New Face Brings Change to Penguins Lineup
A new forward has forced the Pittsburgh Penguins to adjust their lineup.
PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Penguins welcomed Emil Bemstrom to town after they acquired him from the Columbus Blue Jackets. In Bemstrom’s first practice with the Penguins, he will likely force a slight change to the lineup.
During his first skate with his new club, Bemstrom rotated with Matthew Phillips on the Penguins’ third line, but the spot will likely be Bemstrom's against the Philadelphia Flyers. Phillips had spent some time on the Penguins' second line but was bumped for the impressive play of Valtteri Puustinen.
Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan continues to speak highly of Puustinen, and it seems he will be given another great chance to play alongside Evgeni Malkin.
With Bemstrom joining the lineup, he will likely replace Phillips. In three games with the Penguins, Phillips has yet to score a point after bouncing from the third line to the second in short order.
Bemstrom is a new piece that has already been given a good opportunity to succeed. Sullivan put Bemstrom on the Penguins' second power play unit, which might seem surprising, but Sullivan said that's a place where he can succeed.
"He can help us in a number of different ways," Sullivan said. "He can help us on the offensive side, he play on the power play. He's got a really good shot. I think that's one of his strengths."
The Penguins' power play has been one of the worst in the league all season, and Sullivan is hopeful that Bemstrom's shooting mentality will rub off on the rest of the unit.
"We're trying to encourage our power play groups to shoot a little more," Sullivan said. "That's an opportunity for him to help us in that regard."
The Penguins still haven't decided on a direction for the season, but Bemstrom is a good safety net move for either outcome. If the Penguins go on a run, he's a quality depth option; if the wheels fall off, he's a cheap asset that might not stick around through the summer.
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