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5 Pittsburgh Penguins Surprises Behind Their Hot Start Revealed
Photo credit: Edit from The Hockey News
The Penguins are off to a torrid 6-2 start this season, which is something not many expected, and there are five surprising reasons for it.
The Pittsburgh Penguins continued their remarkable start with a 5-3 victory over the Florida Panthers, who were last year's Stanley Cup champs, improving their record to 6-2-0 on Thursday.
No one would have thought they would be doing so well at this point in the season, even with a favorable early schedule.
There have been some individual player situations that have been noteworthy in their own right. We take a look at the five biggest surprises that have led to this red-hot start.
Eighteen-year-old Ben Kindel has transformed himself from a questionable draft pick to someone who appears to be an NHL player from game number one.
"We had intel that he (Ben Kindel) wasn't going to go much further beyond (our pick). And we just didn't want to look back on it and say, 'Geez, why did we pass on this guy'?"
- Kyle Dubas
- Kyle Dubas
Similarly, 19-year-old defensive prospect Harrison Brunicke is having success in his rookie NHL campaign, having impressed in camp last spring.
Justin Brazeau's arrival seems to have turned back the clock a decade for Evgeni Malkin
Malkin's new line with Justin Brazeau and Anthony Mantha has also been a revelation. Brazeau's size, combined with his talent, has enabled Malkin to concentrate on scoring instead of battling physically on the wing.
Brazeau has also impressed with his goal-scoring ability, netting five in his first eight games in the NHL with surprising finesse in front of the net.
Goaltending has also long been an issue for the Penguins, but it is another area where they have received a welcome boost.
Tristan Jarry and Arturs Silovs have proved a good combination between the pipes, although it remains to be seen if they can maintain their early form.
Even grizzled veteran Erik Karlsson has rediscovered himself in his new system with assistant coach Dan Muse behind the bench, playing with renewed confidence.
Depth, peppiness, and maybe even chemistry have made the Penguins one of the feel-good stories in the early going in the NHL. They might have more to their hot start than just a lucky streak if they can continue it.
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 24 | 97 ANSWERS 5 Pittsburgh Penguins Surprises Behind Their Hot Start Revealed Are you shocked by the Penguins' 6-2 start? | ||
| Yes | 64 | 66 % |
| No | 33 | 34 % |
| List of polls | ||