Third-line center Brandon Sutter had the winning goal in Game 1, a 4-3 triumph over the Columbus Blue Jackets, when the Penguins' top four scorers combined for no goals and a minus-4 rating. Big goals from Sutter don't surprise Pittsburgh coach Dan Blysma. "When he's scored a goal, it's always been a big goal," Bylsma said. "He's right around the number he always seems to be at - 12 to 15 goals a year - but they always seem to be big goals." Eight of the Penguins' 12 points in Game 1 were produced by defensemen or forwards who finished the game skating on the bottom two lines. The teams meet again for Game 2 today.

Brandon Sutter netted the game-winning goal for Pittsburgh in Game 1 of their first round series. This was Sutter's first postseason game-winning goal in 16 career games. Sutter isn't much of an offensive force, but he's a great third-line center and an important part of the Penguins' bid to win the Stanley Cup.

With all-stars such as Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz out of the lineup, the Penguins got a two-goal night out of center Brandon Sutter Sunday night. Sutter scored the first two goals of the game in the Penguins' 3-2 shootout win over the Avalanche in Colorado. They were Sutter's 12th and 13th goals of the season. Jussi Jokinen had the lone goal in a shootout. Jokinen put a backhand over Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov in the second round. The Penguins played without a number of injured players, including Crosby, who missed his first game of the season because of an upper-body injury. Crosby leads the NHL with 102 points (36 goals, 66 assists).

Brandon Sutter will get a chance to center the Penguins' second line in Evgeni Malkin's absence. Malkin is expected to miss the next 2-3 weeks, which basically translates to the being sidelined for the rest of the regular season. Sutter has been serving primarily as a bottom-six forward with Pittsburgh, so it will be interesting to see what he will do with this opportunity. His linemates will be Jussi Jokinen and James Neal.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have reportedly offered Brandon Sutter to the Vancouver Canucks as part of a package for Ryan Kesler. The Canucks will also get to pick between defenseman Simon Despres or Brian Dumoulin and receive the Penguins first and third-round selections in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. Philadelphia is also reportedly pursuing Kesler, so the Canucks might be able to maximize their return by pitting the bitter rivals against each other.

Brandon Sutter has shifted from his normal position as the team's third-line center to serve as its top right winger. Sutter will play alongside Chris Kunitz and Sidney Crosby on Wednesday. This is a first for Sutter as he's never served as a winger in the NHL. "It'll be pretty cool," Sutter said. "I'm actually looking forward to the opportunity and I don't now what the plan is moving forward in terms of when we start getting guys back or whatever, but for now I'm going to go there and try to have some fun and I'm looking forward to it." This is likely a temporary assignment influenced by the Penguins long list of injured players, but it should still boost Sutter's short-term fantasy value.

Brandon Sutter collected an empty-net goal on Monday. It ended a seven-game goal scoring slump. The Penguins have been pleased with Sutter's contributions on the third line, but he would like to contribute more offensively. As it is, he doesn't have much fantasy value with six goals and 13 points in 35 games in 2013-14.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have been very happy with Brandon Sutter's efforts on the third line. "I think Brandon has played his best hockey in his last 15 games," Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said. Sutter has five goals and 11 points in 32 contests this season, but he's mostly known for his defensive efforts. With that in mind, he's happy with how he's been playing, even if he would like to chip in more offensively. Aside from him, the third line has been a revolving door for players and while he doesn't feel that hurts the line defensively, it does make it harder for him to develop the chemistry with others that leads to goals.

Brandon Sutter scored his first goal of the season Wednesday in the Penguins 3-2 win. There may have been some doubt as to whether or not Sutter was going to suit up on Wednesday as it was thought he could be dealing with a hand or wrist injury picked up on Monday. But he played and potted his first of the season.

Brandon Sutter might be dealing with a hand or wrist injury. Sutter appeared to sustain the ailment during Monday's game and while he didn't leave that contest, he skipped Tuesday's practice for "maintenance" reasons. It might be best to consider him questionable for Wednesday's game until more information is available.