The Pittsburgh Penguins continue to struggle in back-to-back game situations. PITTSBURGH - It looks like Kasperi Kapanen will be filing back into the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup in place of Danton Heinen. Kapanen took reps on the Penguins third line in practice after being a healthy scratch for nine of the last 10 games. Head coach Mike Sullivan didn’t confirm or deny Kapanen’s lineup status saying everyone is a game-time decision, as usual, but what can Kapanen bring if he plays? “If Kappy were to go in the lineup we’d like him to be the player that he’s capable of being,” Sullivan said. “He can use his speed, he can challenge people with wide speed, he can get inside the dots and get to the net.” Sullivan isn’t wrong in his review of Kapanen’s abilities; Kapanen is one of the fastest players in the Penguins lineup, but hasn’t been able to produce anything other than speed for quite a while now. Despite being unable to produce, the Penguins want their guys on the ice and doing everything they can to help the team win. “We don’t want any of our players on the sidelines,” Sullivan said. “It’s not good for the player. It’s not good for the team.” On some occasions, what’s best for the team is getting certain guys off of the ice. Right now, Heinen is due for some time off; with Kapanen out of the lineup, Heinen has slowly entered a cold streak. In Heinen’s last 17 games, he has only recorded three assists with no goals; in seven of those games he failed to record a shot on goal. Is Kapanen any better? It’s hard to say, but the Penguins don’t have many options, and it’s still possible Kapanen can find a spark. He’s young, fast, and has been an electric player for the Penguins before. “We’ve got a responsibility to each player on our team to try and help them grow and develop,” Sullivan said. Nothing is set in stone until game day, but Sullivan has faith in Kapanen no matter the situation. Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins [http://insidethepenguins.com/]for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more! Penguins Prepare for Important Stretch of Games [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-prepare-important-stretch] Penguins Power Play Still Struggling, Bryan Rust Back with Top Unit [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-power-play-struggles-bryan-rust-top-unit] Penalty Kill Has Put the Penguins Back in Business [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/podcasts/penalty-kill-put-pittsburgh-penguins-back-in-business] Kasperi Kapanen Practices on Penguins Third Line, Danton Heinen Demoted [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-kasperi-kapanen-practices-danton-heinen-demoted] Penguins Play Six Straight Fully Healthy Games Ending 22-Year Long Streak [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-play-sixth-straight-healthy-games] * undefined * undefined
