Valtteri Puustinen has been seeing fewer and fewer minutes of ice time with each passing game. PITTSBURGH -- It’s been a relatively successful last 10 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins with a 6-3-1 record as they slowly climb the standings, but certain players have been vastly underperforming. The regression has been seen from Penguins all over the lineup including defensemen, forwards, and even between the pipes. As the team prepares to take on cross-state rivals the Philadelphia Flyers, it’s possible head coach Mike Sullivan throws his lines into a blender. REILLY SMITH Reilly Smith has struggled with massive bouts of inconsistency this year with multiple lengthy stretches without a point. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/players/pittsburgh-penguins-regression-multiple-players] Currently riding an eight-game goalless streak and only two in his last 28, Sullivan might not have a choice but to finally take Smith off Evgeni Malkin’s line. Smith has yet to play anywhere else in the Penguins lineup other than the second line, and after a hot start to the year, he hasn’t brought much to the table. When the Penguins lost 3-1 to the Buffalo Sabres, Sullivan made the decision to swap Smith and Drew O’Connor in the lineup, and the lack of production from Smith played a role in that change. [https://www.nhl.com/penguins/video/post-game-sullivan-01-06-24-6344420790112] “We thought it gave us a better chance to create a competitive balance.” VALTTERI PUUSTINEN Valtteri Puustinen has seen his role in the Penguins lineup almost completely evaporate over the last few games. In the Penguins 3-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres, Puustinen saw the ice only three times in the final two periods; he totaled just 5:31 of ice time in only nine shifts in that contest. It’s been a slow decline in ice time since he was moved to the third line, but it seems like his time at the NHL level could be ending soon. Sullivan said he looks for consistent efforts [https://www.nhl.com/penguins/video/off-day-sullivan-01-07-24-6344446843112] from his young guys and Puustinen has the talent to be an NHL regular, but with only one goal in 13 games, he needs to find another level. GOALTENDING The Penguins have gotten good stuff from their goalies for a majority of the season, but both Tristan Jarry and Alex Nedeljkovic have both started to hiccup in their last few outings. Sullivan is going with Nedeljkovic in Philadelphia despite him allowing five goals against the Boston Bruins. Jarry let in a pair against the Sabres but hasn’t seen too many regular starts since allowing four to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Penguins didn’t run lines at their most recent practice, so trying to nail down what the lines against the Flyers will look like is almost impossible, but changes seem likely. Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins [http://insidethepenguins.com/]for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more. Trade Coming? Penguins Could Add at Deadline [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/trade-coming-pittsburgh-penguins-must-add-deadline] Penguins Leading Scorer Deserving of All-Star Nod [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/players/pittsburgh-penguins-jake-guentzel-deserving-all-star] Penguins Goalies Get Redemption Opportunity [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/pittsburgh-penguins-preview-goalies-redemption-opportunity] Multiple Penguins Defensemen Reach Career Milestones [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/players/pittsburgh-penguins-erik-karlsson-marcus-pettersson-milestones] Penguins Facing Regression from Multiple Key Players [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/players/pittsburgh-penguins-regression-multiple-players] * undefined * undefined
