Penguins getting results from loaded top line of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Rickard Rakell

Rickard Rakell is an outstanding hockey player by any measure.

A two-time All-Star, the right winger has reached the 30-goal plateau twice during his fantastic career.

And at the moment, he is the worst player on his line.

By a wide margin.

That’s because the two players to his left are merely two of the greatest superstars in NHL history, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

He is under no misconception about his place in that hierarchy.

“I mean, the focus from the other team is going to be mostly on them,” Rakell said Thursday in Cranberry. “So, that means that hopefully, I’ll get some more one-on-one looks. Just find those open-ice areas and be ready to shoot the puck whenever I have the chance and don’t pass up any opportunities.”

The opportunity offered by this stacked line was borne out of a couple of factors.

First, Bryan Rust, typically affixed on the right wing of the top line with Crosby, has been sidelined the past three games because of an undisclosed ailment and is currently designated to injured reserve.

That, and the Penguins’ overall malaise that led to a six-game losing streak in late October, prompted coach Mike Sullivan to piece together this trio.

Rakell has skated plenty with Crosby and Malkin over the years. But teaming Crosby and Malkin together in five-on-five sequences is something of a newer convention given they largely have served as the Penguins’ first- and second-line centers for nearly two decades.

So far, the two superstars have logged 62 minutes, 31 seconds of common five-on-five ice time through 13 games this season, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Last season, they clocked only 40:28 of even-strength time in 82 games.

“Based on where we were at, we thought it made sense to try them together,” Sullivan said Thursday following a 2-1 home overtime win against the Anaheim Ducks. “They certainly command the puck when they’re on the ice together. They had some dynamic offensive zone shifts. They can make plays.”

The trio combined on a nifty play leading to the opening goal in a 3-1 home win against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday.

After Rakell stole a puck on the left wing wall of the offensive zone, he flicked a forehand pass across the ice for Crosby. As Malkin drove the net from the left circle and dragged Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson with him, Crosby snapped a wrister to the far side that found a keyhole-narrow opening between goaltender Sam Montembeault’s blocker and the post.

Pittsburgh goal!

Scored by Sidney Crosby with 04:03 remaining in the 1st period.

Assisted by Rickard Rakell.

Pittsburgh: 1
Montreal: 0#MTLvsPIT #LetsGoPens #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/QgIEK9aa7I

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) November 2, 2024

“(Rakell) is really strong on the puck,” Crosby said. “That play, he strips the guy. He’s done a great job of finding those soft spots to get shots off and using his shot that way. But then also, he’s been really strong on pucks and holding onto it and making plays. So, we’re doing a good job of reading off each other and generating some good looks because of it.”

In the three games they have played together, Crosby (three) and Rakell (two) have accounted for the bulk of the team’s six even-strength goals over that span.

Crosby dismissed concern that loading up the top line sacrifices any semblance of scoring balance among the other three lines.

“If you look at some of the chances (in Saturday’s game, forward Noel Acciari) hit the post,” Crosby said. “(Forward Michael Bunting) had some good looks. (Forward Valtteri Puustinen) had a good look there. We’re generating some chances. On paper, you may say that. But I think if you look at the way everybody has played, I think everyone has generated some really good looks. If you keep doing that, we’ll all have our turn of chipping in.”

Having been teammates for 19 seasons, Crosby and Malkin are familiar with one another, especially having been teamed together on the top power-play unit so often.

But extended five-on-five play together is a work in progress.

“He’s somebody who can hold onto the puck, and he likes to carry it,” Crosby said. “It’s just a matter of trying to either read off him and get open or create space when he does have it, whether it’s going to the net or trying to open up ice so he can make a play. It’s one of those things, the more you play together.

“But obviously, we both play center so we can switch off there and keep teams on their toes, hopefully.”

These three games with a loaded top line have been home contests. As such, the Penguins have had the ability to dictate most matchups on faceoffs per league rules.

With three road games upcoming this week, will the Penguins keep Malkin, Crosby and Rakell together?

“It just gives us an opportunity to control matches a little bit more (being at home),” Sullivan said. “I don’t think it’s going to change our strategy a lot. We have a certain game plan going in on how we’re going to deploy our lines and all of our players. We try to do our best to execute that, and if we like it, we stay with it. If we don’t, we adjust.

“So, being at home obviously just gives you the opportunity to control a little bit more. But, I don’t think it’s going to change a lot as far as what our strategy is or how we go about it.”

Notes: The Penguins had a scheduled day off Sunday.