It was a favorite lyric from Bruce Springsteen’s 1984 blockbuster hit, Born in the USA.
The subject of the song, a disenfranchised Vietnam vet, wails, “I’m ten years burnin’ down the road, nowhere to run, ain’t got nowhere to go…”
Sorry, Boss, but I’ve absconded with your lyrics to describe the present plight of the Penguins’ third line. Or more to the point, the fact that we’re still scrounging to fill Nick Bonino’s skates four years down the road.
Indeed, since “Bones” departed for the warmer climes and twangy tones of the “Music City” for a cool $16.4 million during the summer of 2017, GM Jim Rutherford has had a terrible time replacing him. Or not replacing him as the case may be.
The list of would-be substitutes at third-line center reads like a cavalcade of failed experiments in lineup patching…Greg McKegg, Riley Sheahan, Derick Brassard, Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann.
Add newcomer Mark Jankowski to the list.
Actually, I’m not being entirely fair. Sheahan enjoyed a decent first season here. As disappointed as most of us were with Brassard, he tallied 12 goals in 54 games in the Steel City…a respectable 18-goal clip over a full season. And Bjugstad showed promise when he first arrived.
However, none displayed any staying power.
So why has Bonino been so hard to replace? He isn’t large or fast or tough or especially gifted, nor does he blow goalies away with his shot. Yet he was a spectacularly successful anchor for the third line during his two-season stay in the ‘Burgh. One that resulted in back-to-back Cups.
Some of it, to be sure, is serendipity. He had the good fortune (or vice versa) to skate on a line with Phil Kessel and Carl Hagelin. But there’s more to it than that.
To me, Bonino’s a rarity…a player who adds up to more than the sum of his abilities. Loaded with intangibles. In a way, he reminds me of a poor man’s version of Ron Francis, the Hall-of-Fame center who was a driving force for our Cup-winners in the early 90s.
Like “Ronnie Franchise,” Bonino thinks the game exceptionally well and always seems to be in the right place at the right time, despite his lack of jets. Tough on draws. Excellent penalty-killer and defensive player. Gritty. The kind of guy who would do anything to win.
Remember when Bonino tried to practice with a broken tibia during the 2017 Cup Final?
Talk about heart.
To say nothing of the subtle skills that blended so seamlessly with Kessel and Hagelin while weaving lots of HBK magic during the glorious 2016 Cup run.
Why am I rhapsodizing so wistfully about the Hartford native?
You don’t win Stanley Cups, let alone compete for them, without a strong third line. And ours hasn’t been the same since Bonino left.
I don’t mean to prejudge a player before he’s even had a chance to lace on his skates. But from everything I’ve read and my own observations, I don’t think Jankowski’s the answer. He feels a lot like Sheahan shortly before Riley was shipped off to Florida.
A glimmer of hope? Perhaps there’s a potential third-line center lurking in the weeds in the form of Teddy Blueger.
Touted as a future third-line pivot almost from the moment he was drafted back in 2012, the 26-year-old Latvian has a Bonino feel to him. Blueger has some sand and he’s a solid defensive player, gleaning votes for the Selke Trophy (so did Bonino). He’s a better skater than Bones. And he’s got some skill (back-to-back 21-goal seasons with the Baby Pens).
The lone fly in the ointment, albeit a large one? The kid’s a dud in the faceoff circle, winning a paltry 45.1 percent of his draws at the NHL level. He’ll need to improve if he’s to step into an expanded role.
Let’s hope he’s up to the task.
Hey Rick,
Good stuff! I always liked Bonino. If long time readers stretch their memories back to the summer after the first of the Pens back-to-back Cups, I beat the drum for JR to sign Bones to an extension then, while the price tag would be reasonable. Like Hornqvist, Bonino was grit personified. In his first season in Black and Gold he finished 7th among forwards with over 500 5-on-5 minutes in Blk/60 (3.63). During his second season he lead the league among Forwards in that dept. (4.8)
More importantly, even though he lead the league in Blk/60 5-on-5, he still managed 18Gs that season, he got it done in all zones.
I guess the problem I have with the parade of 3rd line guys since then is that they just don’t want to pay the price. None of them seem to want to get down and dirty and actually participate in the D – zone. Their Blks/60 are all less than 3 with most of them being less than 2 while the G production has been anemic. They just don’t seem to get it done at either end.
Hey Other Rick,
Very astute observation about the parade of substitutes not getting it done at either end of the ice…at least not on a consistent or lasting basis. Which accounts for the hole in the middle of the third line.
Maybe we could call it the “Donut Line”…no center. Yes, I know, not very original.
As I was describing Bonino’s traits as a player, it was almost as if I was writing a position description for a third-line center. That’s how well he fits that role.
Rick
Rick
My apologies – I somehow missed your last couple of articles. just
a quick assessment on the Pen’s 3rd and 4th lines – IMO opinion
theirs not much thought that goes into structuring our bottom 6.
The Pen’s take what they believe to be there best (6) players not
capable of playing in the top 6 and create the 3rd and 4th lines.
Instead of finding players who are a fit to play in the bottom 6.
Example: Simon – if he’s not good enough to play on your two
top lines then he shouldn’t be kept around – he’s not a 3rd or 4th
line player. I think this is the reason why we end up with little
size and toughness on our bottom two lines.
Look forward to your feedback – Go Pen’s
Really interesting take Mike, it makes 100% sense.
Hey Mike,
Always great to hear from you.
In terms of the third line, I definitely agree. McCann-Marleau-Hornqvist was a mulligan stew disaster in the playoffs of epic proportions. It still has a very hodgepodge feel to it, and I’m not real sure how either Jankowski or Rodrigues are going to work out.
Whether by design or not, we kind of fell into an effective fourth line last season with Blueger, Brandon Tanev and Zach Aston-Reese.
I like Sam Lafferty and think he deserves a shot somewhere. Probably more fourth-line material than third, but I think he can be an effective player and he does have an aggressive streak.
I wouldn’t mind seeing Anthony Angello get a shot…it was hard to get a read on him based on his lack of ice time. We could certainly use his size. And from everything I’ve read, Samuel Poulin is NHL-ready and could make a solid addition to the third line.
Who knows? Maybe we wind up with a McCann-Blueger-Poulin third line and a Tanev-Lafferty-Aston-Reese (or Angello) fourth line before all is said and done. Or maybe Rodrigues slots in there somewhere.
Rick