As the quarter mark of the season hits, the Pittsburgh Penguins are starting to see production from every aspect of the lineup.
It took about a quarter of the season, but the Pittsburgh Penguins are fully hitting their stride and seeing output everywhere you look in the lineup.
The Penguins defeated the Philadelphia Flyers by a score of 4-1, and the lion’s share of the scoring coming from the fourth line.
The trio of Teddy Blueger, Ryan Poehling, and Josh Archibald combined for seven points against the Flyers and were highlights of the game.
The bottom line had an outbreak of offense, and they join three other lines that have been making great strides in performance.
The first line has been rejuvenated by moving Rickard Rakell back; the second line has cooled off but was the hottest group for a while; and the third line is starting to find a rythem with Brock McGinn’s recent goal scoring success.
With all four forward lines beginning to find the back of the net and taking advantage of opportunities at an increased pace, head coach Mike Sullivan took notice.
“Every line is chipping in at different capacities,” Sullivan said. “For me, that’s the most important thing. It’s all about the group.”
More than just the forward trios, Sullivan has liked what he’s seen from his special teams’ units, as well.
“I think the penalty kill has been huge for us,” Sullivan said. “The power play is making strides.”
The power play is still working on simplifying their game but the penalty kill has been an unbeatable force as of late.
The Penguins penalty kill percentage continues to rise, now sitting just past 80%.
Having a group effort doesn’t just please the coaching staff, but also the fans who have watched the Penguins win five straight and pull themselves up the Metropolitan Division rankings.
After their seven game losing streak, the Penguins were able to flip the switch and go 7-1-1 in their last nine games.
Every forward line is fulfilling their role, the power play has found its game, and the power play is on the verge of a breakthrough.
The system isn’t yet perfect, but it’s inching its way there and the Penguins continue to grow stronger every game.
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