The Pittsburgh Penguins missed the playoffs for the third straight year last season but now under first-year head coach Dan Muse, the group has been one of the biggest surprises of the first half of the 2025-26 campaign.
Veterans Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby have turned back the clock, appearing in each of the Pittsburgh’s first 28 games, while fellow longtime Penguin Evgeni Malkin has missed just two contests this year.
Arturs Silovs got off to a solid start between the pipes and Pittsburgh is 14-7-7 and tied atop the wild card standings with 35 points.
The Penguins were No. 10 on NHL.com’s “Super 16” power rankings on Thursday.
“The biggest surprise is that the Penguins are in the Super 16, let alone ranked in the top 10, on Dec. 11. They were not supposed to be here at any point this season. They were supposed to be near the bottom of the League, a tough team to play against because Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson would make them so, but not good enough to be competing for a Stanley Cup Playoff berth,” senior writer Dan Rosen said. “Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs has held his own, going 4-4-5 with a 2.98 GAA, .900 save percentage and one shutout. Even coach Dan Muse is technically a rookie at his position, a first-time NHL head coach, and he’s been able to keep the Penguins playing consistently competitive hockey, rolling four lines, balancing ice time, keeping everybody fresh.”
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Pittsburgh has lost two in a row and will look to right the ship on Thursday night when they host the Montreal Canadiens.
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Featured image via Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images