LAS VEGAS -- The Penguins' third line of Derick Brassard, Tanner Pearson and Dominik Simon did not record a single point at even-strength Friday night against the Coyotes. But they may have been the best, if not most consistent, line.
From Brassard's interception of Nicklas Hjlamarrson's D-to-D pass to Pearson's screen, that trio did good work in setting up Juuso Riikola's second-period power play goal. But just as encouraging was the work they did five-on-five. The trio's possession numbers were all north of hockey's median line of 50 percent, and they generated five scoring chances for compared to just two against.
Here is some of the work the unit did in the second period when the Penguins turned in perhaps their finest 20 minutes of the season:
You'll notice the cycling of the puck down low and the extended zone time. It bears repeating that the Penguins need more production from their third line, Brassard in particular.
“I liked the line,” Sullivan was saying. “I thought they were on pucks. They stayed close in the offensive zone. They supported one another. They had some chances. I still think they can shoot the puck a little more. I think they can create offense off of it if we do that a little bit more. I thought they had a good game.”
Brassard, who has eight goals and six assists for 14 points in 38 games and has been the subject of trade rumors, has also been guilty of not shooting the puck. And did so again in the first period when he gained the zone and then attempted an ill-fated drop pass. He's had just five shots on goal through the first four games of this trip which concludes tonight in Las Vegas.
“It was awesome,” Brassard said of his line's chemistry. “We were on the same page. We were supporting each other. We didn’t give up much in our own end as well. In the second period, we spent a lot of time in the offensive zone.”
Now, the third line just has to carry that momentum into tonight's game against the Golden Knights. That'll be easier said than done against the Knights, who have won eight of their last 10.
Though Brassard gets a lot of the attention, the key to that line's success just might be Simon. The Czech has worked well in the past with both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in a top-six role. Simon has a skill set which should help a playmaker like Brassard.
"I just think his biggest strength is his hockey sense," Sullivan was saying of Simon. "He sees it really well. He's got great instincts and then his tight-area skills are exceptional. He plays that give-and-go game and protects the puck well. For a guy who's not overly big, he's strong on the puck. Because of that, with his instincts and his puck skills, he's able to act on it. He's a really good player. He's one of the better players we have in traffic."
• As expected, Casey DeSmith will get the start in goal tonight vs. the Golden Knights in the second game of a back-to-back. That means, that will be no head-to-head matchup between Matt Murray and Marc-Andre Fleury this season. The last came Feb. 6, 2018 at PPG Paints Arena in Fleury's return to Pittsburgh.
It also means that the Penguins are showing a lot of confidence in DeSmith as this game -- between two of the NHL's best -- will be perhaps the biggest of his career. DeSmith was in goal for the Penguins' 4-2 win over the Knights on Oct. 11 at PPG Paints Arena but Malcolm Subban started that game in goal for Vegas.
"He's been in a lot of tough games," Sullivan said of tonight's starter. "Vegas is a good team and we know it's going to be a hard-fought battle. Casey's been in a lot of good ones against some really good teams the first part of this season."
• Patric Hornqvist will be a game-time decision which is progress considering that he was ruled out two hours before Friday night's game in Glendale. If Hornqvist takes part in the pre-game skate, that will be the tell-tale sign if he's playing. He's missed the last four games with a concussion.
• Tanner Pearson suffered what appeared to be a knee injury late in the third period against the Coyotes, but Sullivan said that he is fine and will play tonight.
• Sullivan gave an endorsement of Joe Blandisi's first game in a Penguins uniform after being acquired a day earlier from Anaheim. The 24-year-old had one hit, one block and drew one penalty in 6:47.
"He was good," Sullivan said. "He was everything we expected him to be."
• The Golden Knights held their morning skate at their suburban practice facility.
"Their season mirrors our season a little bit," Gerard Gallant said of the Penguins. "They had a tough start to the year, but they've played really good hockey the last 25 or so games. I think these teams are very comparable."
• Gallant said that Colin Miller, defenseman, will be a game-time decision. He's been out since Dec. 20 with an upper body injury.
