The Pittsburgh Penguins are one of the best teams in the NHL right now as they have gotten out to a 7-1 start this year and lead the Metropolitan division. The Penguins were predicted by many to win the Metropolitan Division this year. In order to do that, there will be five keys to accomplish this.
Goaltending
Pittsburgh’s goaltending has been questionable the last few playoff seasons due to Marc-Andre Fleury’s inconsistency. He’s going to have to put those dreadful performances behind him and focus on this regular season. Right now he’s doing just that. His record is 7-1 with a 1.74 GAA and a save percentage of .933. Though it is still early, Fleury is establishing himself as a candidate for the Vezina Trophy, awarded to the best goaltender for the season. If Fleury can keep playing at this level, there is no doubt he can lead the Penguins to another division title.
Sidney Crosby’s Health
Sidney Crosby is the best hockey player on the planet right now and always is when he plays. Through the first nine games of the season, he has 17 points and is projected to finish with 155 points for the season. He hasn’t had a full healthy season since 2009, which is truly sad for hockey’s best player. Coincidentally the last full season from Crosby resulted in a Stanley Cup for the Penguins. The Penguin captain suffered a broken jaw last season causing him to miss the final month of the season and potentially cost him the Art Ross and Hart Trophy (which he should have won in my opinion). There is no doubt in my mind he’s going to be healthy this season. Love him or hate him he can make some of the worst players on the Penguins team look like super stars. The Pittsburgh offense is going to be sensational this season with a healthy captain pulling the strings.
Defense
The last few years in the playoffs the defense for the Penguins has been shaky allowing bad goals and making costly turnovers. They’re also not protecting Marc-Andre Fleury very well. The Penguins brought in assistant coach Jacques Martin this offseason, a defensive minded coach to help out with the blue line and so far it has paid off. Rob Scuderi is still doing his thing (sliding and puppy guarding Fleury) and rookie Olli Maata is playing like a veteran. Just wait and see what the Penguins defense will be like when they get Kris Letang back from a knee injury! If this defense can pull their weight and cut down on mistakes, they’re really going to help the Penguins win this division.
Power Play
The power play HAS to be working for the Penguins this year but it normally does. When the Penguins are healthy, this power play is just deadly and ranks at the top of the league. They can throw out Crosby, James Neal, Evgeni Malkin, Chris Kunitz and Letang on their top line. Sure, their second line isn’t as strong but it can do some damage as well. I expect the power play to rank at the top of the league this year, capable of scoring a power play goal each game because of the talent they have.
Win Division Games
The Penguins MUST win against the teams in the Metropolitan Division this year if they also have any chance of winning it. Most of the teams in that division right now are doing poorly. Piling up wins against division opponents while they are down will build the gap between Pittsburgh and the rest of the division. This team can win at least 75% of their division games if not more this year, which would guarantee the top seed in the division, and possibly the Eastern Conference.
The Penguins have the opportunity to win another Stanley Cup and these five keys can certainly help them reach their goal. It’s a long road ahead through the next 73 games, but it will be fantastic to watch the season unfold.