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The Pittsburgh Penguins reach the Olympic break with one question looming
Photo credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
Sidney Crosby has the Pittsburgh Penguins rolling into the Olympic break, and it suddenly feels like a contender conversation, not a joke.
That 5-2 win in Buffalo mattered because the lineup was missing key bodies and still looked in control.
Pittsburgh sits second in the Metro at 29-15-12, and the numbers back up the record.
Their points percentage is .625, with a plus-23 goal differential and top-end special teams.
So what’s the argument against “contender” right now? It’s the usual stuff: middle-of-the-pack expected goals against, some goalie swings, and a brutal March test.
But they have already banked results against real opponents, including 13-5-6 vs current playoff teams and 8-4-2 vs the league’s top-10.
Crosby is even in a rare funk, 0-2-2 in his last seven, and the Penguins still went 4-1-1 in that stretch.
Ben Kindel is the loudest reason it keeps working, and he is doing it at 18.
Ben Kindel is forcing the Pittsburgh Penguins upward
Pens fans are trying not to get hurt again, but it’s getting harder to keep the optimism in check.
Kindel has 14 goals in 53 games and drives play like a top-six center already.
Avery Hayes is the other jolt, a 23-year-old undrafted story who scored two goals in his NHL debut.
Kyle Dubas can even pull help from the pipeline, like Ville Koivunen (2021, Round 2, No. 51, Carolina Hurricanes) or Rutger McGroarty (2022, Round 1, No. 14, Winnipeg Jets).
And Anthony Mantha has turned into a real weapon at 20-22-42 in 56 games, which complicates the “flip him at the deadline” plan.
The big question isn’t whether they’re perfect, it’s whether this depth survives the next punch. March will answer it fast, but today, the contender label isn’t crazy.
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| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 6|132 ANSWERS The Pittsburgh Penguins reach the Olympic break with one question looming Are the Pittsburgh Penguins legit contenders at the Olympic break? | ||
| Yes | 116 | 87.9 % |
| No | 16 | 12.1 % |
| List of polls | ||