons, which had left them vulnerable defensively at times.
Head coach Guy Gadowsky conceded there is value in winning a low-scoring game for a program that has been known for its offensive output, and this year it feels strange to have more questions about the team's offense than its defense.
Right now, the Nittany Lions are still searching for that balance.
"It's a lot of what we're spending time on now," Gadowsky said, "and you hope that your foundation and really your identity and what you are is something consistent and you build off of everything else, whereas right now we're sort of taking steps back to get back to that foundation. At this point we really wish we were talking about other things but that's the priority right now."
Sophomore defenseman Cole Hults sees the low-scoring win against Robert Morris as a step in the right direction because it was a style that Penn State often could not rely on last season. He also doesn't see the offensive struggles as a result of focusing more on the defensive end.
"No, I don't think so at all," Hults said. "We can score a lot and we play fast. I don't think we've lost that part of our identity at all…I think it's just holding yourself accountable. It's making sure you're not turning it over at the other blue line, making sure you're getting pucks deep. If the defenseman has a good gap, make sure you're putting pucks behind him. If it's a loose gap and you can make plays, go ahead and make plays."
Hults added that Penn State this season has done a much better job defensively of limiting shots and keeping the play in front of them. Better gap discipline on that end of the ice has helped senior goaltender Peyton Jones, in his fourth year as the starter, to have a fast start.
Gadowsky said in years past that defensively they've often hung Jones out to dry, but this year they've been much better in front of him and that Jones has been excellent.
Jones is saving over 94 percent of opponents' shots so far but continues to focus on helping his defense out by stopping the puck rather than focusing on how his defense can make his job easier.
"I worry about stopping the puck," Jones said. "I can't worry about the defensemen…I've got one job which is to stop the puck, and that's what I try to worry about, but as a team we're going to figure it out. We have good players in the room. There are some new guys who are trying to figure out how we play, but I think overall, we're going to be fine. I believe in the guys we have in that room and we can get the job done."
With Wisconsin, which is arguably the most talented team in the Big Ten, coming to Happy Valley for a two-game series this weekend, flipping the offensive switch could be helpful, but it might not be that easy.
"We have a lot of work to do. That's the truth," Gadowsky said. "I think you have a tendency to think that the mentality part comes easy – it doesn't. That's really what we're struggling with right now."
Part of the reason for optimism is Penn State returned eight of their top 10 scorers from last year's team and the team's depth is as good as ever under Gadowsky. Even freshmen like Connor MacEachern, Connor McMenamin and Tyler Gratton, who played on the same line together in the opening weekend against Sacred Heart, have given Gadowsky confidence that he can switch up lines without hindering the way they want to play offensively.
It has been a combination of both frustrating and comforting for Penn State knowing that they have abundant offensive talent but aren't producing the way they expect to yet.
"One thing I love about Penn State and this coaching staff is that there is a lot of room to create," senior forward Nikita Pavlychev said. "I think sometimes we might be pressing because people have high expectations, but we just have to get back to the way we're used to playing and not try to do too much."
Gadowsky wants Penn State to emphasize the defensive end without sacrificing any offense. The challenge all year will be finding that balance.
"The best predictive indicators in college hockey seem to be the goal differential and the shot differential," Gadowsky said. "The difference is how many more opportunities do you get than they do, and teams do that differently. Everybody has their own identity and what you believe in. I think we're very happy with who we are and what we believe in. I just don't think you've seen it all together yet."