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Shea-ved Ice: Time Running Out For Offense To Step Up

These are trying times in Penguins Nation are they not?

Normally, the influx of overtime games is common around this time of year, but the Penguins' playoff hopes are being aided by the extra frame right now.

The Penguins have gone beyond regulation 17 times this season and hold a 9-8 record. For those keeping track, that 25 of their 82 points in the standings so far.

Overtime is almost becoming necessary because goal scoring has all but dried up due to the absurd amount of injuries.

The defense has been great, but has been even better now that one mistake could cost them the game.

Marc-Andre Fleury and Brent Johnson have been superb all year. When Fleury struggled in October, Johnson stepped up and shouldered the load. Now, Fleury has blossomed and is enjoying a career-year that has the Penguins in fourth place in the Eastern Conference.

It's no secret, and doesn't really need to be said, but the goals have to start coming from somewhere.

There isn't one guy that isn't doing their part to help the Pens weather the storm until the roster resembles what it did on opening night in terms of health. Effort doesn't appear to be the issue, but finishing does.

Tyler Kennedy has been the most lethal Penguin on offense and has eight of his 15 goals since Feb. 1.

One player that has clearly been affected by the number of forwards being injured is Kris Letang.

Letang was among the early favorites for the Norris Trophy, and is likely still in the discussion. However, since Feb. 1, he only has one goal and four assists and is a minus-12. That's a span of 16 games.

Really, it's 15 games if you want to don't want to count being tossed from last night's game against the New Jersey Devils for not having his jersey tied down in a fight.

Other defensemen are feeling the pinch on their offensive numbers due to the lack of team goal-scoring as well.

Paul Martin missed four games after being hit from behind into the boards against the Blackhawks on Feb. 20.

Regardless, since the calendar turned to 2011, Martin has six assists over a span of 23 games. His last goal came back on Dec. 4 when he found the back of the net twice in a 7-2 blowout against Columbus.

His only other goal came against the Devils and was into an empty net on Oct. 11 in the third game of the season.

Sure, he's never had more than six goals and 37 points in a season during his time in New Jersey. However, consider that was for a team where offense was an afterthought.

Even Zbynek Michalek's offensive numbers are down. He set a career-high with 28 points (four goals, 24 assists) in 2006-07, but has no goals and 11 assists this season.

I've been hearing fans say that these guys need to step it up and start chipping in on offense like they were at the beginning of the season.

Ahem.

The defense corps' primary objective is to keep pucks out of the Penguins' net and, for the most part, they have done an amazing job this season.

Michalek alone has blocked 119 shots and has made countless remarkable defensive plays to stymie opponents.

Martin and Letang have elevated their games and are able to gain entry to the offensive zone almost at will. The best part is even with them joining the rush, they have the wheels to get back on defense when the play goes the other way.

Brooks Orpik has been his usual self by providing rock solid defense with a mean streak.

Ben Lovejoy and Deryk Engelland have rotated through the third defensive pairing quite well during their first full seasons with the parent club.

Even newcomer Matt Niskanen has fit into the system almost seamlessly since coming over from Dallas with James Neal.

However, at some point, you have to lower your expectations of these guys in the offensive end.

Because of the injuries, the Penguins have been forced to play a tighter style. This group of defensemen has adjusted to the switch quite well.

Just imagine, for a second, if the forwards were healthy and Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were playing. Combine their skills and offensive prowess with how well the defense has been playing and you have a team that no one wants to see in the playoffs.

The sad reality, of course, is that Crosby and Malkin aren't playing. Other guys like Chris Kunitz and Mike Comrie aren't playing either.

It's not out of the question to see Kunitz rack up over 50 points in a season, especially with Crosby centering the line.

Even Comrie has hit the 60-point plateau twice in his career.

By no means am I saying that if these two guys were in the lineup the team would start exploding on offense, but they would certainly help out.

The guy who really needs to step up right now is Jordan Staal and he's showing signs of breaking out.

He's got six goals and 10 assists since making his season debut during the Winter Classic at Heinz Field.

Staal had a five-game point streak going, but it was snapped against the Washington Capitals during a 1-0 loss on Feb. 21.

Head Coach Dan Bylsma briefly experimented with Staal playing between Alex Kovalev and James Neal. Staal has since moved to the second line to rejoin Matt Cooke and Kennedy, which I have no problem with.

The injuries are forcing Bylsma to juggle his lines more than ever and keeping that trio together brings a sense of familiarity to the lineup that has been missing for quite some time.

Now, Mark Letestu is centering Kovalev and Neal and the line appears to be meshing together pretty well.

In most cases, line chemistry isn't something that blooms overnight. It's takes a couple games and some practices for the guys to learn each other's tendencies.

Either way, the Penguins are running out of time and need a line (or three) to catch fire quickly. Letestu has done a great job this season with 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists) in 53 games, but he needs to elevate his game even more right now.

You could go down the roster and say that all the forwards need to step up, but the top two lines are the ones I'm more concerned with at the moment.

The Penguins will close out a five-game road trip tonight against the Boston Bruins.

Let's all hope they can earn two points, instead of having to steal just one.

You can follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/CaseySheaPens.

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