Penguins Make Big Changes to Forward Lines

All four Pittsburgh Penguins forward lines are seeing changes ahead of their match against the Philadelphia Flyers.

PITTSBURGH - The Pittsburgh Penguins are getting set to take on cross-state rivals the Philadelphia Flyers, but that isn’t without some changes to the lineup.

It was announced prior to the games that the Penguins would be without Nick Bonino for some time due to a lacerated kidney.

With Bonino out of the lineup, head coach Mike Sullivan made a number of changes to the forward lines.

All four forward lines saw some kind of change and here’s what they are:

- Bryan Rust was pushed back to the first line with Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel.
- Alex Nylander was recently called up again on an emergency basis and is slotting in with Evegni Malkin and Jason Zucker
- Mikael Granlund is centering Drew O’Connor and Rickard Rakell who has been bumped from the first line.
- Jeff Carter is now centering the fourth line with Danton Heinen and Josh Archibald

On the defensive end of things, Marcus Pettersson is sticking as Kris Letang’s linemate on the top pair and Dmitry Kulikov is again in the lineup in place of P.O. Joseph.

Sullivan said the absence of Bonino should bring opportunities for a number of players to step up and improve themselves.

These lineup adjustments are just the first step in that direction.

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more!

Nick Bonino Injury Opens Opportunities for Penguins Centers

Nick Bonino Out of Penguins Lineup Week-to-Week with Lacerated Kidney

Rivalry with Flyers Cools but Important as Ever for Penguins

The Core Can Lead Penguins to Postseason

Penguins vs. Flyers: Keystone State Matchup