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Friday, October 18, 2002

By Dave Molinari, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

There's not much mystery about why the Penguins' No. 2 line has been overlooked by so many people this season.

	Randy Robitaille's two goals and one assist are the highlight of the Penguins' second-line production. (Robin Rombach, Post-Gazette)

Not when the team's No. 1 line has accounted for nine of its 14 goals.

When two members of the top unit are battling for the NHL scoring lead.

When the first line's rampages have provided fodder for countless headlines and highlights during the past week.

And if all that Mario Lemieux, Aleksey Morozov and Alexei Kovalev have accomplished doesn't fully explain the No. 2 line's low profile, well, there is one other significant factor: That line, which features Randy Robitaille between Jan Hrdina and Alexandre Daigle, has done almost nothing to get noticed.

Four games into the season, its members have produced just one even-strength goal -- Robitaille got the fifth one in the Penguins' 6-0 victory against the New York Rangers Saturday -- and only one on the power play, also by Robitaille.

And even though all three have turned up on the score sheet -- Robitaille has two goals and one assist, Hrdina two assists and Daigle one -- the group has not had the offensive impact the Penguins would like. And need.

	More Penguins Coverage: Penguins Report: 10/18/02 Penguins Q&A with Dejan Kovacevic

No one is suggesting the line be dismantled -- Coach Rick Kehoe said yesterday that he is "not really" considering altering its makeup -- but the guys who work on it were concerned enough about their lack of production that they discussed it before the Penguins' 3-2 victory against Atlanta Wednesday.

"We weren't happy with the first couple of games," Robitaille said. "We felt like we weren't generating enough [scoring] opportunities. You're not going to score on every opportunity, but the more you get, the better chance you have."

Determining what constitutes a true scoring chance is subjective, but Robitaille and his linemates were credited with seven shots against the Thrashers and feel they are beginning to mesh into an effective unit.

Daigle said he is encouraged because, "we had a lot of chances" against Atlanta, and Kehoe professes to be equally optimistic.

"They're showing signs," he said. "They're getting to know each other a little bit. Reading off each other is starting to come a little bit for those guys. And, hopefully, they start putting the puck in the net, five-on-five."

That doesn't mean Robitaille and his linemates will be expected to put up the kind of numbers the Morozov-Lemieux-Kovalev line has been generating. For starters, while all three members of the unit are solid NHL talents, none is a pure goal-scorer.

"It's tough to find [those]," Daigle said. "If you have them, you put them on the first line. That's why we're not the first line."

Daigle's 26 goals in 1996-97 while playing for Ottawa are the most any member of the No. 2 line has gotten during an NHL season. All, however, have shown something of a touch, so it's not unrealistic to believe each is capable of tossing in 20 or more.

"They've all been goal-scorers in different leagues," Kehoe said. "Look at Hrdina last year, Robitaille. They put up some numbers, so it's not like we're looking for one guy to be the scorer on the line. We're looking for all three of them to contribute."

That hasn't been an issue so far, because no one line could have saved the Penguins during their 6-0 self-immolation against Toronto in the season-opener, and Lemieux and his linemates have manufactured enough goals to fuel their subsequent three-game winning streak.

Now, predicting when Lemieux and his linemates will come up dry is tough -- almost as hard as devising a game plan to shut down that line would be -- but they are sure to suffer through a few off-nights. And that's when getting goals from other sources, especially the second line, will be most critical.

"Obviously, Mario's line is going pretty good right now," Robitaille said. "But there are going to be games where they're not going to be on the scoreboard. That's when they'll look at our line to help contribute."

While Lemieux and his linemates jelled almost instantly, Robitaille, Daigle and Hrdina still are learning to play together. What's more, Robitaille believes Hrdina, whose versatility is one of his greatest assets, must get accustomed to being back on the wing.

"Janny's a natural centerman, as well, so that takes a little bit of time [to adapt]," he said. "You see sometimes in neutral-zone regroups, he and I seem to be in the middle and that leaves that lane open for an outlet pass, just little things like that."

Those wrinkles should be ironed out soon enough; hey, if Hrdina's ability to grasp his defensive responsibilities were the Penguins' only issue this season, civic authorities could start mapping out a parade route today.

As it is, the chances of the Penguins making a serious run at a championship are modest, at best. But the team will be a lot more imposing -- and probably much more of a factor in the Eastern Conference -- if its No. 2 line can assume a prominent role in the offense.

"We definitely have to score some goals," Daigle said. "We don't want to go four, five, six, seven games without a goal. That's not the way it should be, and that's not the way it's going to be. I hope."