PITTSBURGH – In his third game back at the NHL level after double hip surgery over the offseason, the Pittsburgh Penguins gave newcomer Jesse Puljujarvi a promotion. Against the Winnipeg Jets, head coach Mike Sullivan gave Puljujarvi a promotion to the second line alongside Evgeni Malkin. Puljujarvi is still hunting for his first point of the season, but he might bring a form of stabilization to Malkin’s line that hasn’t been there all season.
Through the first 49 games of the year, the Penguins have tried Reilly Smith, Drew O’Connor, Bryan Rust, and even Valterri Puustinen on Malkin’s wings to try and provide a spark. Some of these pieces have worked at times, but overall, things have been unstable for Malkin.
Malkin hasn’t been his usual self, with only one goal and six total points in his last 10 games. The Penguins are hopeful Puljujarvi can provide a punch and guide Malkin out of his funk.
Puljujarvi has played with a physical edge early in his Penguins tenure and seems hungry to grind for pucks. If he can clear more space and open up opportunities for Malkin, these two should be able to create some magic.
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