‘Defenseman’ Jeff Carter: actually good, and it actually mattered

According to Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan, Jeff Carter is a pretty smart player. But the bench boss still isn’t sure if the veteran forward-turned-defenseman can skate backwards.

At the 15:08 mark of the third period in Wednesday’s matchup with the Washington Capitals, the Penguins found themselves down to three defensemen. P.O. Joseph and Jan Rutta had already left the game with injuries. And then Jeff Petry went down the tunnel for medical attention.

Someone had to play defense. So Sullivan looked down the bench and summoned Carter, a two-time Stanley Cup winner, to take a shift alongside regular blueliner Brian Domoulin.

It wasn’t an easy assignment for Carter. Pittsburgh was leading 3-0. But the Penguins had already dropped three games this season when they held the lead going into the final frame. Not to mention that Pittsburgh had lost their previous seven outings.

After the game, Sullivan cited Carter’s “wealth of experience in the league” as the main reason for his decision. And after taking a look at the video, I can’t argue with Sullivan’s logic. Carter looked completely at home during his 47-second shift patrolling the Penguins blueline.

Play originates with an offensive zone faceoff. That’s a safe space for any forward masquerading as a defenseman. But Washington wins the draw and flips the puck to center ice.

It’s a smart play by the Capitals. They know Carter is playing D. And they’re trying to exploit him.

But Carter responds. Look at his coverage on Washington forward Nic Dowd in the neutral zone. The puck lands at the feet of both players, and Carter has the presence of mind to ride Dowd off to middle ice.

It’s a simple enough play, but it takes conviction for Carter to step up on the Capitals center. That’s hard for a player to do when forced out of their comfort zone. And it’s exactly why Sullivan wanted Carter. He has the hockey intelligence to know what to do in that situation, even if he’s never been faced with it before during an NHL game.

And let’s not underscore the importance of what Carter’s defensive partner Brian Dumoulin does next. He cuts to the boards, protects the puck and gets it out of the zone.

Could Dumoulin attempt a direct pass to Evgeni Malkin or Jason Zucker? Sure. But middle ice isn’t the safest play, especially considering Carter is likely to be the last line of defense in front of the Penguins net should something go wrong.

Dumoulin’s smart, simple decision gets the Penguins in motion through neutral ice. And once Pittsburgh establishes possession in the offensive zone, it’s Carter who ends up driving the play.

This is smart hockey from Carter. And it’s not surprising. He’s scored 420 goals in 1,180 NHL games. No question Carter knows what to do with the puck.

What I really like in this clip is how direct he is. Carter’s instincts take him to the top of the circle. But he makes a conscious decision to transfer the puck from backhand to forehand and release the shot as quickly as possible.

In my eyes, Carter is minimizing risk. He wants the puck to stay low in the Capitals zone if possible. And he sees congestion in front of the Washington net. There’s no harm in throwing the puck towards the cage in that instance.

It’s simple hockey. Get the puck low to high and get it to the net. But what happens next is another example of Carter’s experience and patience with the puck.

I love that Carter has the guts to hold the blueline. He makes a great read to keep the puck in. And when he can’t find a suitable passing outlet, Carter makes the smart, simple decision to send the puck below the Washington goal line where Malkin is lurking.

Carter may have only played 47 seconds at defense, but it was impactful. The Penguins generated three shot attempts during his shift on the backend. Washington had none.

Looking in from the outside, Carter’s shift probably didn’t seem like a big deal. A forward played defense for a little bit. So what, right?

Here’s the thing: it’s a big deal on the bench. Someone has to step up and allow themselves to be vulnerable on the big stage. And with the recent struggles of the Penguins, the situation was amplified.

After the game, Carter said he couldn’t remember the last time he played defense. And that he felt a little out of his element. But his lack of experience didn’t lead to any distrust from teammates.

“Couldn’t have more confidence in Carts,” Penguins goaltender Casey DeSmith said with a smile.

To me, it’s pretty clear that Sullivan made the final call in who went over the boards alongside Dumoulin. And even if Carter’s shift on defense was a quick fix – Petry came back shortly after – it worked out well for Pittsburgh.

Players will talk about Jeff Carter playing defense for years to come. It’s one of those “remember when” moments that we all love.

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‘Defenseman’ Jeff Carter: actually good, and it actually mattered

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