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Penguins' Blake Lizotte absence forces Pittsburgh lines shuffle, Kindel jumps to 1C
Photo credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Ben Kindel at 1C screams urgency, Pittsburgh Penguins are 31-15-13 and clinging to every point without Sidney Crosby.
Kindel is 18, a 2025 first-round pick, and he already has 15-14-29 in 56 games, so this is not a "try him later" experiment.
Tuesday in Boston, the reported look has Kindel between Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust.
Kevin Hayes sliding into Kindel's old spot between Anthony Mantha and Justin Brazeau tells you the staff wants a steadier middle lane.
And with Blake Lizotte not skating, the bottom-six gets ripped up, with Avery Hayes pushed down the lineup.
Here's the real math: Rust is sitting on 20-23-43, and he needs a center who can win space early, not late.
Rakell is at 11-14-25, and his best shifts still come when he gets the puck in motion, not standing still on the wall.
Ben Kindel forces the Pittsburgh Penguins to pick a lane
Honestly, Penguins fans have been begging for bold, not "safe", since Crosby went down.
This combo is bold, because Kindel's biggest NHL swing is still pacing the defensive side when the game tilts.
But it also fits, because Rust plays straight lines, and Rakell can be the release valve when the rookie gets pressured.
Hayes with Mantha and Brazeau feels like a matchup line, not a scoring line, and that matters in TD Garden.
If this sticks, it is a mini preview of life after the trade deadline, where the Penguins need youth driving a top-six.
The next test is simple: does Kindel keep the puck out of trouble against Boston's top matchups, shift after shift.
Also read on HockeyUnplugged :
Kyle Dubas weighs buy move as Pittsburgh Penguins sit 31-15-13 without Sidney Crosby
Kyle Dubas weighs buy move as Pittsburgh Penguins sit 31-15-13 without Sidney Crosby
| POLL | ||
MARS 3|156 ANSWERS Penguins' Blake Lizotte absence forces Pittsburgh lines shuffle, Kindel jumps to 1C Should Ben Kindel stay at 1C with Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust? | ||
| Yes | 128 | 82.1 % |
| No | 28 | 17.9 % |
| List of polls | ||