Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin is not the player he once was. That much is obvious. Part of that is father time catching up to the 37-year-old, but most of it is due to a lack of consistency from his linemates this season.
The Penguins have cycled through a bevy of wingers next to Malkin this season, most of which have failed to bring the best out of the future Hall of Fame center. However, it seems like they may have found the right combination to get the best version of Malkin for the home stretch of this season.
Valtteri Puustinen and Drew O'Connor are each having their best season to date. The youthful duo joined Malkin separately at points this season but have spent the past three games together on the second line.
The trio of Malkin, Puustinen, and O'Connor have dominated puck possession at 5v5 and have outchanced opponents 22-8 in just over 33 minutes together.
Puustinen and O'Connor may not be a long-term solution for the Penguins second line unless either drastically develops their finishing over the summer. Both have proven that they have a place in this league.
With Penguins President and GM Kyle Dubas declaring his desire to get younger next season, these two appear to be part of that plan and are settling into the Penguins middle six.
As for right now, they appear to be the best chance the Penguins have at getting the most out of Malkin every night.
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