Before the NHL season started, the consensus was that the Pittsburgh Penguins were going to be bad. The only question was if centres Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin would ask out of Pittsburgh to chase one more Stanley Cup title.
For the time being, the Penguins are thumbing their noses at all the doubters. They entered November with the best record in the league (8-2-2) but have lost two in a row to start the month. Even so, Crosby and Malkin, both of whom are pushing 40, have unearthed their younger selves, combining for 36 points over Pittsburgh’s first 14 games.
“They’ve been incredible,” Penguins forward Bryan Rust told reporters last week. “I never doubted it for a second. They could be skeletons walking around here, but I think they’re going to still give it everything they’ve got. They’re going to work as hard as they can, and they’re always going to be leading this team.”
Crosby, who last week became the ninth player in league history to record 1,700 career points, is doing what he has done for two decades. He is a model of consistency all over the ice, proving once again that his supernatural talent has not waned with age.
Crosby remains a terror around the net, scoring five of his nine goals from the inner slot and a league-leading three on deflections. As displayed on his assist on defenceman Erik Karlsson’s goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday, Crosby’s passing is still on point as well. His 51.5 per cent completion rate on slot passes places him 32nd out of the roughly 130 forwards with at least 30 attempts.
There were no concerns about Crosby entering this season, but Malkin was coming off the worst season of his acclaimed career with 16 goals and 50 points in 68 games (0.74 points per game).
Malkin, who is in the final year of his contract, told reporters in September that the decision on his future will depend on how this season unfolds. He is already nearly halfway to his point total from last season with 19, which has him tied for fourth in league scoring.
Malkin’s average number of offence-generating plays — a statistic that includes slot passes and carries, as well as offensive rebound recoveries and other plays that tend to lead to points — has risen from 8.6 to 9.9 per game. He has quickly developed chemistry with his two new linemates — unheralded winger Justin Brazeau (six goals and 12 points) and journeyman Anthony Mantha (six goals and 11 points). They have outscored opponents 9-6 at 5-on-5 this season despite generating just 43.9 per cent of the expected goals. (The Penguins placed Brazeau on injured reserve Tuesday, so Malkin will have to adjust.)
“I quickly forget too about the age,” Penguins coach Dan Muse told reporters last week when discussing Crosby’s and Malkin’s starts. “You think about the fact that they’ve been doing this for as long as they have been, you’ve got guys on the team (who) weren’t even born when they started this journey. It’s remarkable.”
Ben Kindel’s breakout
One of the players who was not alive when Crosby and Malkin debuted is 18-year-old rookie forward Ben Kindel, who scored his fourth and fifth goals of the season Monday. Kindel became the fifth 18-year-old Penguins player to have a multi-goal game, joining Crosby, Jaromir Jagr, Jordan Staal and Craig Simpson.
The No. 11 overall pick of the 2025 draft has been effective in limited ice time (14:03 per game, seventh among Penguins forwards). Kindel’s 2.5 slot shots on net per 20 minutes are the 11th most out of the 350 forwards who have played at least 100 minutes. He also ranks eighth at the position in rebound scoring chances per 20.
“There’s a quiet confidence,” Muse told reporters recently. “I think there has to be if you’re an 18-year-old playing in this league. I think you see it and I think that shows in his game.”
The No. 1 reason to worry
As for whether the Penguins’ start is sustainable, one look at their defensive metrics suggests it is only a matter of time before reality intrudes. Pittsburgh is one of the worst defensive teams in the league, allowing the fifth-most expected goals per game. In particular, the Penguins have had issues dealing with speed, ranking last in rush scoring chances against per game (8.6) and defensive-zone denial rate (41.4 per cent).
The unlikely goaltending tandem of Tristan Jarry, whom the Penguins waived last season for poor performance, and Arturs Silovs, who entered this season with 28 career NHL starts (including playoffs), has erected a wall in front of the net. Even after Jarry allowed 1.9 goals above expected Monday as the Penguins squandered a 3-0 lead to the Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh’s 14 GSAE are still the second most in the league.
Despite Jarry’s solid start, his recent track record is difficult to ignore, and he is now on injured reserve for at least the next three weeks. Silovs has made six quality starts in seven appearances.
All stats via Sportlogiq
