Blueger's line did 'some good things'

It would seem that the Flyers have finally found themselves an elite goaltender, which sounds strange even as I type those words. But in a world where the Cleveland Browns can have a franchise quarterback, I suppose all things are possible.

On Sunday night, Carter Hart wasn't the only difference between victory and ultimate defeat for the Penguins. But, clearly, the Flyers' 20-year-old goaltender was a fairly large reason for it. Hart kept his outmatched team in the game for the first 42 minutes before finally relenting at 2:07 of the third on a goal by Teddy Blueger, of all people:

That goal above, on the Penguins' 28th shot of the game, should have been all that the home team needed because, until that point, they had been masterful. I mean, they dominated the Flyers both territorially and in possession. But that is another story:

Blueger's goal was the result of extended zone time that the second line -- minus Bryan Rust for that shift -- was able to generate by cycling the puck down low to high. From atop the left circle, Marcus Pettersson threw a slap pass to Phil Kessel at the left side of the net. Kessel wheeled around, firing a low shot on Hart, who, for once, was unable to control the rebound. The puck popped right out to Blueger at the right side of the net where he simply buried the rebound. Right place, right time.

It was Blueger's fourth goal in 19 games since being originally called up on Jan. 30. He scored three goals in his first seven games but had gone the last 11 without one. It was also the first goal that Blueger has scored as a top-six center. In his debut, no less.

Since Zach Aston-Reese went down with an upper body injury on March 10 vs. the Bruins, Blueger has played the last three games as the second-line left winger. But with Evgeni Malkin out with an apparent rib injury, suffered in Saturday's loss to the Blues, Blueger was promoted to second-line center, his natural position. Needless to say that's quite the ascension for a player that spent most of this season in Wilkes-Barre, where he'd been viewed as the organization's bottom-six center of the future.

Obviously, things can and do change quickly in the NHL. Blueger is a big part of the Penguins' plans, whether it's at center or wing on the top-six or not. The question moving forward is if the organization can afford an audition for Malkin's spot with nine games remaining in the regular season and a playoff berth likely but still undecided.

Following Sunday's loss, Mike Sullivan announced that Malkin will be out "week-to-week." When he was asked for his level of confidence in Blueger, the coach punted.

"As far as what we'll do moving forward, we'll probably take it game by game," Sullivan said.

That's not exactly a ringing endorsement, though it should be noted that Blueger did fare well in the circles, winning four of five draws, including all three vs. Scott Laughton. The trio of Blueger, Rust and Kessel played 8:16 together with an impressive 62.50 Corsi For percentage with seven scoring chances for and four against.

Here, in the final seconds of the opening period, the second line had the Flyers hemmed in their zone:

Rust uses his speed. Though he wasn't awarded a hit, Kessel throws his body into Ivan Provorov in the corner. Blueger makes a pretty little chip over Sean Couturier. The line did everything but score on that shift.

"I think we were pretty good, had a lot of chances," was Rust's assessment. "Teddy scored, and that was a big goal for us. We definitely did some good things."

But was it enough good things? Reading the tea leaves here, it would seem that Sullivan is likely to revisit the second line before the Penguins begin their four-game road trip that begins Tuesday night in Raleigh, N.C., against the upstart Hurricanes.

Rust, who enjoyed his most success this season with Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel, would seem a logical choice to be the right winger on the top line. After a torrid stretch where Jared McCann had eight points in eight games on the first line, that unit seems to have fizzled in this weekend's two losses, with Crosby going an almost unheard of minus-5.

One of the selling points for both McCann and Nick Bjugstad -- the upgrades Jim Rutherford made before the trade deadline -- is their ability to play either the pivot or the wing. That seems like it might come in handy right about now. On Sunday, Bjugstad's third line with Dominik Simon and Patric Hornqvist was perhaps the Penguins' best with 16 chances-for.

Theoretically, Sullivan could have a lineup Tuesday that looks like this:

Guentzel - Crosby - Rust

Bluger - McCann - Kessel

Simon - Bjugstad - Hornqvist

Blandisi - Cullen - Wilson

That's hardly a knock on Blueger, who has shown in his brief time that he is clearly capable of playing at this level. But it's a tall ask for a player with so little experience to step in and fill the sizable skates of Malkin for weeks.

"He's obviously a tough guy to replace," Sullivan said. "He's an elite player, so that speaks for itself."

Whether Malkin is out four weeks or six, it should not be a deal-breaker for the second line. The Penguins still have center depth. They still have two capable ones in McCann and Bjugstad who can fill that void. And yes, they still have Blueger.

MATT SUNDAY GALLERY