They came to the interview room as a group, Bryan Rust, Nick Bonino and Carter Rowney. The ol' "RBR" line.
OK, so maybe it doesn't have the same cachet as the "HBK" line from last season's Stanley Cup odyssey, but, on this particular Sunday afternoon at PPG Paints Arena, in a crushing, perhaps pivotal Game 5 win against the Ottawa Senators, it was pure magic.
Would you believe a goal and six assists in a 7-0 win that had everything offensively for the home team but a Ben Roethlisberger-to-Antonio Brown touchdown pass?
You expect a big game from Rust. So what if he missed the past two games with an upper-body injury _ likely a concussion or neck issue _ the result of a brutal hit by Ottawa defenseman Dion Phaneuf? He always shows up when the stakes are the highest, his game-winning goals against Washington and Columbus this spring and Tampa Bay last season clinching those series.
You expect postseason success from Bonino. So what if he had gone six games without a point and 10 games without a goal? He has a knack for delivering at the right moment, his clinching overtime goal to eliminate Washington in Game 6 last spring the ultimate proof. "BoninoBoninoBoninoBonino ..."
But Carter Rowney?
"You can dream it," the man said when asked if he woke up Sunday morning thinking he had a chance to be the game's No. 1 star.
Rust was huge in the win with a goal and an assist and a +2 rating. Bonino had two assists and was a +3. But Rowney trumped everybody on the team, including the Crosbys, Malkins and Kessels, with three assists and a +4 rating.
Here's the amazing thing: Rowney didn't have a point in 11 games in these playoffs.
"It's been something I've been working to, to be out there, be consistent, try to play my game. It's kind of a matter of time. If you keep doing the right things out there, hopefully, you'll get your opportunities."
Hard work led to Rowney's first two assists. His hit on Senators center Kyle Turris kept the puck in the Ottawa end and resulted in a goal by Rust for a 3-0 lead. He then outfought Senators winger Victor Stalberg for a puck near the Ottawa blue line and took a shot on goaltender Craig Anderson that led to Scott Wilson's rebound goal.
"He's a pro," Penguins assistant coach Rick Tocchet said of Rowney.
Tocchet is in charge of the team's forwards.
"He does the little things. I don't think people notice what he does. He's a sticky guy. What I mean by that, he can go into the corner and hold onto the puck. He doesn't lose the puck battles."
Rowney plays a physical game. He led the Penguins with 22 hits in the Columbus series. He also is superb on the penalty-kill, getting 2:34 of short-handed time Sunday, third most among the team's forwards. Opponents went 2 for 33 on the power play in Rowney's 12 playoff appearances. Ottawa was 0 for 4 Sunday and is 0 for 15 in the series.
That combination has earned Rowney a spot in the lineup. He played the five games against Columbus, then sat out five of the first six games against Washington after Chris Kunitz returned from an injury. Rowney returned to play Game 7 against Washington because Carl Hagelin was hurt and has been a regular since in part because Patric Hornqvist has missed the past four games with an injury. Mike Sullivan elected to stay with Rowney and Josh Archibald Sunday, sitting Conor Sheary instead. Sheary had no goals and just three points in 15 playoff games this spring. It was another terrific move by a coach who makes nothing but terrific moves.
"I'm a big fan," Tocchet said of Rowney. "Now that he's getting some games under his belt, if he gets an offensive game, he can be a really good two-way hockey player in this league. He's really close to being a guy who can break out offensively for me."
Sullivan likes what the young players such as Rowney and Archibald bring to the team. "An element of enthusiasm and hunger to our group. It's contagious. When these guys come into the lineup, they bring the energy that they bring, the hunger on the puck. I think it trickles down our bench."
Sullivan saw that same energy from Rust and Bonino. He loved what the "RBR" line did.
"I thought their puck possession, their puck-pursuit game was really strong, chasing pucks down, chasing defensemen down, forcing their defensemen to have to make plays under pressure ... they created a lot of momentum for our team."
Rowney was thrilled to be a part of it, acknowledging that it was "hard" to be out for most of the Washington series. He did nothing wrong, didn't deserve to be scratched.
"We have a lot of depth in this organization," Rowney said. "I think when you're out, you've got to stay ready, do little things off the ice to make sure you're ready, give yourself the best opportunity when you do get put in the lineup. You want to make sure you're ready because you don't want to let your teammates down."
Rowney succeeded again. That gleaming stat line? The No. 1 star business? That was no dream. That was the real thing.
