Brassard's 'third' line critical vs. Capitals

CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- When Jim Rutherford traded for Riley Sheahan in October, he was supposed to be the answer to the Penguins' need as the third-line center

And when Rutherford dealt for Derick Brassard at February's trade deadline, he was supposed to be the answer to the Penguins' need as the third-line center.

One of the selling points on Brassard was that, in case of emergency, he could fill in seamlessly for Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin. After all, he had been playing in a top-six role for the Senators and, before that, the Rangers.

Needless to say, it was more than a little curious when Malkin was out for Game 6 against Philadelphia on Sunday with a lower body injury that it was Sheahan — and not Brassard — who skated as the second line center.

"I think it was an obvious option for us," Mike Sullivan was saying after practice Tuesday at the Lemieux Sports Complex. 

And it all made perfect sense.

Prior to the Brassard trade, Sheahan had been centering the third line with Phil Kessel, and quite productively, too. Only after Kessel couldn't duplicate that same chemistry with Brassard was Kessel reunited with Malkin on the second line before Game 3 against the Flyers.

By no means was Sunday's game a slight of Brassard but rather a nod to the organic chemistry that he's developed with new linemates Conor Sheary and Bryan Rust.

"We think that line has been really good since we put it together," Sullivan said. "Had a lot of chances 5-on-5. We really liked that line; we didn’t really want to change it if we didn’t have to."

So, it would seem, that whether or not Malkin is available for Game 1 of the Penguins' second-round series against the Capitals, the line of Sheary, Brassard and Rust will remain intact.

That trio hardly fits the traditional checking-line or grind-line role, but is the prototype of the kind of game that Sullivan prefers.  It is a line based purely on speed and skill. Rust and Sheary bring speed, Brassard the skill. Those traits should serve the Penguins well against the Capitals, who will almost certainly play a heavier game against the smaller Penguins.

Here, Brassard explained how his linemates' speed complements his game:

"They work hard, they’re straight line players with really good speed and they like to be first on the puck, they compete pretty hard, that’s what I like," Brassard said. "It’s still trying to get a feel for each other, but I thought we had some really good looks. We had some really good scoring chances. I feel we’re really close to having a good game soon."

In Games 4-6 vs. Philadelphia, the line combined for 23 shots on goal with Brassard getting eight of those in their Game 5 loss.

But if the Penguins are to get by the Metro Division champion Capitals, the Brassard line has to bury its chances. The line between winning and losing in the playoffs often comes down to secondary scoring.

For Rust and Sheary, the game plan is simple: Use your speed to win races, 50/50 pucks and get the disc to Brassard, Rust was saying:

"He's a full 200-foot player, he can skate really well, he sees the ice really well," Rust said. "He works hard, so he’s a guy that's easy to play with. He’s always working hard and he always seems to be in the right position."

By keeping Brassard on the third line it also allows Sullivan to keep his prized center depth and to balance out the scoring at least over three lines if Malkin isn't ready for the start of Round 2. There's no way the Penguins — or any team — can simply replace a player like Malkin, who finished fourth in the Art Ross Trophy race. Brassard says it has to be by committee.

"I think as a group, we all are going to have to step up and try and play some big minutes, trying to play a different role," he said. "You can’t lose a guy like that. You can't really replace it. But as a group, we're going to have to step up like we did in Philly.

"You need four lines to win in the playoffs. I found some pretty good chemistry here with Shear and Rusty. We're going to try and be a difference maker in the next series."

Of course none of this happens without Sheahan's versatility. Since coming to the Penguins, the 26-year-old has centered the second, third and fourth lines, and even was a top-line left wing. That, in addition to being the Penguins' top penalty killing forward.

With Kessel, Sheahan uses his size — 6-3, 214 — to create time and space and then get pucks into Kessel's capable hands.

"It’s playoff time," Sheahan said. "We have a lot of guys who are ready to step up into different roles. The depth of our lineup is important for us."

MATT SUNDAY GALLERY