The pipeline to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has been a bright spot for the Penguins this season, frequently patching holes created by injuries.
The forwards, in particular, have added energy, hunger, defensive competence — and, until recently, the occasional goal.
That secondary scoring dried up last week, and the Penguins have gone without a goal from their bottom-six since Conor Sheary’s tip-in Feb. 8 against Anaheim.
“There really wasn’t any frustration up until these last few games when the team has also been struggling to score,” said left winger Bryan Rust. “We were winning and putting up goals, so it didn’t come into our mind.