Penguins' Drew O'Connor aiming to make the most of time on club's top line

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Drew O’Connor likely has a finite amount of time to spend skating on the club’s top line with Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel.

That simply is a reflection of the reality that he is plugging a hole there, as Bryan Rust has remained unavailable with an undisclosed injury for the past three games.

For the majority of this season, O’Connor had served as left wing on the Penguins’ third line with Lars Eller and Radim Zohorna, with that group looking increasingly solid throughout November.

But injuries to Rust and Rickard Rakell forced the hand of coach Mike Sullivan, who shuffled his lines accordingly, tinkering with options on Evgeni Malkin’s second line and assigning O’Connor, a left-handed shot, to the right wing with Crosby and Guentzel.

Saturday evening against Toronto marked the third game O’Connor had skated on the top line, and he made his presence felt early, notching the primary assist on Guentzel’s first-period goal.

Gaining the offensive zone, O’Connor received a pass from Crosby that brought him into the slot with an opportunity to fire a shot at Maple Leafs netminder Joseph Woll.

Instead, O’Connor passed the puck to a wide-open Guentzel at the top of the crease, and he easily scored.

“He made a great play to find (Guentzel) on the side of the net,” Crosby said. “His speed is probably his biggest strength. That’s a factor in a lot of different ways.”

Guentzel’s tally marked the first that O’Connor had factored in since joining Crosby’s line.

“We’re always trying to score goals, especially on this top line, so it was nice to get that one early,” O’Connor said.

In his current role, O’Connor acknowledged that there’s more of a premium on scoring.

Earlier in the week, O’Connor, who has produced a goal and four assists this season, alluded to wanting to make a difference in more ways than scoring goals.

“Obviously, you want to try and score every game (and) try to do everything else that helps the team so when you’re not scoring, you’re still contributing,” he said.

The 25-year-old was able to do so Saturday against Toronto, drawing a penalty in the second period.

He also logged 2 minutes, 16 seconds of shorthanded time, helping the Penguins keep the Maple Leafs’ fifth-ranked power play 0 for 3 on the night.

“I think the (penalty kill) is a big part of our game, and it can be a difference-maker for our team when we’re clicking and not allowing chances,” O’Connor said. “You want to prevent goals, but you also don’t want to give them momentum if they’re getting chances. … It was good to kind of get that job done tonight.”

O’Connor’s NHL career to date — all 97 games, in which he’s scored nine goals with 12 assists — suggests he might be more suitable for a bottom-six role.

But with injuries taking their toll on the Penguins, O’Connor has proven he can rise to the occasion and take on more prominent responsibilities.

“I think he’s working extremely hard,” Sullivan said. “I think he’s taking big steps this year, just (in) his overall, complete game. He’s having more of an impact on the game in a number of different ways on both sides of the puck.”