Analysis: How Did Penguins’ Forwards Perform? (+)

There was concern in some quarters before the season that the Pittsburgh Penguins had too many 30-somethings on their top two lines, that it was a gamble to count on so many older players to be reliable offensive contributors.

Turned out, that wasn’t an issue.

Members of the Nos. 1 and 2 lines scored 171 goals; the other 15 forwards the Penguins used over the course of the season combined for 60.

Now, the top two lines are supposed to be the primary drivers of the offense, so guys who play on them should outscore their teammates, and the bottom two units generally have more blue-collar job descriptions.

But the third and fourth lines generally did not produce to expectations, and that’s part of the reason the Pittsburgh Penguins’ season ended last week.

Here’s a look at what the Penguins got from the 13 forwards still in the organization who appeared in nine or more games this season: