It took the Pittsburgh Penguins some time, but they’ve finally found a
third line that works.
Aside from the lightning in a bottle that was the Carl
Hagelin, Nick Bonino, and Phil Kessel “third-line” during the Pittsburgh Penguins 2016 playoff run,
the Penguins generally have not had a consistent and reliable trio of forwards
to trot out when Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are not on the ice.
For the majority of this season and the Derick Brassard era,
that same problem remained. When Crosby and Malkin were not on the ice, the
Penguins bottom six forwards were getting pinned in their own defensive zone
far too frequently.
In the last couple of weeks, that has changed. Mike Sullivan
has been rolling with Dominik Simon, Nick Bjugstad, and Patric Hornqvist as
Pittsburgh’s third forward unit. The results speak for themselves.
It is a small sample size, but in the eight games (and 65
total even-strength minutes) that this unit has been on the ice together, the
Penguins have controlled territory at an elite rate. Per Natural Stat
Trick, the Pens have generated 59% of the even-strength shot
attempts and 62% of the even-strength scoring chances with this trio on the
ice. In terms of actual shots on goal with this line on the ice, they are
registering 57% of the shots.
Simon, Bjugstad, and Hornqvist have tallied three
even-strength goals in 8 games. This line has dominated in recent games against
playoff teams such as the Blue Jackets, Bruins, and Blues. They were very good
in Sunday’s loss to the Flyers as well.
It is also important to note that while this line is on the
ice, the Penguins have not been scored against. Their goalies have stopped all
29 of the shots they have faced. This is not a sustainable rate, but
considering how frequently this line has had the puck so far, Pittsburgh is usually
creating offensive opportunities with their new-look third line on the ice.
The Penguins are often creating with this line on the ice
because each player brings a unique individual element to the line. Simon is a
very alert and cerebral player. He makes sneaky and complementary plays that
often lead to the Penguins getting or keeping possession of the puck.
At 6’6”, Bjugstad has a very powerful wrist shot, has helped
the second power-play unit, and has been substantially better than Brassard. As
you know, Hornqvist is a pest around the net and has been an above-average
possession player who whacks away at a lot of high-danger offensive
scoring chances.
Injuries to Evgeni Malkin and Zach-Aston Reese may force the
Penguins coaching staff to creative with some new line combinations. However,
if (and when) Pittsburgh’s forwards do get healthy, this third-line needs to
remain intact.
Considering the washed-up Matt Cullen has now gone 31 games
(!!!) without an even-strength goal, the Penguins will likely need a dominant
third-line if they want to get past Washington or Tampa Bay this spring.
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