The Penguins were back on the ice today preparing for their upcoming home and home series with the New York Islanders. Here’s how the lines looked
Drew O’Connor is in the top six. It certainly isn’t merit based. He’s had a really bad season given that his usage is usually pretty favorable. He hasn’t scored a goal since October 18th and 40% (4) of his season’s points came in those first six games of the season. It has been a real letdown of a year for a guy who will be a pending UFA this summer. I’m fine with him on this line if the goal is to try and boost his perceived value before ultimately trading him.
Sidney Crosby is cooking right now so putting the eggs in the Crosby basket makes sense at the moment. Bryan Rust is playing some great hockey and Rickard Rakell likely has a chip on his shoulder after being left off of Team Sweden’s roster.
Marcus Pettersson is back skating with the group. He will certainly be a welcomed face back into the lineup. For how long is anybody’s guess. I figure he will be one of Kyle Dubas’ most important tasks in the coming weeks/months. He still has a little ways to go in his recovery. His return is not imminent.
We'll see if Crosby and company can keep things rolling after the holiday break starting tomorrow when the teams faceoff on Long Island
Thanks for reading!
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