Good things happen when Boyle goes to the net

Brian Boyle celebrates his goal against the Hurricanes Sunday at PPG Paints ArenaMike Sullivan said earlier this season that the Penguins were "hopeful" coming into this year that Brian Boyle would be able to bring a scoring touch to the Penguins' lineup.

Sullivan said that he saw it before, when he was Boyle's assistant coach on the Rangers.

Boyle's best seasons offensively came in those years with Sullivan in New York, with a 35-point season (21 goals, 14 assists) in 2010-11 and a 26-point season (11 goals, 15 assists) the following year.

It's a decade later, and Boyle's role is what it is now on the fourth line. He's not often deployed in a way that would have him in a position to…