CRANBERRY, Pa. -- Eleven forwards have scored for the Penguins during their first four games this season.
Those goals have come from centers and wingers on the first line and the fourth, and the ones in between.
That kind of early balance probably couldn't have been predicted. And it's unlikely that the identity of the only forward to appear in all four of those games without getting a goal could have been, either.
That would be Kasperi Kapanen, who the Penguins likely are hoping to get at least 20 goals from this season, but who is shooting 0-for-9 from the field so far in 2021-22.
But as the Penguins prepare to face the Maple Leafs, who traded Kapanen to the Penguins in 2020, Saturday at 7:08 p.m. at PPG Paints Arena, Kapanen insists that he is not concerned about his failure to score in the early weeks of the season.
"Obviously, you want to score as many goals as possible, right off the hop," Kapanen said after practice Friday. "But I'd be more worried if I didn't have chances. I've had a lot of those. ... It's frustrating, but it's only four games into the season. I've got plenty of time."
Mike Sullivan seems equally confident that Kapanen's scoring touch will emerge soon.
"I think (Kapanen) is a real good player," he said. "He's going to score goals for us. ... I think he's had moments throughout the course of the first four games when he's been a real threat. I think he can be a more consistent threat. He and I had a discussion today on, specifically, how that could happen.
"As far as the details and the specifics on what (Kapanen) and I discussed, we'll keep that between us, but he's certainly a guy we're very comfortable is going to score for us."
They can only hope it doesn't take much longer because the Penguins, already missing their top two centers, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, because of offseason surgeries, will not have Jeff Carter for the Toronto game -- and possibly longer -- because he recorded a positive COVID-19 test this week and is following a league-mandated protocol.
That means Evan Rodrigues will center the Penguins' top line Saturday, with Jake Guentzel and Kapanen on his wings.
Kapanen said Rodrigues was the first player he fought after coming to North America -- they were playing in the AHL then -- but that "I think we have good chemistry."
Whether it's good enough to end Kapanen's dry spell remains to be seen, although he clearly would like to make that happen against his former team.
"What better night to get my first one?" Kapanen said.
MORE FROM PRACTICE
• Tristan Jarry participated in practice, one day after being placed in the COVID-19 protocol after recording a positive test result. "It was confirmed that it was a false positive," Sullivan said. "That's certainly a relief, from our standpoint."
• Drew O'Connor, who normally plays the wing, is expected to play between Jason Zucker and Danton Heinen Saturday. O'Connor did get considerable work in the middle during the preseason.
• Kapanen, on the Maple Leafs: "They've got a lot of star players. It's line after line with them. They come with some skill and speed."
• Rodrigues has filled a variety of roles for the Penguins, moving up and down the lineup, which is why he got the call to move to the No. 1 line. "When he's been given opportunities in situations through injuries or whatever and we moved him up the lineup, he's responded really well," Sullivan said. "He played a significant amount of top-six minutes last year, and we thought he did an admirable job."
• Sullivan said that his latest information was that Carter has been asymptomatic.
• Personnel combinations at the practice:
Jake Guentzel-Evan Rodrigues-Kasperi Kapanen
Zach Aston-Reese-Teddy Blueger-Brock McGinn
Jason Zucker-Drew O'Connor-Danton Heinen
Dominik Simon-Brian Boyle-Sam Lafferty
Brian Dumoulin–Kris Letang
Marcus Pettersson–John Marino
Mike Matheson-Chad Ruhwedel / Mark Friedman
