Without Sidney Crosby, Penguins try numerous lineups to varying levels of success
PITTSBURGH 鈥� The loss of Sidney Crosby has forced Penguins coach Mike Sullivan to experiment.
The trickle-down effect of Crosby being lost for the Penguins鈥� 3-2 Game 4 Eastern Conference semifinals win over the Capitals and likely longer due to a concussion he suffered in Game 3 is that Sullivan has had to try new lineups in even-strength play and on the power play. The several lines and combinations that he tried had varying levels of success.
The Penguins, by and large, were not at their best offensively on Wednesday at PPG Paints Arena, putting only 18 shots on goal and attempting 39 in total. The original lines that Sullivan tried are as follows: Evgeni Malkin was paired with Chris Kunitz and Phil Kessel, Nick Bonino was surrounded by Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust, Matt Cullen was flanked by Carl Hagelin and Patric Hornqvist and Carter Rowney played with Scott Wilson and Tom Kuhnhackl.
Those lines, of course, changed heavily throughout the course of the game.
鈥淎 lot of it was reaction to certain matchups we were looking for on the bench,鈥� Sullivan said.
Of those originally conceived lines, it appears that Hornqvist鈥檚 line has a chance to stick, based on performance. Hornqvist scored the first goal of the game on a breakaway assisted by Cullen and Olli Maatta. According to naturalstattrick.com, Hornqvist鈥檚 Corsi 鈥� a stat that measures all attempted shots, even those that are blocked and miss that net 鈥� was five in five on five play with Cullen. It also was five with Hagelin. That鈥檚 not coincidental, as Hornqvist played 8:52 with Cullen and 3:31 with Hagelin in five and five. But Hornqvist played minutes with other players 鈥� notably 6:49 with Guentzel 鈥� and his Corsi with him was just one.
The Penguins鈥� first line, too, appears fairly stable based on Game 4. Malkin spent 11:31 on the ice in five on five with Kessel and 10:28 with Kunitz. The most minutes he played with any forward in five on five after that was 1:46 with Hornqvist. Though the game didn鈥檛 yield any goals for Malkin or Kessel, Sullivan likes the combination of the two, and Kunitz, at this point, appears to be the most likely player to play with them going forward.
鈥淲hen (Malkin and Kessel are) together and they鈥檙e playing well, they can be very dynamic and they can change a game,鈥� Sullivan said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 something that鈥檚 always in the back of my mind.鈥�
The Penguins鈥� second line looks to be very much in flux. Bonino spent 9:15 with Rust and 5:31 with Guentzel in five on five, but also played with Kuhnhackl for 3:37 and 2:24 with Hagelin. Guentzel 鈥� who originally for the game was slotted with Bonino and Rust 鈥� spent his most five on five minutes with other forwards, playing 6:49 with Hornqvist and 5:46 with Cullen. Guentzel scored a goal, and his Corsi was 3 with Bonino as well as Rust. It was one with Hornqvist and zero with Cullen. Guentzel is a malleable piece due to his skill set, so it鈥檚 not surprising that Sullivan tried him in different lineups.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a guy that finds ways to have success regardless of who we put him with. He has a complete game,鈥� Sullivan said. 鈥淛ake鈥檚 a guy that鈥檚 a real smart player that has the ability to adapt his game based on circumstances.鈥�
How the Penguins鈥� lineups continue to develop will be very much game-based, as well as success-based. Without Crosby, Sullivan has to be even more open than his already open-minded self towards mixing and matching.{
鈥淚t鈥檚 a game-to-game thing, depending on what our injury status looks like, who鈥檚 banged up, who think is playing well and who is available to us,鈥� Sullivan said. 鈥漌e鈥檙e trying to make those decisions game to game and sometimes we make adjustments during the game based on what we see.鈥�
There are, though, already existing combinations that Sullivan already knows work. The first power play unit, outside of replacing Crosby, stayed the same. Though removing Crosby took out a big piece, there is already familiarity between those on the power play. The first look at the unit in Game 3 sans Crosby yielded little success 鈥� the Penguins were 0-5 on the power play 鈥� but in Game 4, the power play went 1-3. That one goal 鈥� a Schultz one-timer off a Malkin feed 鈥� was the difference in the game.
鈥滻 thought we had some good looks tonight (on the power play),鈥� Schultz said. 鈥淥bviously we were able to get that one goal.鈥�
Goals and scoring chances like Schultz鈥檚 and Hornqvist鈥檚 will provide tangible proof of what lineups are working and what aren鈥檛. As Sullivan evaluates those moments, the lines are sure to be flexible, with or without Crosby.
Sullivan confirmed Thursday that Crosby skated at the Penguins鈥� practice rink in Cranberry Township but offered no information on a possible return.