Jared McCann is going to be a solid player for the Penguins, but at least for this season he’s just not an ideal fit as the third line center for this group of wingers. In giving this lineup enough versatility, Nick Blugstad remains Pittsburgh’s only realistic option to hold down the third line center spot.

The Penguins’ coaching staff might be starting to see it now. Playing Kessel or Blugstad at left wing just wasn’t going to work long-term and Blugstad in the third line center spot gives the Penguins more options to move Kessel around during games as their skill sets mesh much better than trying to play Kessel with Jared McCann whose a grinding type of center who scouts feel might be best suited as a winger. Pittsburgh has won three of four but their lines had been thrown into a blender.

LINEUP VS DEVILS
Guentzel – Crosby – Rust
Aston-Reese — Malkin – Kessel
McCann – Blugstad – Hornqvist
Pearson – Cullen – Simon
D-Pairs
Dumoulin – Letang
Johnson – Schultz
Pettersson – Ruhwedel
Goaltender
Matt Murray