Matheson Returns to Practice; Lines Get Shuffled
- Matheson returns to practice
Defenseman Mike Matheson, who has missed the past five games with an upper-body injury, rejoined his teammates for the first time since going down.
"Being back out with the team, it was good, obviously," Matheson said. "It's tough being away from the team and not being able to see them every day. Skating on your own isn't always the most fun. Being able to be back with them, being up with the pace of play, just the comradery… it's great."
The 27-year-old blueliner wore a regular yellow jersey in the session, and head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed that Matheson was a full participant.
"Right now, his status would be day to day," Sullivan said. "We'll see how he responds overnight and make decisions accordingly."
The day after Matheson logged over 19 minutes in Pittsburgh's 6-1 loss to New Jersey on Feb. 25, it was announced that he would be out week-to-week. Matheson said the injury was something that had been nagging him, and ultimately the decision was made to sideline him so that it could heal properly.
"It was tough to say when it exactly happened," Matheson said. "It was a couple of games before I went out of the lineup. So I played a couple games with it, and it didn't feel right, so I felt like we should take a bit more serious look at it."
Matheson skated on an extra D pairing with P.O Joseph during line rushes.
- Penguins shuffle the lines
Mike Sullivan shortened the bench in the third period of Pittsburgh's last game, a 4-3 loss to Florida on Tuesday. Kasperi Kapanen saw only two shifts, with Jeff Carter moving into his spot on Evgeni Malkin's right wing.
Today, every line except the top one saw changes as the Penguins look to generate more secondary scoring. Sullivan said that while they've considered separating Jake Guentzel, Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust in order to create a balanced attack, they haven't yet because that trio has been so dominant.
"We're trying to exercise some patience with our team with some of our guys that we know are capable of helping us offensively in these areas," Sullivan said. But certainly, it's not a foregone conclusion that we're not willing to adjust Sid's line in order to try to create a more balanced attack. We're trying to find other combinations that we think can provide the balance for us throughout the rest of our lineup. But it's certainly a discussion that we've had, and we continue to have."
Here is the workflow they used…
Guentzel-Crosby-Rust
Heinen-Malkin-Rodrigues
Simon-Carter-McGinn
Boyle-Blueger-Aston-Reese/Kapanen
After scoring 15 goals in his first 33 games, Rodrigues has just one in his past 25. The 28-year-old forward said he still has the most confidence that he's had in his career, and that his role has changed during this stretch to be more defensive while playing against other teams' top lines.
"When you're in that position, you're a little bit less risky, a little more responsible," Rodrigues said. "You look to make just a simple play and shut other teams down versus taking the chances and trying to produce offense."
Now, potentially moving back up into a top-six role, Rodrigues said the biggest focus when playing alongside Malkin is just making sure he has the puck on his stick as much as possible.
"You're just kind of an outlet for him when he wants a give-and-go or that quick puck support," Rodrigues said. "Something just to give him that extra space to let him do his thing. I think if we can sustain some O-zone time and let him get moving around in the O-zone, that'll be a big key for us."
Sullivan added that players who are complementary to Malkin also need to have a willingness to go to the net, "because when we do have possession in the offensive zone, if we don't have people getting inside and making the goalie's sightlines difficult, it's hard to score."
When it comes to Kapanen, who rotated on right wing of the fourth line with Zach Aston-Reese and could potentially be a healthy scratch on Friday against Vegas, Sullivan said he thinks the world of the 25-year-old winger. They're just trying to figure out how to help all of their players maximize their potential.
"As far as what our expectation is and how Kappy can help himself moving forward, he and I have had a number of conversations about this, is just immersing himself in staying in the moment and playing the game the right way," Sullivan said.
It starts with a certain competitive spirit, but it's also attention to detail - including being good on the wall, winning puck battles, and shooting when the opportunity presents itself - along with knowing what his role is in all three zones.
"All players go through ebbs and flows in the season, and it's our responsibility as a coaching staff to try to help guys through that process," Sullivan said. "At the same side of the coin, it's also our responsibility to try to make decisions to help the team win. And we're trying to balance both of those scenarios."
