Mike Sullivan Addresses Changes to Penguins Lineup
Mike Sullivan discussed the thought process behind the changes made to the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup.
PITTSBURGH – After one of the most brutal losses of the season, the Pittsburgh Penguins tossed their lines into a blender. Every defensive pairing saw a move while two of the four forward lines were also adjusted.
Among the adjustments made by the Penguins are Matthew Phillips jumping to the second line after just one game with the team and P.O. Joseph joining Kris Letang on the top defensive unit after being a healthy scratch.
Head coach Mike Sullivan discussed the thought process behind the moves following practice.
"What we've had here for a while hasn't produced with any level of consistency,” Sullivan said. “Not nearly the consistency that’s going to give us a chance to win consistently.”
Other changes made were Reilly Smith being dropped to the third line again, while Jesse Puljujarvi might be heading for a healthy scratch. Ryan Graves was bumped to the third pairing with Chad Ruhwedel, while Marcus Pettersson joined forces with Erik Karlsson.
Pettersson and Karlsson started the season together as the Penguins’ second defensive line, so that should be a seamless transition.
“It should be good,” Pettersson said. “It helps that I’ve played with him earlier in the season. We should be able to go off of that.”
The Penguins are still looking for some kind of spark to give them one last push for playoff positioning. They sit seven points out of a wild card spot and haven’t indicated throwing in the towel.
“We're going to effect some change here,” Sullivan said. “See if we can put some combinations together that can help us get it."
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