Throughout the recent history of the Pittsburgh Penguins, some intangible combination of individual charisma, on-ice results and overall team performance has preceded a line of forwards being nicknamed.
That badge of honor requires a bit of magic or mystique surrounding the players themselves, which the “HBK” (Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino and Phil Kessel) in 2016 or “Sid and the Kids” (Sidney Crosby, 24-year-old Conor Sheary and 22-year-old Jake Guentzel) groupings in 2017 undoubtedly possessed.
Blake Lizotte, Noel Acciari and Connor Dewar can’t claim to be crown-jewel members of the organization or young prospects, nor have they been a part of a Penguins club that’s even reached the postseason.
However, dependability, grittiness and a pleasantly surprising dose of offense have earned the trio a nickname that’s growing in popularity within the Penguins locker room: the “LAD (Lizotte, Acciari, Dewar) line.”
“They’re three guys, they kill penalties,” coach Dan Muse said. “They’re out there in late-game situations. They’re out there in a ton of key defensive situations. They’ll play against anybody. They can play against the top line, top matchup. And when they do start in the (defensive) zone, they usually end in the (offensive) zone.
“They’ve been adding offense, but you’re seeing it right now, too. They’re confident with the puck there in the attack, as they should be. And so you talk about consistency, there’s not a lot of shifts that I’ve seen them take off, if any.”
Thursday’s 6-3 win against the Philadelphia Flyers was an appropriate display of what Muse thinks the Lizotte-Acciari-Dewar line does best: kill penalties, play responsibly and chip in offense.
Lizotte, generating a turnover in the offensive zone, was assisted by Acciari and scored late in the second period, and Dewar scored his ninth goal of the year on a wrister about four-and-a-half minutes into the third.
Dewey gives us number 6️⃣! pic.twitter.com/M9ugM8hKr8
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) January 16, 2026
The Penguins penalty kill went 4 for 4, increasing its success rate to 32 for 35 (91.4%) over the last 12 games dating to Dec. 21.
Then, around 90 seconds into the third period, with the Penguins up 4-1, Lizotte delivered a big hit in the neutral zone on Philadelphia’s Denver Barkey, prompting Matvei Michkov to initiate a fight.
Lizotte yanked Michkov to the ice before both players departed for the penalty box.
Matvei Michkov just dropped the gloves with Blake Lizotte, his first career fight. Michkov was sticking up for Denver Barkey after Lizotte caught him with an open ice hit.
— Andrew Coté (@acote_88) January 16, 2026
pic.twitter.com/JAc2uCVg2J
“When you get to have moments like that, where it kind of sparks the crowd, those are the things that you remember playing in this league,” Lizotte said. “Especially in this city. It gets kind of a rap for being a blue-collar city, which is kind of my personality. So it felt great, it was awesome and I am super appreciative of the fans we get to play in front of each night.”
Lizotte is up to 11 points (six goals, five assists) in 37 games, and Acciari has scored four goals with seven assists over 37 games. Dewar, the only member of the “LAD” line who hasn’t missed any time to injury, appearing in all 46 of the Penguins’ games to date, has nine goals with eight assists.
Despite Lizotte and Acciari navigating injuries, the fourth line featuring them with Dewar is the Penguins’ most-deployed line so far this season, skating for 23 games.
Crosby, Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell are next, having played 21 games together as the club’s usual top line.
For Lizotte, Acciari and Dewar, results have been impressive, offensively, defensively and analytically.
Per Natural Stat Trick, the three are outshooting opponents 88-75 when on the ice and have produced 10 goals for vs. five against.
Looking at expected goals, which weighs factors pertaining to shot attempts such as location (a high-danger shot in the slot vs. a longer-range try from the blue line, for example) to gauge the probability of a score, the “LAD” line is also in the black.
In fact, actual results surpass analytical projections, as Lizotte, Acciari and Dewar together have been expected to score 6.9 goals and let up 5.27.
“I think we don’t try to be anything that we aren’t,” Dewar said. “We play to our strengths, and that’s playing hockey the right way — being easy to play with up there, working hard for each other and playing a fast game.
“It’s fun playing with those guys. We’re all very like-minded players, and we bring similar skill sets. We’re able to help each other all around the rink, and it goes a long way for us.”
No trio of Penguins forwards have received more defensive-zone assignments than Lizotte, Acciari and Dewar.
Per MoneyPuck, Acciari leads the club in shift percentage (34.7%) that begins in the defensive zone, followed by Dewar (29.5%) and Lizotte (27.7%).
For reference, the Penguins forward with the next-highest percentage of defensive zone starts is Bryan Rust (11.2%).
Similarly, the “LAD” line leads the Penguins in total defensive zone faceoffs with 113, vs. only 23 in the offensive zone.
“The line’s been really good,” Muse said. “They’ve been reliant a lot, put in a lot of key situations for us and have been pretty consistent in the way they’ve delivered.”
As far as the future of the “LAD” line is concerned, nothing can be viewed as guaranteed.
Lizotte and Acciari have lost time to injury (this season and previously with the Penguins, as well).
Furthermore, the brand of hockey they play, on top of penalty-killing duties (Lizotte, Acciari and Dewar are the Penguins’ top three shorthanded minute-eaters among forwards) puts them at higher risk of ailments.
But while together, they’ve offered the Penguins a solid boost up and down the ice.
“I feel like a broken clock here, but we just work hard,” Lizotte said. “We play predictable. I think with those two guys, they’re great players and have great instincts. I think especially in the (defensive) zone, there’s rarely a missed coverage or someone’s not where they’re supposed to be. I think that’s worked well for us.
“It actually allows us to play faster, kind of knowing where each other is going to be. If we’re always in the right spots, I think you have to make (fewer) decisions on the fly. … I think it’s just been a good mesh.”
Note: The Penguins canceled their scheduled Friday afternoon practice.
