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The Real Reason the Penguins’ Bottom Six Is Carrying Them at the Break
Photo credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
Ben Kindel crashing the NHL has turned the Pittsburgh Penguins bottom six into a real weapon, and the stakes feel huge at the Olympic break.
This “Penguins at the break” Part 2 idea hits because it matches what we’ve watched all year. The depth has carried nights when the big guns were just okay.
Kindel is the headline even when he’s not a top-six winger. He plays like a third-line center who hates giving shifts away.
He’s 18, drafted in 2025, Round 1, by the Pittsburgh Penguins, and he’s already sitting at 14-13-27 with real minutes. That is not normal rookie noise.
The “lot of A’s” vibe makes sense when the bottom six wins pace and field position. You see it in clean exits, hard forechecks, and quick changes that still tilt the rink.
And yes, the fourth line has been a problem for opponents. Connor Dewar, Blake Lizotte, and Noel Acciari have felt like a mini matchup line that can still score.
What I like most is the identity. They get in on the puck, they finish checks, then they get out before the shift turns lazy.
The Penguins’ record at the break, 29-15-12, screams “depth matters.” This is how you climb without living on power-play bounces.
Ben Kindel keeps the Pittsburgh Penguins honest
Honestly, Penguins fans have been waiting years to feel this kind of trust in the bottom six again.
Kindel’s value is how he stitches the lineup together. If he can drive a third line, everyone slots easier.
That ripple helps the man advantage too, because your stars start shifts in better spots. It also keeps the blue line from defending wave after wave.
The grades in that post are really about habits. It’s hard to play against four lines when the “rest” of the forwards bring juice.
Now the question is what happens after the break. If the fourth line keeps owning shifts, Pittsburgh can protect leads without playing scared.
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Penguins 7th round pick looks to be the steal of the 2025 NHL Draft after electric production in the WHL