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Penguins: Big-timers, surprises or pluggers?
- Updated: May 31, 2016
3:23 PM ET
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Penguins pulled off a dramatic 3-2 win over the San Jose Sharks on Monday night in Game 1, and the intensity will increase as the Stanley Cup finals progress.
Both teams reached this point because of outstanding efforts from each player on the roster. We categorized them in three groups:
Big-timers (players expected to perform well and are);
Playoff surprises (players who have raised their games);
Essential pluggers (players who don’t get a lot of attention but are key to their team’s success).
Here is the breakdown for the Penguins:
Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang are the Penguins’ big-timers. Gregory Shamus/NHLI/Getty ImagesBig-timers
Sidney Crosby, C: The best player in the world is playing at his best. His vision and hockey sense are at an all-time high. The captain knows this opportunity doesn’t come along often and he’s seizing the moment.
Kris Letang, D: Averaging close to 30 minutes per game, the veteran defenseman is doing it all at both ends of the ice. As long as he can stay out of the penalty box, he should be an integral part of this team’s success.
Evgeni Malkin, C: He can be a beast on the ice when he wants to be. He has shown that at times, but he needs to bring that every shift if the Penguins are to win this series.
Phil Kessel, RW: It’s amazing what he can produce when he’s not the guy on a team. He’s more of a complementary player in Pittsburgh and that’s paying dividends for the Penguins.
Matt Murray and Nick Bonino have been pleasant surprises for the Penguins. Gregory Shamus/NHLI/Getty ImagesPlayoff surprises
Bryan Rust, RW: He’s really …
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