Just as they needed it most, the Penguins have put together a strong 7-1-1 stretch over their last nine games. They aren't out of the woods, but they've postured themselves nicely to eventually secure a spot in the postseason.
As so, now's the time to really hammer down personnel combinations that will set them up for success down the stretch and into the big dance. Although he's stabilized his game following early-season woes, it became more and more apparent that the Penguins were merely getting by with Brian Dumoulin on the top pairing, rather than excelling.