What About the Other 3 Penguins Lines? Looking at Lineup Sustainability

Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan’s decision to put his best three players on one line was a calculated gamble. Still, the results of putting Evgeni Malkin and Rickard Rakell on the wings beside Sidney Crosby have paid off immediately.

Three straight games of two goals by the line. Rakell scored two goals, and then Crosby scored a pair in two straight games. The Penguins have won two in a row, and the line has put up ridiculously imbalanced numbers in the Penguins’ favor.

The focus has rightly shifted to the top line, defensive responsibility, and goaltending.’

But what about the other three lines? With the talent concentrated on one line, which has scored six of the seven Penguins goals over the last three games, is the lineup sustainable?

“I think they’ve been they’ve been pretty good, for the most part. Lars Eller’s line has been a really valuable line for us. I think they’ve had some strong games,” Sullivan said. “I think Cody Glass, his line has had some shifts where they’ve established offensive zone time. I feel like (Michael Bunting) is ready to score. He’s had a number of pretty good looks. The puck hasn’t gone in the net for them, but I feel like he’s ready to score.”

Yes, there have been scoring chances, but the answer isn’t yet a clear yes or no.

The Penguins’ top line has shoved the puck into the offensive zone and mostly kept it there. The titled ice has created opportunities for the Penguins’ lineup and instilled some confidence in the lineup. The improved offensive attack has gone together well with the significantly renewed defensive coverage.

“We’re certainly defending a lot better where, you know, our decisions that we’re making with the puck and the critical areas of the rink, more specifically, the zone entries on the offensive zone,” Sullivan said. “I think we’ve been more responsible in not making high-risk lateral plays on the entry that feeds our opponent’s transition game. More specifically, on the zone entries in the offensive zone, I think we’ve been more responsible in not making high-risk lateral plays on the entry that feeds our opponent’s transition game and odd-man rushes.”

The Penguins are actually sorting out well as they return to the defensive zone, holding their spots and playing tighter gaps. The defensive awareness in the last two games bore little resemblance to the chaos of the first 10 games.

“It’s just going over the fundamentals, the same things we went over for a while here, but just reinforcing them and really breaking it down into the small things,” Crosby said. “So, all those little details add up to winning hockey, and it’s nice to get rewarded for it. I think that the more we do it and we get rewarded, that’s good for us just to see that and feel that.”

But one scoring line and improved defensive commitment won’t be enough for lasting success, especially against better teams that have the defensive ability to slow the Crosby line or keep pace with them.

The next three games could swing the Penguins’ season in a good or very bad direction. Three Metro Division opponents on the road await, including the jelling Washington Capitals, who are atop the division with an 8-2-0 record.

The other lines will need to contribute. Whether or not they can or will is to be determined. According to NaturalStatTrick.com, there are positive indicators.

Also, when Bryan Rust returns to the lineup, that figures to help the new “bottom 9.”

Second Line, Drew O’Connor-Lars Eller-Noel Acciari

The line has zero goals, and their shot attempts are dead even 18-18 against opponents, but they’ve not allowed a goal, and their scoring chances are well into the black, 11-4.

The line has five high-danger chances, allowing just two.

Read More: Malkin-Crosby Brilliance Puts Dubas on the Spot; Will He Respond This Time?

The line has been good, but Eller has never registered 40 points in a season. Acciari has just one 20-goal season and has never had 30 points. O’Connor had a breakout last season but still notched only 33 points with 16 goals.

Potential, limited ceiling.

Third Line, Michael Bunting-Cody Glass-Valtteri Puustinen/Acciari

The line has allowed one goal (Anaheim) with Acciari, but Sullivan is still looking for the final version of the line. Saturday, he moved Acciari up to the second line and put Puustinen on the right wing. However, that line was on the ice for Montreal’s goal. In just over five minutes of ice time with Puustinen, the shots were even 5-5, the scoring chances were in the line’s favor 4-2, but the high-danger chances were underwater 1-2.

Work in progress.

Fourth Line, Kevin Hayes-Blake Lizotte-Anthony Beauvillier

The fourth line has remarkably started more shifts with a faceoff in the offensive zone than the defensive zone (5-3). However, they’ve allowed more shot attempts (8-10). They have been outshot (2-6) but are slightly ahead on scoring chances (6-5). The trio has not been on the ice for a goal for either team.

In fairness, the last two games have been Lizotte’s first of the season.

It’s an average fourth line with some potential. Perhaps when Rust returns, Acciari will fall to the fourth line, and we’ll get the potentially fizzy Lizotte-Acciari combination.

“I move Cookie (Acciari) around the lineup a little bit. I think he’s a beast,” said Sullivan. “The way he defends physically, his willingness to block shots, (and) he can take faceoffs. He’s one of our top penalty killers. He’s an invaluable player for us.”

The Lineup

Sullivan has not attempted to hide or sugarcoat that moving Malkin created a lineup imbalance. Rust will help, but there’s a canyon between the production with Malkin as a second-line center and Eller. One is a point-per-game player, and the other is a 35-point center.

Dubas must step into the trade market to find out where he can add help. Sooner or later, Sullivan will probably acquiesce to reality and swap Malkin for a lesser player like Beauvillier or a solid, if unspectacular player like O’Connor.

Otherwise, the Penguins are asking too many players to play above their optimal role. Of course, Malkin-Crosby-Rakell has been so good that perhaps it’s worth the fallout.