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Kyle Dubas being urged to keep one Penguins component intact
Photo credit: Tom Szczerbowski-Imagn Images
Dave Molinari put it plainly on Tuesday, the Penguins are getting real value out of their fourth line, and Kyle Dubas should treat keeping that trio together.
This is not the usual fourth-line sugar rush where the energy looks nice but the results fade.
Pittsburgh has been stacking points when Connor Dewar, Blake Lizotte, and Noel Acciari are all dressed.
The official team site even attached a clean record to it, 14-3-3 with all three in the lineup.
That is a loud indicator that the «small minutes, big impact» thing is real here.
It also shows up in the recent production.
Over an eight-game stretch where the Penguins went 7-1-0, that line put up 15 points with 7G and 8A combined.
The best part is how repeatable their game feels.
They get shoved into defensive work, they kill penalties, and they still find a way to tilt the ice back the other direction.
If you want one snapshot that screams «trust,» the Penguins are 13-1-4 this season when at least one of Dewar, Lizotte, or Acciari gets a point.
That is a depth line acting like a safety net.
And it is not just vibes.
A recent game story noted the trio has 10 goals for and only five against when they're on the ice together this season.
Kyle Dubas faces Penguins fourth line calls
As a fan, this is the kind of detail you cling to because we have all watched «depth fixes» turn into lineup whack-a-mole by March.
Dubas already made one big move toward stability by extending Blake Lizotte through 2028-29 at a $2.25 million cap hit.
That is the right type of bet on a role player who actually drives the role.
The extension note also spelled out why he matters on the kill, 2:32 of shorthanded TOI per game, plus 6G 7A for 13 points in 39 games.
That is fourth-line offense without cheating.
Connor Dewar's profile fits the same mold, a 26-year-old third-round pick in 2018, 92nd overall by Minnesota, who plays like he's allergic to losing a race.
Noel Acciari is the old-pro glue, 34 years old, and he keeps the line from floating when the game gets scrambly.
He reads the moment, keeps it simple, and gets everyone back on script.
From a roster-building angle, the reason to keep them together is chemistry and assignment clarity.
When your fourth line can take hard starts, it protects your top-six and keeps your blue line from getting dragged into chaos.
The cap part matters too.
If Dubas has to pay for any one of them, it should be to avoid replacing the whole idea with three separate bargain-bin swings that do not mesh.
Molinari's headline says it all, it is a trio worth keeping, and the Penguins have the receipts on the scoreboard and in the standings.
Now keep it intact and see how it looks when the games tighten up again.
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| POLL | ||
JANVIER 20|150 ANSWERS Kyle Dubas being urged to keep one Penguins component intact Should Kyle Dubas keep Connor Dewar, Blake Lizotte, and Noel Acciari together? | ||
| Yes, keep | 144 | 96 % |
| No, change it | 6 | 4 % |
| List of polls | ||