Penguins Update: Who’s on First?

It’s one of the all-time great comedy routines. Who’s on First, sublimely performed by the Hollywood Star duo of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello.

Who’s on First? What’s on second? Third?

I don’t know.

Sounds an awful lot like the Penguins’ potential line combinations for the coming season, doesn’t it? Especially given the fact that black-and-gold coach Mike Sullivan’s a notorious line shuffler.

Still, it might be interesting…and a challenge to boot…to ferret out what the lineup’s going to look like on opening night, especially given our bounty of centers and right wings and the comparative dearth of left wings. Subject to change, of course.

Here goes.

FIRST LINE: It’s pretty much a given that Jake Guentzel will man the port side next to Sidney Crosby. They combined for 19 goals during the 2018 postseason, accounting for a staggering 45 percent of the team’s output. Indeed, the preternatural pair seem to have an innate feel for each other.

Who’ll man the starboard side with Jake and Sid? Good question. Patric Hornqvist’s always displayed good chemistry with No. 87, and the Swedish banger brings a much-needed edge to the top unit. Yet given the fact that sniper Daniel Sprong is a virtual lock to make the club…at least according to GM Jim Rutherford…it might make more sense to give the kid a crack at top-line duty rather than consigning him to an unfamiliar bottom-six role.

Speedy and tenacious, Bryan Rust is another option, although he’s likely to switch to left wing.

Best Guess: Guentzel–Crosby–Hornqvist

SECOND LINE: With all the drama surrounding Phil Kessel this summer and his rumored dissatisfaction with a third-line role, it’s a good bet No. 81 will open the season in his favored slot next to Evgeni Malkin. Makes sense, too, considering “Phil the Thrill” piled up a career-best 92 points while skating mostly with Malkin. It sure didn’t hurt “Geno’s” game, either (98 points).

Fleet-footed Carl Hagelin meshed well with the dynamic duo, providing speed, a defensive conscience and occasional offense. But don’t be surprised if Sullivan continues to tinker with Kessel on the third line.

Best Guess: Hagelin–Malkin–Kessel

THIRD LINE: Here’s where it starts to get dicey. Rutherford didn’t fork over a first-round pick last spring to put Derick Brassard in mothballs…or play him at left wing. Look for Brassard…a surprise flop in the postseason…to anchor the third line, at least for starters.

His wingers? Anybody’s guess. If nothing changes, personnel-wise, Rust in all likelihood will get first crack at the port-side slot. Centers Matt Cullen and Riley Sheahan could cycle through on left wing as well. Possibly Dominik Simon, too.

On the right side? Sprong may start the season there. Look for Hornqvist and Kessel to settle in from time-to-time when Sullivan seeks to spice things up.

Best Guess: Rust–Brassard–Sprong

FOURTH LINE: Another potential Mulligan stew, especially given the under-the-radar summertime signings of center Derek Grant and right wing Jimmy Hayes.

Logic dictates that Sheahan will open the season as the fourth-line center. Cullen will probably man left wing, although it’s possible the roles could be reversed with Sheahan sliding to port. Given Cullen’s age, Simon could see occasional duty on the left side as well.

Zach Aston-Reese appears to be the front runner on right wing, with a possible push from the hulking Hayes, a 19-goal scorer with Florida in 2014-15.

Best Guess: Cullen–Sheahan–Aston-Reese

DEFENSE: There aren’t nearly as many moving parts on defense. Brian Dumoulin, Kris Letang, Olli Maatta, Jamie Oleksiak, Justin Schultz and newcomer Jack Johnson should flesh out the blue-line corps, with Chad Ruhwedel in reserve.

While anything’s possible, it’s hard to imagine Sullivan breaking up the top pairing of Dumoulin and Letang. Let’s face it, No. 58’s not the easiest guy to partner with, and Dumoulin learned to mitigate “Tanger’s” all-too-frequent wanderings and lapses about as well as anyone could hope to.

The second and third pairings are a different matter. We could see Maatta with Schultz and Johnson with Oleksiak…or vice versa.

GOAL: Matt Murray and Tristan Jarry will likely open the season between the pipes, although ultra-cool Casey DeSmith could mount a challenge as backup.

I’ll throw it open to our faithful PenguinPoop readers and commenters. Barring injuries, what do you think the Pens’ lineup will look like on opening night?