Chris Kunitz got a head start on the most coveted position in the Penguins lineup this season — left wing on the top line.
He also might have a leg up, already.
Kunitz earned the first crack at becoming regular linemates with center Sidney Crosby and right winger Phil Kessel in a 7-3 preseason win Tuesday night against the visiting Carolina Hurricanes.
He deftly helped set up two goals, played with noticeable energy, and drew favorable reaction from coach Mike Johnston, who called Kunitz “one of the leading candidates right now” to earn the position.
“I thought [Kunitz] worked really well on that line,” Johnston said. “I like [Kunitz] when he goes hard to the net, when he plays that straight-ahead game. … I thought he had a lot of jump. Good legs. He’s had good legs all camp and he looks like he’s got a lot more energy, so that’s a positive sign for him right now.”
As the preseason progresses, Johnston is likely to tinker with the line to maximize its great potential. Possible additional candidates are Patric Hornqvist, David Perron and Pascal Dupuis.
Kunitz, 35, said this week that playing with Crosby is something he never takes for granted.
It’s a special job, he said, that requires timing and chemistry. Add in the speed, touch and scoring ability of Kessel, and the role becomes even more of a balancing act.
“Playing with Sid, he creates a lot of space, but you’ve got to make sure you get those holes and seams at the right time,” Kunitz said. “Then the way Phil plays, he’s got that speed up the wall, and a great shot. … His game is going to be that straight-line game. That’s something I try to always play. Different style obviously but play that north game, not moving too much laterally, not making too many one-on-one moves and get into their end as quick as you can.”
It was a long offseason for Kunitz, who said he spent significant time looking back at what went wrong last season as an individual and a team.
The Penguins were bounced from the Stanley Cup playoffs in five games, and Kunitz had his lowest year in production since 2009-10. He scored 17 goals, 23 assists for 40 total points in 74 games.
“We let games slip away,” he said. “Individually, you have to go back and make sure you play that fast game, and make sure you’re not on your heels. If you’re playing back too much it messes up that spacing. When you take a step backwards in the offensive zone trying to cover up for your defensive area, then you need to make sure, you’ve got to be on that puck.
“Everything is about puck possession. Being quick to the puck, having puck possession. It’s something I tried to work on this summer, to be able to control all of those scenarios.”
Tuesday night he finished with three shots, one hit, but several key plays.
“Probably should have shot on that last one in the slot,” Johnston said. “That’s one thing that you don’t want to get on a line [like that.] You don’t want to get a line that overpasses the puck because you have three guys [who can pass well]. I think [Kunitz] will keep everybody in check there by going to the net hard, by driving through seams and just creating space for those guys.”
Kunitz knows what is being asked of him.
“You’ve got to come in every single year and prove your worth to the team,” Kunitz said. “Where it may lie after that, who knows? But you’ve got to go out there and play with confidence. Of course everybody wants to play with Sid every single year. It’s something you have to go out and make sure that chemistry still works and make sure you are helping the team win, and that’s what matters in the end.”
Jenn Menendez: jmenendez@post-gazette.com and Twitter @JennMenendez.
First Published: September 24, 2015, 4:00 a.m.
