Penguins Naughty & Nice List: 5 Things We’ve Learned, So Far

The Pittsburgh Penguins heard the starter’s pistol in October and promptly faceplanted while many in the Eastern Conference found traction and raced up the standings. However, the Penguins have begun to find their footing in the snow, while others have fallen down the chimney.

See also: the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, and Detroit Red Wings.

In fact, the Rangers are submitting their best Clark W. Griswald Jr. impersonation this season. If it can go wrong, if they can screw it up, they will.

The Penguins were that team for a full two months. Two-goal leads? Merry Christmas, here you go. Three-goal leads? Yep, the Penguins donated those to opponents, too.

Yet, as of December 25, 2024, the Penguins have clawed their way back above .500, though tenuously so.

First, a Merry Christmas and Happy Channukah to everyone. Now then…

What We’ve Learned So Far

1. Mike Sullivan

It never felt like he lost the room, but the team certainly seemed unreachable until they hit rock bottom. Sullivan punted last Saturday in New Jersey when PHN asked if there was a moment or period of time when he felt the situation turn around. He deferred to the players simply playing better.

“It’s an accumulation. It’s a process. It builds over time, and I give the players a lot of credit,” Sullivan said. “A lot of starts with their own resilience and mindset. We went through some bumps earlier in the year, but we didn’t let it get us down, and we tried to figure out ways to get better.”

The team has won nine of the last 13 games and has points in 10 of them. That’s certainly getting better and has them solidly back in the playoff hunt.

Would it have been wrong to fire Sullivan in the depths of losing and despair? No. But the fruits of staying the course are being seen as Sullivan has indeed figured out his team and is pushing them to figure themselves out, too. The team’s mindset has changed, the system has been modified, and the players are buying in, though they’re not perfect (the Penguins don’t have a lot of systems-type guys, eh?).

The two cents from this writer is that the team is still coming to grips with the mental frame necessary to play a more restrained style; they’re no longer the best or fastest team that can win games by being present. It’s not yet second nature, but they appear to be on the right track.

Evgeni Malkin has flashed his best defensive game quite often recently. That should tell you everything you need to know about the team’s buy-in.

The coach earned a fair amount of criticism, and it’s probably time to dish out a few kudos, too. The Penguins are an average team currently punching above its weight.

2. Sidney Crosby

The Penguins leader picked up the fallen Penguins flag and has led a charge worthy of any trophy. His line is playing unbelievably well; Rickard Rakell already has more goals than he scored last season (16), and Bryan Rust is on a tear with nine goals in his last 13 games.

This is not the year Crosby slows down. Even during a 10-game goalless streak, he still raised his point total to above a point-per-game average. In 36 games, Crosby has 10 goals and 29 assists. Should he finish above the point-per-game line, Crosby would break Wayne Gretzky’s record of 19 seasons above that watermark.

3. They Have a Fourth Line

My favorite stat is that the Penguins are 12-5-3 with Blake Lizotte in the lineup. With Lizotte at fourth-line center, Noel Acciari slides to his (much) better role on the wing. With Matt Nieto in the lineup, the speed and tenacity make the line the best-case scenario.

The Penguins are holding leads because of the tone set by the fourth line–they attack, they’re physical, and they do not make life easy for opponents.

The Penguins penalty kill is in the top 10 (currently ninth at 82.4%), and that’s largely attributable to the three players on the fourth line.

4. The David Quinn Factor

Months ago, we could see the writing on the wall. Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas gave Sullivan what the coach probably wanted—David Quinn as an assistant. All admitted Quinn could say things to Sullivan that others probably would not.

Read More: Inside the Penguins Hiring David Quinn; Already Challenging Sullivan

Insiders have told us of years past in which there was a stale coaches’ room, and Sullivan was often unchallenged. It wasn’t the most flattering picture. However, under Quinn, the Penguins power play is now competent and professional. The defensemen have been embattled but are fighting their way out of the fire.

And Sullivan has made more changes this season than the last couple or few seasons combined.

We don’t KNOW that Quinn is pushing Sullivan, but it’s a good bet. It’s becoming a good combination. Mike Vellucci, who runs the PK, remains an unsung asset, too.

5. Evgeni Malkin/One Forward Short

Evgeni Malkin needs help that won’t arrive. He’s helping Michael Bunting’s resurgence by creating scoring chances but having trouble finishing his own and not getting much help from his right wing.

Sullivan would be crazy to break up the Rakell-Crosby-Rust line, but there’s not enough talent left to create an offensively competent second line.

The line tool at NaturalStatTrick.com shows the stark reality. There have been many combinations this season, but with Rakell, all of Malkin’s line combinations were above water and more productive than opponents. Without Rakell, no Malkin line combination is effective. With Cody Glass, Malkin’s shot attempt ratio (Corsi) and scoring chance rates are above water, but the raw totals aren’t very high.

Unfortunately for the Penguins, Drew O’Connor has gone cold. He hasn’t scored a goal since Oct. 18. Rutger McGroarty wasn’t ready (though I’ve been told things are improving on that front), and Cody Glass has proven to be an immediate lift to any line’s advanced statistics but not yet the score sheet.

Philip Tomasino presents an interesting situation. At 23 years old, the Penguins hope he can continue to grow and develop, but that runway is getting shorter. Tomasino’s game has some obvious flaws, and to his credit, he is obviously working on them.

However, even with the young lad riding shotgun, Malkin’s line stats are underwater. So, unless it’s the gifted Rakell or the responsible Glass, everyone else has come up short on the second line.

Were the Penguins chasing glory this season, the hunt would be on for a RW with offensive talent. But the last thing we can confirm that we know is that the Penguins’ management is not chasing glory this season.