It’s 4 video games of an 84-game season. There was some good, some unhealthy, and a few ugly. Don’t let your self get too caught up in early outcomes and allow them to dictate your ideas on the place the season goes. There’s numerous hockey left, and numerous time for good and unhealthy components of the workforce to develop.
Actuality: The Penguins are inferior to they seemed within the season-opener, and they’re most likely not as unhealthy as they seemed for parts of the Winnipeg and Washington video games. I additionally thought they type of put some issues collectively within the second half of the Washington recreation and largely carried the play all through the second and third durations, exterior of two completely braindead turnovers that derailed all of that progress. The numbers again up that eye-test commentary, as effectively. These errors nonetheless depend, and so they nonetheless damage, and they’re nonetheless issues, however eliminating one or two errors is a hell of loads simpler than determining the way to tilt the ice and play higher over an prolonged time frame.
There are nonetheless a handful of regarding traits which have developed early on which are most likely inspiring totally different ranges of panic.
Amongst them: the play of Sidney Crosby and the primary line, the protection itself, and Arturs Silovs, who I don’t suppose has been excellent for the reason that season-opener (the place he was by no means actually challenged).
Let’s dig a bit deeper into every of them and attempt to assess the correct stage of concern and panic on a scale of 1-10, with one being “every little thing is regular” and 10 being “full blown panic.”
Sidney Crosby’s sluggish begin
Wednesday evening in Washington was a harsh reminder as to how imposing father time is on everyone in sports activities. Even the greats.
Everyone was excited to see the beginning of the ultimate chapter of the Crosby vs. Alex Ovechkin rivalry, after which each gamers have been full non-factors within the recreation.
Ovechkin performed 14 minutes, had no factors and recorded two photographs on objective. After being on the fence about his future, he performed two video games this season after which determined this was going to be it.
Crosby was a minus-4 and was principally invisible, persevering with what has been a surprisingly quiet begin to the season for him and his line. He’s virtually two years youthful than Ovechkin, and has been a greater general participant, together with over the previous few years, however he’s nonetheless 39. He isn’t going to dominate for ever.
There have been eight targets scored in a Penguins-Capitals recreation and people guys factored into the scoring on precisely zero of them.
It’s a brand new period, people.
The Penguins at the moment are 4 video games into the season and Crosby has zero targets, two assists, whereas the Penguins have been outscored by a 3-5 margin with him on the ice throughout 5-on-5 play. By means of 4 video games they’ve been considerably higher when he’s not on the ice versus when he’s on the ice. Not solely are they being outscored with him on the ice, their anticipated objective share is a 54 p.c whereas he has obtained heavy offensive zone begins. When he’s off the ice the Penguins are outscoring groups by a 9-4 margin, have a 60 p.c anticipated objective share whereas these traces have obtained primarily defensive zone begins.
I’m simply stating info right here, people. And I’m watching the video games. The attention-test isn’t significantly better. And provided that his line has already rotated by way of three totally different wingers in 4 video games to attempt to discover the fitting match I’m guessing the teaching workers feels the identical method.
Now, once more, it’s 4 video games. Crosby has been a sluggish starter in recent times, and he had even much less time to construct up for this season in coaching camp and the preseason. He’s going to decelerate sooner or later. The factors will decline extra considerably sooner or later. I’m not positive we’re on the level the place his recreation has utterly deteriorated over evening (or over the summer time). However I do suppose it’s greater than acceptable to take a look at these first 4 video games and say, “hmm, one thing doesn’t appear proper with the 39-year-old ahead right here.”
Concern stage: 5/10
The protection
I’m on file as saying that I type of like this protection and among the gamers on it, no less than within the context of what the Penguins 2025-26 protection was and what it seemed like.
League-wide, and on an NHL stage? It’s most likely center of the pack at greatest.
However in comparison with the 2025-26 Penguins stage? I can see it being higher than that group.
The early returns aren’t but constantly there. Principally because of the turnovers. Wednesday was surprising in that regard, with Trevor van Riemsdyk being responsible of two baffling performs, one in all which led on to a objective off the opening face-off, and one other that led to an influence play that finally led to a objective that took away all the momentum the Penguins had inbuilt a comeback try.
Kris Letang and Declan Carlile have been additionally responsible of shockingly unhealthy performs that straight led to targets.
Simply baffling, self-inflicted errors that clearly altered the move and final result of the sport.
Numerous those self same errors have been additionally seen in Monday’s recreation in opposition to Winnipeg.
Whereas it’s simpler to wash up “a few errors” than it’s to hold the tempo of play, that doesn’t imply it’s really going to occur, or that these errors are going to cease. Perhaps they don’t. Perhaps that’s what these guys do the place they play effectively for half-hour after which simply moist the mattress two or 3 times a recreation.
That could be a actual chance.
Concern stage: 6.5/10
Arturs Silovs
I stated at the beginning of the season that goaltending was going to influence loads this season, and what it appears to be like like for the Penguins. Silovs and Sergei Murashov definitely have the potential to be excellent and steal some video games, however they’re additionally large wild-cards that might put the Penguins into the lottery very, in a short time it doesn’t matter what else is happening round them.
After posting a shutout within the opener, Silovs has allowed 10 targets in his subsequent two begins and is now on the unfavourable aspect of targets saved above anticipated (minus-1.4 through MoneyPuck).
My concern right here isn’t essentially about anybody recreation, or any two video games, and even his particular efficiency on Wednesday. Not solely as a result of it’s a small pattern measurement, but in addition as a result of the play in entrance of him has been spotty. It’s principally about his general play going again to the beginning of final season, and among the belongings you see from him (and are nonetheless seeing from him).
He has had some nice video games, and the larger scenario, the higher he appears to play. However He additionally tends to simply give them some non-competitive video games and moments, particularly with regards to a few of his performs with the puck and his rebound management. The distinction between his flooring and ceiling on most nights is like strolling into the Sistine Chapel. I simply don’t know that I belief him on a constant foundation.
Concern stage: 7/10