Penguins Update: Whatever Happened to The HBK Line?

It was right around this time last season when the Penguins received a divine bit of inspiration, wrapped in the guise of a devastating injury.

Remember? March 11, 2016 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus. Evgeni Malkin was checked awkwardly into the end boards during second-period action by Blue Jackets bruiser Dalton Prout and came away favoring his left arm. An injury that would prevent Geno from playing again until the postseason.

At the time, Malkin was centering a potential high-octane line for sniper Phil Kessel and speedy newcomer Carl Hagelin. During a previous stint on IR, his spot had been effectively filled by Matt Cullen. I assumed the veteran center would step into the void again.

Then Mike Sullivan threw me a curve. He announced that Nick Bonino would be elevated to the No. 2 center spot.

“I think ‘Bones’ has some real good offensive instincts,” the Pens’ coach said.

Bonino had tallied all of four goals and 13 points and, frankly, looked thoroughly unimpressive while doing it. I thought “Sully” had lost his mind.

How wrong I was.

The soon-to-be-dubbed HBK Line caught fire. In one of the most stunning individual transformations since mild-mannered Clark Kent stepped into a phone booth and re-emerged as Superman, Bonino scored five goals and 16 points in his final 15 games, including a career-best five-point night against Detroit on March 26.

The dashing Hagelin? Seven goals and seven assists in his last 16.

Given a line of his own, Kessel’s extraordinary creativity and playmaking skills bubbled to the surface. Reborn, he racked up six goals and 10 assists down the homestretch to salvage a mildly disappointing regular season before shining like the Hope Diamond in the playoffs.

The trio displayed marvelous chemistry. An innate sixth sense for knowing just what each other would do on the ice. With all due respect to Sidney Crosby and super rookie Matt Murray, arguably the driving force behind the Pens’ Stanley Cup triumph.

Everyone—myself included—assumed that success would continue unabated this season. Mysteriously, it hasn’t.

The unit played a handful of uninspired games together in October, but was quickly broken up. Occasionally Sullivan reunited last year’s playoff heroes, with similar results.

Hockey lore is filled with one-hit wonders who burst onto the scene, only to quickly fade from view. Do the names John Druce, Al Hill and Steve Penney ring a bell?

I just never figured The HBK Line to be one of ‘em.

Like everyone else, I’m at a loss to explain how something so right could suddenly go so wrong. Kind of like those three-month love affairs I experienced in my (much) younger days. Ones that began hot ‘n’ heavy, only to ingloriously flame out in the end.

The fact that Bonino appears to be a slow starter—and has struggled on draws—may have something to do with it. Puck possession starts in the faceoff circle. But that’s putting far too much on No. 13’s sloping shoulders. The answer, obviously, isn’t that simple.

A spate of injuries to our forwards, notably Bryan Rust, Conor Sheary and, more recently, Hagelin certainly is a factor. Forcing Sullivan to juggle his line combinations to plug short-term gaps.

Then again, perhaps it’s a matter of timing. Maybe the erstwhile HBK members are like your faithful bloodhound. They don’t get into a lather until they pick up the scent. Or in this case, a whiff of high-stakes hockey.

Whatever the causes, here’s hoping Sully gives the trio another try, and soon.

With the playoffs fast approaching, the Pens sure could use an encore performance.