SUNRISE, Fla. — In theory, it has the makings of an intriguing and, potentially, potent fourth line.
There’s the skilled former first-round pick trying to resurrect his career as a 30-goal scorer on the left wing.
Then at center, a hiccup-quick homegrown prospect who showed he belongs in the NHL by putting up solid offensive totals earlier this season.
On the right wing, a 6-foot-5, 210-pound power forward armed with a physical edge and a burgeoning offensive touch he has cultivated in the AHL this season.
Combined, Pittsburgh Penguins forwards Alex Galchenyuk, Sam Lafferty and Anthony Angello look like the components of a solid bottom line in the modern NHL.
But in practical application, they haven’t, well, been applied that often.
During the Penguins’ 3-2 win against the Florida Panthers at BB&T Center, the Penguins essentially operated as a three-line team for the bulk of the contest.
Galchenyuk, the No. 3 overall selection in the 2012 draft, logged a season-low 3 minutes, 2 seconds of ice time on five shifts. His last shift came with 15:01 left in the second period.
Lafferty paced the group with 5:24 of ice time on seven shifts. His last shift came on 15:05 left in the third period, and that only came because he had to jump on the ice after first-liner Sidney Crosby appeared to have a skate issue.
Angello logged 4:35 of ice time on six shifts. His last shift came with 5:41 left in the second period.
Coach Mike Sullivan was curt when asked about the lack of ice time for the line.
“I’m trying to make decisions behind the bench that I think are going to give us the best chance to win,” Sullivan said.
This decision wasn’t a new one for Sullivan. During Thursday’s 4-2 road loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, Galchenyuk (5:10), Lafferty (5:01) and Angello (4:48) each hovered near the five-minute mark for their total ice time.
Even in a 4-3 road win against the Washington Capitals on Feb. 2 when Galchenyuk set up Lafferty for the Penguins’ first goal, the trio averaged 5:52 of even-strength ice time (Galchenyuk logged 3:04 of power-play time in that contest).
“Ideally, we’d like to use the bench more than we did,” Sullivan said after Saturday’s game. “It’s a hard game out there. But given the circumstances the way the game was going, I thought that was the best decision for (Saturday), and that’s why I did it.”
That decision doesn’t just impact Galchenyuk, Lafferty and Angello. It affects the remaining nine forwards.
“You just try to manage it and make sure you’re not getting stuck out there for long periods of time,” Crosby said. “I thought our shifts were pretty good that way. You’re going to get caught every once in a while, but I think our mentality for getting the puck and making sure that we had good (line) changes was there. Probably not something you can do every game but when it does happen, you get in the game and you make sure you change smart.”
Said forward Jared McCann: “That late in the game, you’ve got to keep the shifts short and keep rolling.”
As one might imagine, getting more playing time isn’t exactly lamentable for the other forwards.
“To be honest, I like it,” forward Teddy Blueger said. “The more you play, the more into the game you are. People may think you get more tired, but I think the adrenaline is going. You’re so into the game mentally, it makes up for it. For me personally, the more I play, the better I play. With a situation like that, you just try to keep going.”
How long the Penguins keep going with such scant utilization of their fourth line remains to be seen. Potential returns from injury by forwards Nick Bjugstad (core muscle) or Dominik Kahun (concussion) will offer Sullivan and staff more options they may trust more. And a possible trade or two by general manager Jim Rutherford could bolster depth.
Regardless of what happens on those fronts, the Penguins are fully aware that rolling with only three lines is not sustainable for a team with aspirations of a Stanley Cup championship.
“Probably not something you can do every game,” Crosby said. “But when it does happen, you get in the game and you make sure you change smart.”
Note: The Penguins had a scheduled day off Sunday and will resume practicing Monday in Cranberry.
Follow the Penguins all season long.
Seth Rorabaugh is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Seth by email at [email protected] or via Twitter .
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