5 Secondary Players Most Important to Pittsburgh Penguins' 2nd-Half Success

Halfway through the 2014-15 season, the spectrum of opinion is wide-open in Pittsburgh. Penguins fans could easily justify either a positive or a negative prognosis for how the season will end.

The team's biggest issue has been its rash of injuries, especially long-term problems that look like they'll knock not just Pascal Dupuis, but also Olli Maatta out of the lineup for the rest of the year, according to Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Lineup issues could well be to blame for a drop-off in scoring and a slumping power play.

On the bright side, the Penguins have enjoyed solid work behind the bench from new coach Mike Johnston, an MVP-level season so far from Evgeni Malkin, career-best goaltending from Marc-Andre Fleury and a comfortable position near the top of the Eastern Conference standings.

As for Sidney Crosby, the jury is out. With both good and not-so-good moments in the first half of the year, it's hard to know whether we'll see Crosby at the very top of his game again this season.

After the late-January All-Star break, the on-ice intensity typically ramps up around the NHL as teams start jockeying for playoff position.

The Penguins will need to be more than simply the Crosby, Malkin and Fleury Show if they hope to be successful through the second half of the year and on into the playoffs.

Here are the five members of the supporting cast whose contributions will be most crucial as the Penguins head into their stretch run.

5. Simon Despres (D): 40 GP, 1-11-12

Leading the Penguins with 125 hits, 23-year-old Despres has impressed this season with his intimidating physical style and his steady play alongside veteran Rob Scuderi.

Despite losing last year's mainstays Brooks Orpik and Matt Niskanen to free agency and Olli Maatta to injury, the Penguins' young defensemen are developing well and helping to build Pittsburgh's best defensive depth in decades. That should be a huge asset come playoff time.

4. Brandon Sutter (C): 39 GP, 8-7-15

As the forward lines get healthier, we'll likely see Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin settle into their usual roles as the Penguins' top two centers.

That will put Brandon Sutter into the checking role, where his performance has been a little spotty during his three years in Pittsburgh, but it is improving. After Pittsburgh failed to land Ryan Kesler as an upgrade at the 2014 trade deadline, Sutter put up a solid playoff with seven goals and a plus-seven ranking through 13 games.

Sutter has a big body, a good work ethic and is solid in the faceoff circle. If he takes his intensity up one more notch to become one of those guys who's truly tough to play against, it'll serve the Penguins well as their games become more meaningful.

3. Chris Kunitz (LW): 33 GP, 12-13-25

Last season, the offensive chemistry between Kunitz and Sidney Crosby was strong enough to earn the 35-year-old plugger a ticket to Sochi as a member of Canada's Olympic team, where he earned a gold medal.

This year, Kunitz has played everywhere from the first to the third line, as well as spending eight games on the sidelines in December with a fractured foot. For the moment, he's reunited with Crosby on Pittsburgh's top line and top power-play unit, with new addition David Perron on the right side.

If this group finds its offensive groove, look out! Goals will be scored in the second half of the season.

2. David Perron (LW): 3 GP, 1-0-1 

Listed as a left-winger, Perron has been playing right wing with Sidney Crosby since joining the Penguins on Jan. 3. The pair combined on a pretty scoring play that night, but Perron has been held pointless in the two subsequent games.

The Penguins paid a high price for Perron, sending a first-round draft pick to the Edmonton Oilers with the hope that the shifty winger could bring some skill and scoring to a battered top six.

Patric Hornqvist did just that when he joined the Penguins at the beginning of the season, clicking especially well with Crosby. He's expected to return from injury around the end of the month, says Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Hornqvist could easily slot back in with Sid if the first line hasn't found its groove by then.

No pressure, Perron.

1. Kris Letang (D): 36 GP, 8-18-26

Kris Letang has been a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins' core for the last nine seasons, but he couldn't make a full contribution last year.

He played just 36 games in a 2013-14 season that included time lost to a lower-body injury (nine games in October), an upper-body injury (10 games in December and January) and a stroke (26 games from January till April). Letang returned to action with three games to spare before the playoffs began, but he was almost certainly feeling less than 100 percent after his long layoff.

After a summer of rest, rehab and training, the smooth-skating defenseman has been at the top of his game in 2014-15. He leads the team in ice time at an average of 25 minutes and 45 seconds per game, is tracking for career bests in both goals and points and has been a mainstay on the power play—all without the defensive gaffes that have sometimes been an issue with his play.

Simon Despres' physical game makes the Penguins hard to play against. Letang's skillful style makes opponents pay on the scoresheet. Pittsburgh will need both key defensemen to play to their strengths as the battle for this season's championship begins. 

All stats courtesy of NHL.com.