OTTAWA, Ontario _ There is no NHL by-law mandating that teams have an elite defenseman if they want to win a Stanley Cup.
It only seems that way.
Fact is, for all the unpredictability of the playoffs, the need for a franchise-caliber defenseman seems to be an almost unwavering truth.
Kris Letang filled that role for the Penguins in 2016. A year earlier, Duncan Keith did it for Chicago.
Before them were Drew Doughty and Zdeno Chara, Nicklas Lidstrom and Scott Niedermayer.
Some of those guys won multiple Cups. All performed at a level few of their peers can match.
So the Penguins, who are seeking to clinch a berth in the Cup final with a victory over Ottawa in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference final at 8:10 p.m. Tuesday at Canadian Tire Centre, are not simply trying to make history this spring, but to defy it.
Because with Letang sidelined by a neck injury since late in the regular season, they are attempting to earn a championship with a defense corps that has no dominant presence, that is a virtual mosaic.
It's not just that none of their defensemen ever contended for a Norris Trophy; some aren't household names beyond the confines of their backyard.
Nonetheless, 17 games into these playoffs, this defense corps' total has been greater than the sum of its parts.
You won't find any of its members in discussions about candidates for the Conn Smythe Trophy, which goes to the playoff MVP. But you will see them all logging important minutes and filling key roles for an injury-ravaged team that's just five victories shy of becoming the first team since Detroit in 1997 and 1998 to win consecutive Stanley Cups.
Lately, the defense has been doing the job without Justin Schultz, who has missed the past three games because of an injury.
"We feel we can get the job done back there," defenseman Trevor Daley said. "We feel we're a good corps.
"We're a little depleted, obviously, and when one of our best guys isn't in the lineup, it's going to take the village to get it done. You're seeing it."
Coincidentally, Penguins GM Jim Rutherford is one of the few executives in recent years to assemble a Cup-winning club without having a stud on its blue line. The closest thing to a big name on Carolina's championship defense in 2006 was Frantisek Kaberle, and that's only if you add up the number of letters needed to spell it.
"They had three pairs that really did the job, and that's been kind of our motto here," said assistant coach Jacques Martin, who oversees the defense. "In the absence of (Letang), we rely on our six guys who are dressed to do the job."
A year ago, Letang averaged a team-high 28 minutes, 58 seconds of ice time per game. Daley ranked second at 22 minutes, eight seconds.
This spring, ice time is spread evenly over the unit. Among the six who have appeared in the most games, the averages range from 21:18 (Brian Dumoulin) to 18:40 (Daley).
"A lot of guys back there are capable of playing, and playing a lot of minutes," said Mark Streit, who has dressed for two of the past three games. "It's really helpful, especially if you're in a long playoff run."
The kind guys like Duncan Keith and Drew Doughty and Nicklas Lidstrom have led their teams on so many times.
