The Penguins' got contributions from the usual suspects in their first two games of this winning streak.

Sidney Crosby had two goals in each of the wins over the Wild and Golden Knights this week, with Evgeni Malkin adding a goal against the Wild and Erik Karlsson netting the overtime-winner against the Golden Knights.

If the Penguins are to have sustained success, whether that's to finish this season or next season once the focus shifts to the "execution" phase of this retool, the Penguins are going to need offensive contributions from way more than the usual few.

They certainly got some contributions from some unlikely characters in Thursday's 5-3 win over the Blues at PPG Paints Arena -- chiefly their third defense pairing in Ryan Graves and Conor Timmins.

Graves entered the Penguins' game Thursday with a single point in his first 46 games, a secondary assist on Feb. 27. I spoke to him after that game, and he joked that "maybe the floodgates will open" after he finally found his way onto the scoresheet.

Two weeks later, Graves finds himself back on the scoresheet in a big way.

Blake Lizotte won a board battle in the Blues' end early in the first period, and got the puck back to Graves at the Blue line. Graves threw it on net, and beat Jordan Binnington glove-side at the 2:17 mark.

"They didn't sign me to score goals," Graves said. "But it's nice when it happens."

It's even nicer in hindsight, given the way the rest of the period played out. The Blues proceeded to dominate, outshooting the Penguins 16-5 in the first 20 minutes. But Graves' early goal, coupled with Tristan Jarry coming up with important saves, gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes, allowing them to regroup at first intermission and come out with a better performance in the middle frame.

Early into the second period, the Penguins got another contribution from Graves' defense partner, Conor Timmins. Danton Heinen was under pressure in the St. Louis end, and rimmed the puck around the boards, where Timmins picked it up off the wall on the other side. Timmins skated it in to the right circle, and put it past Binnington.

"I just tried to jump down on it," Timmins said. "They gave me some space to take it to the net, and I just tried to fire it."

It was Timmins' third goal in 54 games this season, but his first in his three games since being acquired from the Maple Leafs at the trade deadline.

Goals aside, it was a pretty good showing from the third pairing as a five-on-five unit, having a 10-9 edge in shot attempts and 7-6 edge in unblocked attempts when on the ice. Maintaining or helping to drive possession and momentum is the best case scenario for the third pairing. The scoring is extra.

"I think he's a little more defensive, I'm a little more offensive," Timmins said. "We mesh well together like that."

The Blues cut the lead to one goal later in the second after Zack Bolduc capitalized on a power play. But the Penguins' other deadline-day acquisition, Connor Dewar, was able to regain the two-goal lead. Lizotte carried the puck over the offensive blue line as Dewar drove to the net, and Lizotte fired a pass to the net-front that Dewar redirected in. After going goalless in 31 games with the Maple Leafs, it only took him three games since the trade to find the back of the net himself.

Mike Sullivan said that both Timmins and Dewar have so far lived up to the expectations that Kyle Dubas set when telling the coaching staff about the new additions.

"Conor Timmins, I think we really liked what we've seen to this point," Sullivan said. "He's a smart player. He's also a big body, he's solid, he's thick, he's got a heaviness to him at our net front, in the battle areas. But I think he's got an offensive dimension to his game."

Timmins, like Graves, isn't going to be counted on much for his offensive game. It's a bonus when it does happen. Dewar, though, is someone the Penguins are hoping to get more offense out of. Though he wasn't off to a great start this season in Toronto, and didn't produce much late last season after he was traded to Toronto by Minnesota, he's a guy that put up 10 goals and four assists in only 57 games with the Wild in the first half of last season. For a bottom-six forward who contributes in other ways, too, that wouldn't be bad at all if Dewar can return to that level.

"Connor Dewar brings a ton of energy, has a hardness to his game, has an honesty to his game," Sullivan said. "He competes hard, has some physicality, plays with an edge, goes to the net. That came to the forefront in the goal he scored today, he drives the back post."

The Blues cut the lead back to one goal with a Dylan Holloway power-play goal early in the third, only for Bryan Rust to make it 4-2 with a redirect later in the period. Alexey Toropchenko cut the lead back to one goal after blowing through Graves and Erik Karlsson and getting a shot past Jarry, but a late empty-netter from Rickard Rakell put the game away.

The Penguins have won their last three games. Even if this run continues, a playoff spot remains extremely unlikely, just given the number of teams that still sit between them and a wild card spot. But games like this one remain what you want to see as the team continues to build and focus on next season. And getting contributions from throughout the lineup is one of those habits that you'd like to start see them building more.