A LOOK AT THE PENS’ PROBLEMS 

The NHL has an 82-game season. The NFL's is 17. It’s not fair to parse what happens in every Penguins game like it’s the Spanish Inquisition. 

But the bottom defense pair and bottom-six forwards provide early worry. 

The bottom-six forwards are easy to analyze: After four games, none of them has a goal.

Bottom-six forwards don’t have to score a lot. But they can’t not score at all. 

A shakeup is imminent. Winger Jansen Harkins got waived. Center Noel Acciari is injured. 

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton farm club harbors lots of excrement to throw at that wall. Not least Radim Zohorna, who had a good training camp with the Penguins. 

The bottom defense pair is a more complicated story. 

Chad Ruhwedel and P-O Joseph mangled Wednesday’s 6-3 loss at Detroit. 

Ruhwedel played 8:59 and was minus-2. Joseph played 11:36 and was minus-3. 

You can’t be on the ice that little and hurt the team that much. 

Ryan Shea and John Ludvig await their chance to man the blue line. Each has been a healthy scratch the first four games. 

Both play left-handed. Coach Mike Sullivan doesn't often play defensemen on their opposite side. But Sullivan might not have a choice: Kris Letang is hurt.

The most basic solution is that the players in lesser roles must do better 

Jeff Carter missed two nailed-on chances at Detroit, including a breakaway. 

Ruhwedel and Joseph were absolutely flailing Wednesday night. 

UPDATE: Letang and Acciari practiced Friday. So, the only definite decision to be made appears to be who plays in place of Harkins when the Penguins visit St. Louis Saturday night.