Players will make most of free time

The the upcoming Christmas break for the Penguins couldn’t come at a better time for new defenseman Jamie Oleksiak. When Oleksiak found out he had been traded to the Penguins this week, he had about an hour to throw what he could in a suitcase and bolt for the airport to catch a flight to Pittsburgh. So with a league-mandated three days off from games and practices from Sunday through Tuesday, Oleksiak is going to take advantage of the free time.

“I’m actually going to fly back to Dallas to pick some stuff up,” he said. “I had an hour to throw as much in a bag as possible. I’ve got to go back there, pick up some suits, winter clothing, all that business. Then fly back here, get set up. That’s kind of fortunate for me, I’ve got a little time here.”

Oleksiak’s break might be a bit busier than those of most of his teammates, but just about everyone in the Penguins locker room is looking forward to a few days off to spend with family and loved ones.

Tom Kuhnhackl’s parents usually make the trip over from Germany, but were unable to this year. So instead, he’s going to spend the holiday with his girlfriend’s family in Windsor, Ontario.

“I feel like being by yourself, that’d be a little boring,” Kuhnhackl said.

Kuhnhackl will miss his mom’s famous bratwurst and schnitzel, though his parents are planning another trip to the United States next month.

“[It’s] obviously my favorite meal,” Kuhnhackl said. “I’ll be missing it this year, but I’m sure when they come over she’s going to make up for it.”

Carter Rowney, a native of Sexsmith, Alberta, isn’t making the long trip home for Christmas. Instead, he and his wife, Danielle, will be celebrating Christmas in Pittsburgh with their son Anders, who was born in the spring in the playoff run.

“It’s exciting, it’s going to be his first one,” Rowney said. “He’s still a little too young, I don’t think he really knows what’s going on yet. It’ll be fun, though, give him a couple of toys.”

Christmas with a 7month-old might not sound like the most restful holiday, but Penguins players are generally ready for the break — even if it’s just three days — and use it as an opportunity to recharge.

“Three days, I think it’s the right amount of time,” Oleksiak said. “It’s not too long, where it’s after a bye week and you’re kind of in vacation mode. It’s kind of enough where you’re not out of it too much, but you kind of get your legs back. It’s nice and obviously you get to spend time with family and kind of get in the Christmas spirit and all that stuff. I’m looking forward to it”

Making changes

Coach Mike Sullivan has never been shy about tinkering with his lineup, but he has been especially proactive recently in mixing up his lines.

The Penguins have used a different lineup for each of the past six games, and it’s not a coincidence that the constant shakeups have come over a span of inconsistent play.

“I would like to settle into something consistent, but until we find something that is worthy of consistency, I think we still have to tweak,” Sullivan said.

He pointed out that there is some consistency in pairings up front. Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel have stuck together, but the other wing on that line has rotated among Dominik Simon, Bryan Rust, Patric Hornqvist and Conor Sheary. More recently, Sheary and Kessel have been wingers on the same line, but sometimes around Evgeni Malkin, and other nights with Riley Sheahan.

“For the last handful of games, there’s been some consistency through the lines with small tweaks depending on how people are playing and whether or not we’re getting the balance that we’re looking for; we’re getting the matchups that we think are favorable,” Sullivan said. “There’s a lot of things that weigh into it, but we would like to settle into something a little bit more consistently, because I think that’s an indication that we’re playing a consistent game.”

Rowney returns

Rowney was back on the ice Saturday for the morning skate, after missing practice Friday due to an illness. He said he was good to go for the game against the Ducks.

“Just a day off,” Rowney said. “Get some rest and feel better for today.”

Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang, Phil Kessel and Matt Hunwick skipped the optional skate, but Sullivan said all four were ready to play against Anaheim.