CRANBERRY, Pa. -- No one should be surprised that a member of the Penguins' top defense pairing has a six-game points streak.
After all, a guy with Kris Letang's offensive instincts and abilities is bound to go on an offensive tear every now and then.
Except that Letang isn't the one with points in each of the Penguins' past half-dozen games, the longest active streak among NHL defensemen.
Instead, it's Letang's partner, Brian Dumoulin, who's been showing up on the scoresheet so often lately.
Dumoulin is best-known not for producing points, but for his steady defensive work. Oh, he makes a nice outlet pass and appreciates the importance of trying to get pucks on goal, but it's Dumoulin's responsible work in his own end -- and how it allows Letang to get involved in the offense -- that tends to get the most attention.
But while the scoring streak Dumoulin will take into the Penguins' game at KeyBank Center Saturday at 3:08 p.m. is the longest of his career, Mike Sullivan said it does not reflect any fundamental change in Dumoulin's approach to his job.
"(Dumoulin) brings the same game, each and every night that we rely on to help us win games," Sullivan said. "He's so positionally sound. He's a mobile guy. He defends well with his stick, his mobility and his smarts. I've always been a believer that he's a guy who helps to generate offense, even though he may not end up on the scoresheet each and every night. He makes good outlet passes; he's not just an 'off-the-glass-and-out' guy. He joins the rush with his mobility. He helps us with our possession game in the offensive zone, along the offensive blue line. He does a lot of things well that I think go unnoticed help our group to generate offense. The fact that he's getting rewarded on the scoresheet, we're thrilled for him."
Marcus Pettersson invoked the "hockey gods" to explain why Dumoulin suddenly has picked up a point in so many consecutive games. But while good fortune might have played a part in Dumoulin's streak, Pettersson said luck has nothing to do with why Dumoulin sets the standard for other defensemen.
"He's a guy you look at and try to mimic the stuff he does out there," Pettersson said. "Try to play the way he plays. ... He sets the tone for how we want to play back there."
Getting these points from Dumoulin has been a bonus for the Penguins' offense, which continues to be missing some key forwards.
Evgeni Malkin and Kasperi Kapanen are skating and "making encouraging progress," Sullivan said, but they did not practice Friday. Neither did Brandon Tanev, who has yet to get back on the ice.
None of them will be available for the Penguins' games against the resurgent Sabres this weekend.
Buffalo is 5-3-3 in its past 11 games, a streak that began in the wake of losses to the Penguins March 24 and 25.
"They're playing some good hockey over there, so we have to be ready," Jake Guentzel said. "We know they're playing hard, and they're playing fast."
The Sabres' solid play in recent weeks was underscored by a 5-2 victory in Washington Thursday. That alone should be enough to convince the Penguins that Buffalo has moved beyond its struggles from earlier in the season.
"They're a good team," Sullivan said. "They have good players and they have good coaches and they have a lot of pride. ... It really doesn't matter who your opponent is or where they sit in the standings; every night is a hard game, and that's just the reality of today's game in the NHL."
So is the fact that Buffalo has no hope of salvaging a playoff berth, and that teams that end up in that position often elevate their play because the pressure to have a productive season is gone.
"They're playing the game with a free spirit, and those are dangerous teams to play against," Sullivan said. "We're going to have to bring our very best; we know that. It's a great opportunity for our team to continue to try to establish itself in the standings. That's how we have to look at it."