Penguins' 4th line embraces gritty, defensive-oriented identity

A common theme among the top lines of the Pittsburgh Penguins is continuity.

Centers Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jeff Carter have played countless minutes with their linemates, building a rapport and developing chemistry to help the team’s first three lines get off to a fast start this season.

Through three games, the distribution of scoring chances and offensive production has been spread fairly evenly, as evidenced by every forward on lines one through three having scored at least once.

Thus, for the Penguins’ top nine forwards, no getting-to-know-you period has been required.

The same can’t be said for the fourth line.

The trio of center Ryan Poehling and wingers Brock McGinn and Josh Archibald are still adjusting to each other.

As shared minutes between them begin to accrue, so has camaraderie.

Neither Poehling nor his linemates have produced a point, but the Penguins’ fourth line is not under pressure to score goals on a nightly basis.

“I love playing with them. It’s been fun,” Poehling said. “The other (lines), they’ve been doing it for awhile, and for us, it’s fairly new, but I think we’ve been doing a good job so far playing defense and locking it down. That, at the end of the day, is the main thing you have to do with the skill set and roster chart that we have.”

That’s not to say there isn’t offensive potential.

Poehling brings the pedigree of a former first-round draft pick (Montreal, 2017) to the fourth line, while Archibald, an original draft selection of the Penguins in 2011, showed solid offensive instincts during stops with the Arizona Coyotes and Edmonton Oilers.

As for McGinn, the only member of the line who played for the Penguins last year, second-half injuries derailed what was shaping up to be a career-best campaign in goals and assists.

Penguins coach Mike Sullivan will take what he can get out of the fourth line as far as offense. But more impactful is their defensive role.

“All three of them have played a number of games in this league, so they’ve got a lot of experience,” Sullivan said. “I think they understand the type of game they need to play to help us win. That game specifically is playing a straight-ahead game and making good decisions with the puck.

“I think they can be a great momentum line for us. They can help us create and sustain momentum when we don’t have it, just through their forecheck, putting pucks deep, hanging onto pucks and being hard to play against.”

Agitating opposing lines through physicality also has been a strong suit of the fourth line, particularly Archibald, who has led the team in hits in two of three games. All three also contribute on the penalty kill.

“I think every team needs one of those (lines),” Archibald said. “We’ve got enough firepower up front, and obviously, everyone wants to score and chip in, but at the same time, we’ve got to be responsible defensively and be able to help kill penalties.

“For us, it’s (about) being able to bring energy, keep the game simple and wearing (opposing teams’) defenses down so that when our big guys get out there, they get a good chance. That’s something for us to keep working on and keep pushing forward.”

While that unit has been far from flawless thus far, they are developing chemistry.

“I think we’re just trying to find our stride right now,” Archibald said. “None of us have played together in the past, so we’re getting used to each other, finding each other’s tendencies. … I think as a whole, we’ve been doing pretty decent, but obviously, there’s lots of room to grow.”

A change might be coming soon, however.

Poehling has manned the place usually occupied by Teddy Blueger, who has yet to make his season debut because of an undisclosed injury. Blueger remains day-to-day, with Sullivan expressing doubt he’d play Thursday against the Los Angeles Kings.

Once Blueger is available, he will presumably take over duties centering the fourth line.

For now, the fourth-liners will look to continue to make the most of every shift.

“I think each game, we’ve gotten better and better and we feel better together,” Poehling said.