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The Pittsburgh Penguins are used to facing adversity time and time again. With the Pittsburgh Penguins on the brink of elimination heading into Game six on Monday Night at home against the Washington Capitals, will Pittsburgh make any lineup changes?
They should try to insert Daniel Sprong for either Phil Kessel or Dominik Simon. Sprong is a speedster who is just 21 years old and he was drafted in the second-round of the 2015 NHL Draft.
He hasn't played much at the NHL level this season, but Sprong played in eight games and he scored two goals and recorded an assist. His plus/minus was two. Sprong hasn't played much at the NHL level this season because of his defensive struggles.
He played in 65 games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL) and Sprong scored 32 goals and recorded 33 assists. His plus/minus was four.
Sprong has taken warm-ups for the Penguins in this series, but he has yet to see game action.
Would Sullivan take a chance on him even though he could be a defensive liability? It would be a bold move and this wouldn't be the first bold move he has made before.
This is why the Pittsburgh Penguins have won back-to-back titles and they still have a chance to three-peat.
Sprong could replace Phil Kessel because Kessel looks to be playing hurt and he hasn't been the same.
It looks like Kessel is playing with a lower-body injury, but the team won't say anything if he is injured or not until after the postseason is over.
The only questions will be answered sooner is if Kessel doesn't play in Game six or at any point during the rest of the postseason.
Kessel has been turning the puck over a lot and he doesn't have the speed he did during the regular season. Kessel has just one goal and eight assists in 11-playoff games.
His plus/minus is -5. He scored eight goals last postseason and Kessel scored 10 the previous postseason.
In seven playoff games, Simon hasn't scored a goal and he has recorded three assists. Simon has been playing over Sprong because of his two-way game, but you wonder if Sprong could be in over him because of his offensive firepower in which Simon lacks.
Sprong can either be the right winger on Evgeni Malkin's or Riley Sheahan's line. It could spark the offense even more even though they haven't had a problem in this series scoring goals.
The problem in this series is defensive coverage and they don't have the depth to take anyone out of the lineup.
