There is a good relationship between the Pittsburgh Penguins winning and Rickard Rakell on the first line.
The Pittsburgh Penguins may have only played one game with a reunited trio of Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel, and Rickard Rakell, but it’s a move that should stay put.
Crosby, Guentzel, and Rakell started the season on the same line together and the Penguins saw great production.
With a 3-0-1 record through four games, it was clear the team could see success with that grouping.
An injury for Guentzel forced a minor change to the lineup, but even when he returned the experiment was over.
Rakell had been moved to the second line to play with Evgeni Malkin and Jason Zucker.
Over the course of his time on the second line, Rakell and his new linemates turned out to look like the best thing going for the Penguins.
While Rust was on the first line, the Penguins struggled to win games and Rust himself couldn’t produce, starting a seven game pointless streak.
That lack of production pushed Rakell back to the top line and the payoff was immediate.
In their reunion game all three of Crosby, Guentzel, and Rakell scored at least a point; Rakell with a single assist while Guentzel had three points and Crosby led the way with four.
Head coach Mike Sullivan said he liked what he saw from his regrouped first line.
“They played well last night,” Sullivan said. “It’s one game, but certainly, we were pleased with some of the adjustments and how they performed.”
The Penguins are yet to lose in regulation this season with Crosby, Guentzel, and Rakell sharing a line; the sample size isn’t huge but it’s noticeable the team is better this way.
While it’s necessary to keep Rakell up top for as long as possible, he certainly shouldn’t be getting swapped for Rust any time soon.
Like mentioned before, Rust has gone seven consecutive games without a point and is a minus-10 in that time.
That’s just not good enough to put on the first line.
No matter what way you slice it, at least until Rust can prove his worth again, the Penguins need to keep Rakell on the first line and watch the production roll in.
Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more!
Penguins Need to Continue Dominance Against Jets Franchise
It's Time for the Penguins to Move on From Kasperi Kapanen
3 Things to Watch: Penguins vs. Jets
Penguins Fourth Line Rejuvenated by Teddy Blueger's Return
Sidney Crosby Says Penguins Power Play Needs to be Difference Makers
- undefined
- undefined