There’s some good news and some bad news coming from the morning skate today. The good news is that Evgeni Malkin looks to be making his return to the lineup tonight. The bad news is that Justin Schultz is not
Malkin is doing line rushes, which is a really great sign. Here's the #Pens workflow:
— Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) February 11, 2019
Guentzel-Crosby-Rust
Bjugstad-Malkin-Kessel
Pearson-McCann-Simon
Wilson-Cullen-Hornqvist
Pettersson-Letang
Dumoulin-Johnson
Maatta-Riikola
Schultz-Ruhwedel
-MC
Edit: Kessel is actually playing on the left wing. Hello Jarome Iginla.
It’s great having Malkin back, but I’m not sure I’m on board with how this lineup looks. The issue with Patric Hornqvist is unless he is in the top six it doesn’t make sense to pay him the money. Playing on a fourth line with Matt Cullen makes no sense.
Teddy Blueger should not sit for Matt Cullen. The day Matt Cullen re-signed with Pittsburgh you knew he would take roster spots from better players, even if it was on the outskirts of the lineup. All the pieces matter if your goal is to win it all.
The Penguins are seemingly going to run Jared McCann out there as their third line center instead of Nick Bjugstad. Having Bjugstad on the wing creates a weird dynamic with mismatched parts.
Tonight will be Bjugstad’s 6th game in PIT. He’s played 3C with Rust and Kessel, 2C with Pearson and Kessel, 1RW with Crosby and Guentzel, and now 2LW with Malkin and Kessel. Was there any plan in place for this player? Did Rutherford and Sullivan discuss where he’d play?
— fudge rodriguez (@vinnybatts) February 11, 2019
I’m not sure what you do with this lineup. At the very least you need to have Hornqvist on the third line instead of Tanner Pearson who has been a bust. Move Simon to the left wing and have Pearson play on the fourth line. If Bjugstad on the wing is going to be a thing then maximize the hell out of it
Guentzel-Crosby-Bjugstad Simon-Malkin-Kessel Rust-McCann-Hornqvist Pearson-Bluegger-Wilson
This isn’t an easy group to find spots for. You either have guys like McCann probably being cast in a role too big for them and also having players on their off wings. It is a weird construction. It is made worse when the bad players are given automatic spots in the lineup every night (Johnson/Cullen).
Until Justin Schultz is back the Penguins defense group isn’t going to be very good. Splitting Dumoulin-Letang while keeping Johnson in a top four role is asinine. This is such a bad looking lineup.
It gets worse
Now Malkin is working on the first power play with Letang, Pettersson, Crosby and Hornqvist. The second power play is Riikola, Maatta, Kessel, Guentzel and Bjugstad. -MC
— Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) February 11, 2019
The Penguins power play has always turned the puck over. Not playing the best personnel isn’t going to help things. It just means you aren’t maximizing your chances of scoring goals. I hate the split personnel look. It’s dopey. Phil Kessel is a huge part of why the Penguins have one of the best power plays in the league. Taking him off the first unit is ludicrous.
Appeal to authority, I suppose
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— Hockey Hurts (@Hockey_Hurts) February 11, 2019
Thanks for reading!