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Erik Karlsson and his teammates break down the key reasons behind his stellar season
Photo credit: Edit from PensBurgh
Number 65 is a changed man this year, as Erik Karlsson has had a resurgence and appears to be dominating on the ice, and he and his teammates spoke of it.
Erik Karlsson has spent this season playing with a lot of control, patience, and a level of decision-making that has elevated his entire game.
All of these traits were on full display once again after practice at UPMC Lemieux Complex, when he was asked what had changed for him compared to the past two years.
Karlsson kept the focus on himself, offering a professional and measured response.
"I've been feeling great for quite some time now," Karlsson said. "I've been healthy. I feel good. I feel like I'm moving well and seeing the game the way that I want to. Collectively, as a group, we've been playing some good hockey. That's the main reason for anyone's success."
What has unlocked this new player in Erik Karlsson
But the reality is clear: the Penguins' new system under Dan Muse has unlocked a better version of Karlsson, and a roster full of players has bought in, something we did not see recently under Mike Sullivan.
That shift has allowed the three-time Norris Trophy winner to thrive in ways that simply weren't happening over the last few seasons. Karlsson has become one of the league's best power-play facilitators while stabilising his five-on-five play.
He's producing 1.77 points per 60 minutes across all situations, which is his best rate since joining Pittsburgh and among the top seasons of his entire NHL career. His defence is spectacular too.
"He's confident," Bryan Rust said of Karlsson. "He's playing his game, the game that makes him successful and playing off his instincts. When you get a guy who's that skilled, who's that good, the more he can use his instincts and not overthink things, the better he's going to be."
He's making better reads, managing risk, and supporting the structure that Muse wants from his blue line.
"He's playing the game really hard," Tristan Jarry said of Karlsson. "He's playing a hard game down low. He's defending really hard, and I think that's leading to a lot of good chances at the other end. But first and foremost, he's taking care of the defensive zone, and it has shown. He's been very good."
"He's been awesome for us," Jarry added. "He's been one of the key guys for us this year."
"He's been awesome for us," Jarry added. "He's been one of the key guys for us this year."
Why Erik Karlsson's skating remains elite
His skating remains elite, too, as Karlsson has recorded 48 speed bursts over 20 mph, which places him in the 97th percentile among NHL defensemen. The average blueliner posts only 12.5.
This proves that at the ripe age of 35, he can still move, and he's using that speed to defend a lot smarter.
"I don't think there's one specific reason for [the change in play]," Karlsson said. "There are a lot of things. It's hard to pinpoint what those things are. But in general I've been feeling good since day one. Talking to everyone around here, I think everyone would say the same. I don't think there's one specific reason for it."
His powerful shot remains a major weapon, and his added role on the penalty kill shows how much trust Muse's staff has in his game.
The Penguins arrived this season aware of all of the outside doubt and have embraced proving people wrong as the underdogs. Karlsson has led that charge with some of the most complete hockey anyone has ever seen him play.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 5 | 59 ANSWERS Erik Karlsson and his teammates break down the key reasons behind his stellar season Is Erik Karlsson the best defenseman on the Penguins? | ||
| Yes | 30 | 50.8 % |
| No | 29 | 49.2 % |
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