How far the Penguins go in the playoffs will depend on their goaltending and secondary scoring. Games will tighten up and the opposition will focus on shutting down star forwards Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby.
Malkin and Crosby will need help and players won’t have the luxury of racking up goals against the likes of Tampa Bay, Atlanta and the New York Islanders when the playoffs begin.
Inside look at six key forwards and how they have fared this season against non playoff teams and current playoff teams
Petr Sykora |25 goals – 21 assists – 46 points |
15 of his 25 goals this season are against current non-playoff teams
12 goals combined against NYI, ATL, TB, TOR

Ruslan Fedotenko 16 goals – 21 assists – 37 points
5 of his 16 goals are against non-playoff teams
11 goals against current playoff teams
Chris Kunitz | 23 goals – 28 assists – 51 points
13 of his 23 goals are against playoff teams
10 of his 23 goals are against non-playoff teams
Jordan Staal | 22 goals – 22 assists – 42 points
12 of his 22 goals are against playoff teams
10 of his 22 goals are against non-playoff teams
Tyler Kennedy | 14 goals – 19 assists – 33 points |
4 of his 13 goals have come against playoff teams
9 of his 13 goals have come against non-playoff teams
Bill Guerin | 20 goals – 27 assists – 47 points |
11 of his 20 goals against current playoff teams
9 of his 20 goals against non-playoff teams
photo courtesy of Dan4th