POINT SHOTS

With Brian Dumoulin starting to skate again this past week, a difficult decision looms for Mike Sullivan. All those injuries on the left side created an opportunity for Pierre-Olivier Joseph, pictured above, who does not look out of place. So who sits if no other defenseman gets injured before Dumoulin returns? Given the investment in Mike Matheson, who has done some good things recently, the Penguins won’t scratch him. So it will come down to sitting P.O or Marcus Pettersson or using four lefties in the lineup. Looking longer-term, a trade could loosen this logjam.

Now that he has left the lineup, here’s a stick tap for Chad Ruhwedel. Steady as always, he filled a big role in the season’s first month, at times playing on the left side on the second pair. With two points and a plus-1 rating in 12 games, he didn’t deserve to be a healthy scratch. But Ruhwedel is not the type to grumble about it, which is why he’s among the most respected guys in that dressing room.

The returns of Jared McCann and Evan Rodrigues can’t come any sooner. The current fourth line, centered by Mark Jankowski, is basically unplayable.

I wasn’t high on the acquisition of Kasperi Kapanen, pictured at left, in exchange for the No. 15 overall pick and some other stuff. Now that I’ve seen him in black and gold for a handful of games, I’m still not sure he will be a major difference-maker. Don’t get me wrong. Kapanen is a useful winger and his combination of speed and size should appeal to the new front-office duo of Ron Hextall and Brian Burke. But I haven’t seen much of an impact so far beyond his quick-strike ability in transition.

The results haven’t been there, but I remain bullish on the power play, as long as the big guns listen to Todd Reirden, above, and don’t just stand around. They do need to get the “bumper” more involved in the slot for tips and quick onetimers.