Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic discusses how he and Tristan Jarry have been able to become one of the best goalie tandems in the NHL. In the Pittsburgh Penguins most recent win, their third forward line of Lars Eller centering Jansen Harkins and Valtteri Puustinen was by far the best trio on the ice. Eller chipped in a pair of goals and they rolled with great play on the puck through the entire Penguins’ victory over the New York Islanders. That kind of production from the bottom six is a positive new twist on this season’s Penguins team. In 2022-23, their bottom six had names but no production and a huge lack of energy on the ice; they couldn’t take over games and let the stars take a night off. The lack of a useful third and fourth lines is a big reason the Penguins missed out on the postseason last year and a point of focus for incoming president and general manager Kyle Dubas. This past summer, Dubas went hard to work in revamping the bottom six forwards and despite some moving and shaking, this new group has proven to be vastly improved. While there seems to be an upward trend from key players, head coach Mike Sullivan likes what he sees from the core group of depth options. “It’s great to see those guys end up on the scoresheet, they work hard every day,” Sullivan said. [https://www.nhl.com/penguins/video/post-game-sullivan-12-31-23-6344109793112] “They’re an important part of this team. They don’t always get rewarded on the scoresheet, but they do a lot of little things to help us win games.” On the year, the offensive numbers haven’t been through the roof for guys like Eller, Jeff Carter, or Noel Acciari, but each of those names contribute more than just offense. Eller plays on both the power play and most importantly the penalty kill which has been near the best in the NHL; he has 11 points (6G-5A) in 35 games played. Acciari is another defense first forward who won’t put up numbers, but will shut down opposing offense; he has three goals and an assist in 28 games. Carter has been a bit of a revelation, he still isn’t scoring at an over the top rate, but does help in more ways than expected; he has four goals on the year with three of them being game winners. “We’re asking them to do a lot of little things,” Sullivan said. “Those little things add up to winning.” Sullivan has spoken highly of Carter and what he brings before and those words are beginning the spread throughout the bottom six. When fully healthy, the Penguins will likely see Carter stick in the lineup, barring any major additions elsewhere in the lineup. Eller has slowly emerged as a legit third center option and Acciari’s defensive game can’t be replaced. Matt Nieto is injured but he also stands out offensively, how the rest of the lineup falls when healthy will be interesting to see, but so far the Penguins have the bottom six they’ve been looking for. Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins [http://insidethepenguins.com/]for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more. Penguins vs. Capitals: Pivotal Rivalry Matchup [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/pittsburgh-penguins-washington-capitals-pivotal-rivarly-matchup] Former Penguins Winger Flourishing With Panthers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/podcasts/former-pittsburgh-penguins-winger-flourishing-panthers] Bryan Rust Nearing Return to Penguins Lineup [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/bryan-rust-nearing-return-pittsburgh-penguins-lineup] Penguins Enter New Year as Hottest Team in NHL [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/pittsburgh-penguins-new-year-hottest-team-nhl] Penguins Defenseman Details Game-Opening Fight [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/players/pittsburgh-penguins-john-ludvig-game-opening-fight] * undefined * undefined
