Mark Madden: Penguins can't continue to be a 1-line team

Enough already with Kasperi Kapanen. He’s got one goal in 17 games.

Enough already with every other winger that’s been centered recently by Evgeni Malkin: Danton Heinen has one goal in 11 games. Evan Rodrigues has one goal in 25 games. Jeff Carter has one goal in 17 games, none in his last 10.

The Penguins’ top line of Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust may be hockey’s best. Its members have 66 goals and 159 points among them.

The brightest spot of Tuesday’s 4-3 home loss to Florida was Crosby, Guentzel and Rust each getting an even-strength goal despite often being matched against Aleksander Barkov’s line — no easy task.

But coach Mike Sullivan should think about moving Rust to Malkin’s line.

It’s a gamble. Malkin’s line could heat up, or everybody involved could go cold.

But the Penguins are a one-line team. It’s too easy to check a one-line team, especially in the playoffs.

Malkin has played OK since starting the season late after knee surgery. He has 24 points in 22 games and staged an epic performance when the Penguins crushed host Tampa Bay, 5-1, on April 3. Malkin had a goal and two assists while dominating physically.

Malkin has been excellent on the power play. Since his return, the Penguins are 21 for 79 with the man advantage, a heady conversion rate of 26.8%.

But Malkin has just 11 even-strength points. He needs to play better 5-on-5, but also needs better players to play with.

The Penguins’ salary-cap space ($3 million) and trade capital are limited. Acquiring a legit top-six winger before the March 21 NHL trade deadline seems unlikely.

Using pairs of forwards together consistently is common among NHL coaches.

Pair Crosby and Guentzel. Malkin with Rust. Carter with Jason Zucker when the latter returns from injury. Rotate the other wingers through those duos as needed. (Teddy Blueger, Brock McGinn and Zach Aston-Reese seem cemented together as the fourth line.)

That would give the Penguins balance. Balance and the ability to roll four lines is paramount come the postseason.

There is recent precedent: Boston coach Bruce Cassidy broke up the Bruins’ so-called “Perfection Line” of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak to pursue balance.

The only other option is to leave Kapanen on Malkin’s line and hope he comes good. Kapanen has the ability and pedigree. He just isn’t delivering. Kapanen is useless.

Kapanen started Tuesday’s loss to Florida on Malkin’s line, then got demoted. That’s happened five times since Malkin returned. Kapanen barely played in the third period. He wasn’t a regular during line rushes at Thursday’s practice, rotating in and out with bottom-six guys.

Demotion hasn’t shaken Kapanen awake. Being benched during games hasn’t, either. It seems time for a healthy scratch or several.

Anybody can score one goal in 17 games. Carter, for example.

The Penguins have been called “stale” in this space. Tuesday’s loss to Florida was an example. The Penguins came out flat and were down 2-0 inside 15 minutes.

The Penguins have conceded the first goal in seven of their last 10 games. “Stale” often manifests itself as “flat.”

Play forwards Radim Zohorna and Drew O’Connor. Get some new-guy, different-guy energy in the lineup. They couldn’t contribute less than Aston-Reese and Dominik Simon. Or Kapanen. Force those underperforming to earn a jersey.

Valtteri Puustinen’s call-up is intriguing. The 22-year-old right winger had been leading the Penguins’ Wilkes-Barre/Scranton farm team in goals and points. He’s a top six-style player. Put him on Malkin’s line. Playing him in the bottom six would be a waste.