Penguins midseason report card revealed by NHL analyst

Over the course of the first 36 games, the Penguins most definitely have not been boring. It is exactly what the Penguins' history always entails: plenty of stars, twists, turns, and extremes of emotions.

Now that the holiday season recess has provided a brief opportunity to catch their breath, it is safe to dissect the Penguins' season to date. Here's a report card of Pittsburgh's season so far, based on Jason Mackey's grades.

Forwards in the top six: B. Sidney Crosby, at 38, is disregarding father time with 20 goals and 38 points in 36 games, with only six players with more goals.

Evgeni Malkin is close behind with eight goals and 29 points in 26 games, although he hasn't played in the last 10. This group is not the problem.

Third-/Fourth-Line Forwards: C-. There has been depth: Blake Lizotte, Connor Dewar, and Noel Acciari have had moments, while Ben Kindel, Rutger McGroarty, and Ville Koivunen add some speed and agility to the lineup.

Tommy Novak has eight points in 12 games this month, but overall, the bottom six have not contributed much.

Defense: C-. The Penguins are 12th in goals allowed per game, with 3.17, which is good considering the way things have gone since the second half of November.

Goaltending: D. The trade of Tristan Jarry was the right call, but it hasn't been a smooth transition since. Some of the inconsistencies in Pittsburgh's performances have been due to its goaltending issues with Stuart Skinner and Arturs Silovs.

Power play units: B. The team's power play is ranked third with a conversion rate of 29.3 percent. Its penalty kill units are ranked 22nd since December 1, with a rate of approximately 70.4 percent in the last 10 games.

Coaching: C. Dan Muse holds Pittsburgh three points from a playoff spot and three points from last place overall in the Eastern Conference. Muse is juggling his lines, relying on youth, and trying to build a four-line attack.

Taken together, Pittsburgh is a team of streaks, glimpses, and surprises, true to type yet still in pursuit of a smoother groove.