This week off before the playoffs start has its downsides, but one major upside for the Penguins is that it allows them some time to get healthy.
Tristan Jarry, Casey DeSmith, Mike Matheson, Brandon Tanev, and Evan Rodrigues, all of whom have missed various amounts of time due to injuries, all skated on Monday either before or during the team's optional on-ice practice.
"You know in playoffs, obviously guys play through a lot of injuries," Brian Dumoulin said after the practice. "So the healthier that they can get, the better, especially for the start. We're looking to use this week as an opportunity for that."
After the Penguins defensemen were hit especially hard with injuries in the first half of the season, the Penguins' forward group was hit hard with injuries in the second half. As Game 1 nears, the Penguins' forward group is almost fully healthy.
Tanev said that he hopes to be ready for the start of the playoffs, and has had several practices with full contact. Rodrigues is likely a little further off, given that he hasn't practiced with the team yet other than the optional session on Monday.
When those two are both healthy, who sits in the lineup, and what should the forward combinations be? These are my picks:
Jake Guentzel-Sidney Crosby-Bryan Rust
Jason Zucker-Evgeni Malkin-Kasperi Kapanen
Jared McCann-Jeff Carter-Freddy Gaudreau
Zach Aston-Reese-Teddy Blueger-Brandon Tanev
Some notes:
• I'd scratch Rodrigues when he's healthy, with the idea that he's the next man up if there's an injury, regardless of who the injured player would be.
• The only change to the current combinations is swapping Colton Sceviour for Tanev. The Aston-Reese-Blueger-Tanev line has been consistently strong whenever they're all together, and I'd like to see that trio reunited.
• Zucker didn't have quite the production expected this season, but I'd still leave him on that second line to start. Zucker, Malkin, and Kapanen each put up a point per game in the final four games after Malkin returned, though in all three cases, half of those points came on the power play, not five-on-five.
• No chance I'd touch that third line right now. In the six games they played together after Gaudreau returned, McCann put up six points (one goal, five assists, all even strength), Carter recorded seven points (five even strength goals, one power play goal, one even strength assist) and Gaudreau scored six points (one goal, five assists, all even strength).
YOUR TURN: What would your combinations be when (if?) the Penguins get healthy at forward in the playoffs?
