The power play that betrayed the Penguins in the first round of the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs has become an undeniable part of this season’s success.

A healthy Evgeni Malkin, the players insist, isn’t the only reason for the unit’s revival.

“He helps,” said left wing Chris Kunitz, whose presence in front of the net has been significant. “But there’s more to it than that.”

The Penguins point toward better structure and more diverse weapons with the man advantage.

Kunitz looks to the opposite end of the ice for much of the team’s success. Last season, defenseman Kris Letang was forced to lug the puck from Penguins territory to the attacking blue line with great regularity with injured centers Sidney Crosby and Malkin — the team’s most gifted puck carriers — out of the lineup.

And left wing Steve Sullivan, signed by general manager Ray Shero on July 1, has added many elements to the power play, including creating crisp entries into the attacking zone.

“That’s so big,” Kunitz said. “Sully’s a guy who can bring the puck up and break into the zone. It really brings a calming sense for us.”

It is not uncommon to see Sullivan, Malkin, right wing James Neal or the current point man, Matt Niskanen, carry the puck into the attacking zone.

“There’s something special about that,” Kunitz said. “It’s not just being able to skate with the puck. You have to be deceiving when you enter the blue line. Having a guy like Sully, he skates so well and makes those great passes. He does it well.”

Kunitz isn’t the only player to sing Sullivan’s praises.

“So patient with the puck, so deceptive,” said Neal. “He does all kinds of things that go unnoticed.”

And then there is Neal, who leads the league with 10 power-play goals. Kunitz calls the power play “more set” with Neal involved.

Because Sullivan and Malkin use their skills to get the Penguins set in the attacking zone, the power play has become more structured this season.

Malkin is the unit’s quarterback, Neal the triggerman, and Kunitz takes care of the dirty work in front of the net. Niskanen’s solid point play and the slick Sullivan enhance a working formula.

“Geno controls everything,” Kunitz said, “and Nealer can shoot from everywhere. It’s working.”

It’s also inspiring confidence: The Penguins feel like a goal is coming when the opponent takes a penalty. It wasn’t necessarily that way last season.”

“It was frustrating last year,” said Neal, who scored only two goals in his first 27 games with the team. “Well, everything was frustrating.”

Neal also said the coaching staff deserves its due.

“We’re prepared for every penalty-kill unit we see,” Neal said. “And we feel like we can score every time we’re on the ice.”

Like Neal’s dry spell last season, the Penguins’ struggles on the power play seem to be a thing of the past.

“Sometimes, you need to keep it simple, and that’s what we’ve done,” defenseman Paul Martin said. “It’s really working well.”

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