• HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • Site Index
  • NHL Salary Caps
  • Hockey 101: A Beginner’s Guide
  • Join Our Team
  • Free Newsletter
  • Store
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
Home
Column

Penguins’ 3 Stars of the Week: Top Players Producing

By Josh Karadeema December 1st, 2019

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

With four games in six days, this week was always going to be difficult for the Pittsburgh Penguins. After beating the Calgary Flames 3-2 and a crazy 8-6 comeback win against the Vancouver Canucks, they suffered back-to-back defeats against the Columbus Blue Jackets and St. Louis Blues. With injuries to Bryan Rust and Brian Dumoulin on Friday and Saturday, going 2-2 doesn’t feel so bad.

But with the injuries continuing to mount, guys that were expected to perform did just that. Their top healthy players, who make a combined $22.75 million, rose to the occasion and did whatever they could to set the Penguins up for success. Let’s take a look at the Penguins’ three stars and highlight the club’s best performing players of the week. 

Third Star: Kris Letang

One of the Penguins’ alternate captains, Kris Letang, had a strong week. With three goals and one assist, he has returned from injury in stellar form after missing eight games with a lower-body injury. Perhaps the best thing about his return is he immediately went back to playing 24 or more minutes a night, ending the week with over 28 minutes of ice time after Dumoulin went down on his first shift on the game against the Blues. In the crazy three-goal comeback victory over the Canucks, Letang scored the game-winning goal after receiving a pass from Jake Guentzel and blasted it past the netminder.

TOUCHDOWN (and the point after is good!), KRIS LETANG! pic.twitter.com/i8NeRJFXA4

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 28, 2019

Letang would go on to add an assist on Evgeni Malkin’s empty-net goal to ice the game for the Penguins. Against the Blue Jackets, he brought the Penguins to within two with a one-timer that was rocketed past the goaltender. The following night, he would add another goal, again to make the score 4-2, after shooting the puck from the blue line that took a deflection on its way to the goal. Letang has come back from his injury strong, and with two top-four defenders down, he will have to anchor the defense more than he usually does.

Nov. 24-30 Stat Line: 3 goals, 1 assist, 25:55 average TOI

Second Star: Evgeni Malkin

Since the injury to Sidney Crosby, Malkin has been on an absolute tear. While it is still early in the season, he is winning 53.8% of his faceoffs. This is the first time in his career his faceoff percentage is over 50%. He had an explosive game against the Canucks on Nov. 27 with two goals and three assists in the thriller. He quickly picked up two assists on the first two goals of the game by Guentzel and Rust. He would bring the Penguins within one goal with a slap shot from the right point on the power play. He would later get a secondary assist on Letang’s game-winning goal before finishing the game off with an empty-net goal while falling down to cap off a five point night.

Tonight: stuffing the net.
Tomorrow: stuffing in your belly.
Wednesday and Thursday FTW. pic.twitter.com/NI2CRKJ7Tp

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 28, 2019

Malkin would go on to add three more assists in the final two games of the week, two that set up Letang and one that set up Guentzel, who he has developed incredible chemistry with in a very short amount of time. In the absence of Crosby, he has elevated his game in every area. He is double-shifting on occasion, winning faceoffs and is averaging almost 1.5 points a night. He has certainly hit the ground running after missing the first 11 games due to injury.

Nov. 24-30 Stat Line: 2 goals, 6 assists, 64.8% FO%

First Star: Jake Guentzel

The best player for the Penguins this season, Guentzel had another fantastic week. While his seven-game point streak was snapped in the week’s final game against the Blues, he still was the best player to wear the black and gold this week. He scored the overtime winner to beat the Flames 3-2. Dominik Kahun held the puck up perfectly along the blue line after a long shift to allow Guentzel to hop over the boards, skate into the zone and bury a wrist shot to send the fans home with smiles on their faces.

Pittsburgh Penguins Evgeni Malkin Jake Guentzel
Pittsburgh Penguins Evgeni Malkin celebrates with Jake Guentzel (Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports)

He would go on to open the scoring against the Canucks after a set faceoff play that he rocketed past the goaltender to give the Penguins a quick lead. Just a few minutes later, he would pick up an assist on Rust’s power-play goal to make it 2-0. He would return the favor as he set up Guentzel early in the third to bring the Penguins within one. Later in the third period, with the score tied 6-6, he set up Letang for his game-winning goal that capped off a three-goal comeback victory.

Jake Guentzel has points in all seven of his career games vs. Vancouver (7G-3A). pic.twitter.com/YVzS5a4h37

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 28, 2019

Against the Blue Jackets, the same team he scored his first career NHL hat trick against in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs, he would open the scoring for the Penguins after Malkin passed him the puck and he went between the goaltender’s legs to tie the game 1-1. He would later assist Letang’s goal that was very similar to the goal that won the game just two nights earlier against the Canucks. Guentzel is playing lights-out hockey, is staying healthy and should be the team’s All-Star Game representative. Since 2007, Crosby, Malkin and Letang have been 20 of the 24 selected players from the Penguins. Guentzel leads them in goals and points and has been playing the best hockey of his young career.

Nov. 24-30 Stat Line: 4 goals, 3 assists, plus-1

Star Points

Each week, an updated point system will be in place. The third star receives one point, the second star receives two, and the first star gets three. Agree or disagree with the stars of the week? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter at @joshkaradeema.

  1. Sidney Crosby- 7 points
  2. Evgeni Malkin- 7 points
  3. Bryan Rust- 6 points
  4. Jake Guentzel- 5 points
  5. Jared McCann- 5 points
  6. Brandon Tanev- 4 points
  7. Kris Letang- 3 points
  8. Matt Murray- 3 points
  9. Dominik Simon- 3 points
  10. Patric Hornqvist- 2 points
  11. Dominik Kahun- 1 point
  12. Sam Lafferty- 1 point
  13. John Marino- 1 point
  • Tags
  • Evgeni Malkin
  • Jake Guentzel
  • Kris Letang
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

Get theScore App Now!
Recent Posts
Jan 16th 6:10 PM
Hockey History

25 Best Senators’ Memories From 25 Years at Canadian Tire Centre

Jan 16th 6:00 PM
Anaheim Ducks

Ducks Prospects: Colangelo, Andersson, Drew & More

Jan 16th 5:50 PM
Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks Need Taxi Squad to Drive Better Results in Net

Jan 16th 5:40 PM
Women's Hockey

Toronto Six 2021 Season Preview

Jan 16th 5:30 PM
Winnipeg Jets

Jets Have a lot of Options to Deal With Laine

Jan 16th 5:20 PM
Dallas Stars

Stars’ COVID-19 Cases Could Cost Them

Jan 16th 4:25 PM
Column

Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Campbell, Andersen, Tavares & Robertson

Jan 16th 4:15 PM
Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning Look to Benefit From Week Off

Jan 16th 3:05 PM
Montreal Canadiens

Josh Anderson’s Canadiens Debut Should Make Marc Bergevin Proud

Jan 16th 2:55 PM
Other Leagues

OHL Would Benefit From 24-Game Season

Editor’s Picks
World Junior Championship All-Time Leading Scorers

World Junior Championship All-Time Leading Scorers

2021 Guide To the World Junior Championship

2021 Guide To the World Junior Championship

Masthead

Newsletters

RSS Feeds

Privacy Statement

Contact Us

About THW…

Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. Updated daily with news and features from over 130 writers worldwide. Over 2 million monthly readers now come to THW for their hockey fix.

© The Hockey Writers 2020. All rights reserved.
logo
  • HOME
  • Hockey Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • North Division
    • Calgary Flames
    • Edmonton Oilers
    • Montreal Canadiens
    • Ottawa Senators
    • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Vancouver Canucks
    • Winnipeg Jets
  • East Division
    • Boston Bruins
    • Buffalo Sabres
    • New Jersey Devils
    • New York Islanders
    • New York Rangers
    • Philadelphia Flyers
    • Pittsburgh Penguins
    • Washington Capitals
  • Central Division
    • Carolina Hurricanes
    • Chicago Blackhawks
    • Columbus Blue Jackets
    • Dallas Stars
    • Detroit Red Wings
    • Florida Panthers
    • Nashville Predators
    • Tampa Bay Lightning
  • West Division
    • Anaheim Ducks
    • Arizona Coyotes
    • Colorado Avalanche
    • Los Angeles Kings
    • Minnesota Wild
    • San Jose Sharks
    • Seattle Kraken
    • St Louis Blues
    • Vegas Golden Knights
  • World Juniors
  • CHL
    • Ontario Hockey League
    • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
    • Western Hockey League
  • THW Podcast Network
  • Store
  • FREE Newsletter
  • Search THW
  • More…
    • Join Our Team
    • The THW Archives
    • Prospects
    • The Goalie Page
    • NHL Salary Cap Information