Penguins Getting Help From Beyond Core
The Pittsburgh Penguins have gotten contributions from more than just their main veterans.
PITTSBURGH – Over the last two weeks, the Pittsburgh Penguins have gone on a historic run and worked their way back into the postseason conversation. The Penguins even briefly held a second wild card spot, making them legitimate threats to return to the playoffs after missing last year.
It wasn’t long ago that Penguins fans were looking at the lottery odds for the upcoming draft. What happened to this team that turned this ship around? The core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang all found new levels of dominance, but there have been a couple of other secret weapons.
Michael Bunting and Alex Nedeljkovic have been massively important to the Penguins’ recent 6-0-2 run. Over those eight games, Bunting and Nedeljkovic have been go-to faces in the lineup.
Since arriving in Pittsburgh in the Jake Guentzel deal, Bunting has been all gas, no breaks. Over the Penguins eight-game streak, he’s scored a pair of goals with five assists while meshing perfectly with Malkin.
The Hockey News’ Michael Traikos believes Bunting has had the most significant impact on the Penguins since his arrival just before the NHL’s trade deadline. Bunting provided the Penguins with a lot of what they needed and has succeeded with flying colors.
While Bunting has grown into a fan favorite, Nedeljkovic's work between the pipes has earned him a new role. For the final five games of the season, it’s safe to assume he’ll be the Penguins' go-to starter.
Nedeljkovic has started each game of the 6-0-2 run with a .917 save percentage over that span. He’s let a few bad goals in every so often, but the team has battled in front of him and his focus has always turned to the next play.
“Finding the next puck,” Nedeljkovic said on those brief lapses. “That’s what it's like after every goal, even after every save. It’s finding the next puck.”
While Crosby has worked his way back into MVP talks, Malkin has returned to form, and Letang has been stellar, the Penguins have had help from all over the lineup. Bunting and Nedeljkovic are some of the next most essential players in a Penguins jersey.
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