the problem with this is the penguins had real help out side the big guns and TB doesn't.

I really like when teams do this push a top 6 forward to 3rd line by spreading the depth. Ottawa pushed Hoffman to 3rd line for a bit to spread the depth when they were competing but its all based off the Bonino-Kessel legendary 3rd line

LOL

lmao Johnson, Cirelli, Palat are huge contributors

Exactly lmao. if any team could spread the wealth its the bolts

Problem is ability to create .. the Pens 3 were unique in their ability to create from the center or skating position.. I'll argue Point is only true creator for Tampa as Stamkos is really a wing now with a shot .. Kuch is bad enough now with free wheeling and lacks Defensive will. I think Tampa should go Super 1st Line .. ala Boston .. and then load up lines 3 and 4 and hope 2nd line can play defense .. Cirelli Killorn and Palat on line 3 .. Paquette Maroon and Gourde on line 4 .. and pray on line 2 until TDL and get 2 bodies to go with / replace Johnson/Joseph/Volkov

Johnson sucks, just like Gourde does. Hey are 5 foot nothing and come the playoffs get beat on and pushed out the play.
Palat netted 8 goals last year.

We can go round and round on this. Winning in the playoffs is not the same as winning in the regular season. Didn't you learn that last year. It's a different game in the playoffs.
This team isn't build for that. They don't have real help. They aren't scrappy enough. They don't win board battles and 50/50 pucks.
The penguins had that with the HBK line. They had guys willing to do the dirty work so the big guys would fly all over the ice.
Where is that on this roster?
It doesn't exist.

Johnson has had several amazing playoff performances, as has Palat. Palat had injury problems last year, but has looked like his old self again this year. Johnson isn’t amazing, but he did score 30g last year with Kucherov, so he’s a perfect supporting player who becomes even better in the playoffs.

As far as doing the dirty work is concerned, Gourde does that. So does Maroon, Witkowski, Smith, and Killorn. Maybe Joseph. Palat once did, but he has trouble staying healthy so that might change. So would Stephens if we need it. The question isn’t whether we have the talent - we do. It’s just a matter of whether we’d be holding stars back by giving them pretty good instead of elite linemates.

Like I said. Most of the players you listed before are of no help. They don't go to the dirty areas and when they do they can't win those battles.
So now you rattle off a list of other guys, who frankly, aren't really good and not even regulars. That doesn't bode well for this conversation and it's why I'm done with it.
You want to call this team the HBK line penguins. But that team had a guy on every line willing to battle. Hags was on the 3rd, Rust on the 2nd, and they dropped 5 foot nothing Sheary for Kunitz because much like your line up here he was to small to do a damn thing to help. And when healthy they had hornqvist who despite not being the biggest guy, is know to be a dirty areas player.
This team lacks that kind of help. Period. I don't know why you try to argue it. You can't go out there with 1/2 the top 9 under 6 feet and expect to win many board battles. It just doesn't work that way.

I listed the players who are so far willing to do the dirty work. Yes, they’re small, and that has hurt and will continue to hurt in the playoffs. But that doesn’t mean they’re not willing to try, and in the regular season, determination can often overcome size disparity since players aren’t playing a playoff style yet. For the regular season, we have the talent to be successful like this. Playoffs are another story and I can’t argue there. We have physical players who can win playoff battles, but they’re inarguably bottom-six, and our only hope is that they suddenly bring that over to the top six, or that defense/goaltending carry us. Really, a deadline trade for Kreider could push us a lot further too.