TAMPA, Fla. -- When Pittsburgh Penguins legend, co-owner and chairman Mario Lemieux walked into the team's locker room following the Penguins' 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals Wednesday night, he looked relieved.
Following not too far behind the former Stanley Cup winner and Hall of Famer was Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford, the architect of the team who is now two wins shy of advancing to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time since Pittsburgh won it in 2009. The changes Rutherford has made to the organization during the past 11 months are a major reason the Penguins have found their identity and are firing on all cylinders.
It's also fitting that, on the day Rutherford was named one of three finalists for general manager of the year, the line of Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino and Phil Kessel proved crucial for Pittsburgh. Rutherford acquired the three forwards in three separate deals since last July 1. The GM also made the decision to make a coaching change in December and promote Mike Sullivan from the organization's AHL affiliate.
All of these moves have intertwined at various points of the season and are the reasons the Penguins are inching closer to the ultimate prize.
"He's done a terrific job, as far as retooling the roster and giving the coaching staff the means to play the way we want to play," Sullivan said after Game 3. "I think, when you look at the guys who Jim has acquired over the last nine or 10 months, they're all guys who have allowed us to establish the identity that we have to this day.
"They can skate. They're puck movers. They're guys who like to play with the puck. They allow us to play that speed game that really suits the core players who are here. I think Jim's done a real good job in identifying that and then trying to surround those guys with some role players who allow those guys to play that style of play. So I think that's a big reason why we're where we are today."
Penguins captain Sidney Crosby concurred.
"It's a big transition to have that much movement, that many new guys," said Crosby. "It's not easy, and any player, any coach will tell you that. A lot of work goes into making sure everyone is on the same page and everyone gets better, so [Rutherford] deserves a lot of credit. He's had in mind what he wants our team to look like and how he wants us to play. He's put guys in positions to allow us to play our game and has shown a lot of confidence in different guys."
When Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin sustained an injury late in the season and missed significant time, Sullivan decided that Hagelin, Bonino and Kessel could work well together as a trio. During this postseason run, they have combined for 39 points in 14 games. Their chemistry hasn't been a surprise to any of them.
"We've got good, complementary pieces to the line," Bonino said. "Phil's so dangerous out there and Haggey's got so much speed that it makes the game a little bit easier when you're able to flip [the puck] to space and let them skate."
Hagelin, who was acquired from the Anaheim Ducks on Jan. 16, has become a solid, two-way player for the Penguins.
"We're confident," Hagelin said. "Every time we're out there, we're trying to produce offensively but at the same time we're making sure we're doing everything defensively to shut whatever line we're out there against down."
That willingness to play at both ends of the ice, especially for an offensive-minded player such as Kessel, has paid dividends for the Penguins. The line's awareness in the defensive end has translated into a potent offensive attack. All three players are winning puck battles and making the plays at the most important time of the season.
"They can play against anybody," Sullivan said of Hagelin, Bonino and Kessel. "Tampa Bay wanted a matchup with [Tyler] Johnson's line against that line. We're not afraid of that matchup. The fact that they're responsible as they are in the defensive zone gives our bench a comfort level. And the upside of it is they're an offensive threat. So when they play against offensive players and they have the puck, they force offensive players to play defense, and that helps our team."
Because of those decisions by Rutherford and the team's willingness to buy into a system that works, the Penguins are two wins away from advancing to the Stanley Cup finals.