Penguins/NHL
The 
Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night just absolutely destroyed the 
Colorado Avalanche, en route to a 7-2 win. Scoring four goals on their first six shots, the Penguins led by the return of Evgeni Malkin put on quite the performance.
Malkin was sensational with 2 goals, 1 assists in his return from a five-game suspension. The biggest Malkin supporters in the organization would never had had him leading the Penguins in points per game this late in the season……Here we are, though, with Malkin averaging a team-leading1.06 points/G and transitioning flawlessly to wing, something that should have happened a few seasons ago. What’s really intriguing for the Penguins down the stretch is a fresh Evgeni Malkin. At his age there’s not a lot of wear and tear on his tires over the last six weeks due to the Olympic break and his five game suspension…………
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+/- has become a whatever stat over the years to many in the game but again what a transformation for many this season:
| Player | 2024/2025 | 2025/2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Noel Acciari | -25 | +11 |
| Erik Karlsson | -24 | +13 |
| Evgeni Malkin | -24 | +14 |
| Sidney Crosby | -20 | +1 |
| Rickard Rakell | -21 | +4 |
| Bryan Rust | -21 | +4 |
Erik Karlsson and Evgeni Malkin have gone from a minus-24 last season to +13 and +14, respectively. That’s on the coaching staff and players changing their ways.
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: The biggest praise you hear about the Penguins defensive structure is how well the group boxes out in the net-front, despite physical limitations and one of the worst defensive groups on paper. The coached-up ability to transform has stunned evaluators around the league. But, what might be more impressive is Pittsburgh cleaning up a number of areas from the Mike Sullivan era system vulnerabilities is it hasn’t taken away from things on the offensive side; What’s transpired is the dramatic improvement defensively has only enhanced Pittsburgh’s ability to push the play offensively throughout the lineup, which has seen a number of players in that second/third tier level producing way above expectations and Pittsburgh transform into a true four-line team.
Anthony Mantha – 26 Goals, may hit 30 and is coming off a torn ACL. It might not be in Pittsburgh’s but he’s getting paid this summer in the [hide] $5, $6 million per range on a three-to-four year deal, the Penguins brass internally projects……. Justin Brazeau 16 Goals, has a shot at a 20 goal season……..Tommy Novak 15 goals, another candidate for a 20 goal season and has 13 goals since December 1st…….Egor Chinakhov 11 goals in 29 games as a Penguin……. Ben Kindel 16 goals as an 18 year old….. Then there’s the role players. Connor Dewar career high with 14 goals, one away from 15 mark……..Noel Acciari 9 goals combined in his first two seasons as a Penguins; 9 goals in 53 games this season……….
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Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin getting possibly one last playoff run together is a great storyline in a year no one thought was going to be a possibility. One individual who is really deserving of another shot at the postseason is Erik Karlsson. The future Hall-of-Famer has not appeared in the NHL playoffs since 2019 with the San Jose Sharks. Some are starting to catch on lately, but many are still not realizing the ‘great’ season Karlsson is having right now with Pittsburgh. He has turned back the clock in how he’s dominating games with a skill and eyes. To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
Latest Pens Buzz: Who do Rival GMs regard as Pittsburgh’s top prospect? The Answer has Emerged……