Apparently the Detroit Red Wings are for real. The Pittsburgh Penguins found that out the hard way Wednesday night. The Penguins and Red Wings both entered the Oct. 18 tilt at Little Caesar’s Arena with 2-1-0 records, but it was the home team that emerged victorious 6-3.
Though the Penguins started hot with a goal from Evgeni Malkin less than a minute into the game, they couldn’t withstand a wave of offense from the Red Wings in the second period. Through four games in the early stages of the 2023-24 season, the Red Wings have now scored 19 goals, tied with the Ottawa Senators for second most in the NHL. Their three-goal outburst in the second stanza was too much for the Penguins to overcome.
Penguins’ Top Players Still Generating Offense
The game was viewed as a test for the Penguins, as the Red Wings are among the up-and-coming teams in the East. When Malkin opened the scoring 53 seconds into the opening period finishing a cross-ice pass from Reilly Smith, it looked like the veteran club was going to continue its momentum from the opening week.
Smith and Malkin have been a great combo for the Penguins so far. Malkin looks years younger and has started with three goals and seven points through four games. Smith has two goals and four points in four games, with Malkin having a hand in each of Smith’s points. The game also extended Malkin’s streak when playing in Detroit, as the Russian center has never been blanked there in the regular season.
Fun fact: Evgeni Malkin has never been held off the scoresheet in Detroit, recording 25 points (12G-13A) in 14 games 🔥 pic.twitter.com/zioluxfYte
— Penguins PR (@PenguinsPR) October 18, 2023
However, following Malkin’s goal, the Red Wings scored four straight, with Alex DeBrincat getting on the board at 12:23 of the first period. Goals from Ben Chiarot, Andrew Copp, and David Perron followed in the second period, leaving the Penguins on their heels 4-1.
Erik Karlsson scored at 3:37 of the third, his first goal as a Penguin, assisted by Sidney Crosby and Ryan Graves. Crosby entered the game tied with Ray Bourque for sixth-most points with one franchise with 1,506. Now overtaking Bourque, Crosby chases Joe Sakic for fifth on the list.
The Penguins and Red Wings each know a thing or two about "franchise players."
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) October 18, 2023
Sidney Crosby can climb the all-time list for points with one franchise when the @penguins visit Detroit for an @NHL_On_TNT matchup (7:30 p.m. ET; 🇨🇦 : @TVASports).#NHLStats: https://t.co/8cVIn2hdRx pic.twitter.com/6a4mm9y6z3
At 13:03, Bryan Rust picked up his fourth goal of the season, bringing the Penguins within one, 4-3. This season has been a redemption tour so far for Rust with four goals in as many games. He scored four in ten games last season, but he didn’t score his fifth until his 18th. Karlsson picked up an assist on Rust’s goal, his second of the game, giving the defenseman four points in four games as well.
Penguins Still Dealing with Growing Pains
But that would be it for the Penguins’ scoring. Down 4-3, they pulled goaltender Tristan Jarry late in the third period and surrendered not one, but two empty net goals, one of those a power play tally. The power play goal came as a result of a coach’s offside challenge that allowed the first empty netter to stand.
Related: Penguins Are Working Towards Staying Consistent
Though the Penguins’ other top-six forwards continue to score, Rickard Rakell has been held to a lone assist through the first four games. That despite his shooting. He took a game-high seven shots against the Red Wings, and the veteran winger now has 12 shots on the season. Meanwhile, the bottom six forwards generated only five shots among them, and through four games, only Lars Eller has registered a point, an assist in the opener against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Jarry remains the team’s biggest question mark, as he surrendered four goals on 27 shots for a .852 save percentage (SV%). Though at times looking sharp, Jarry did suffer his own lapse by inadvertently passing the puck to DeBrincat. While the gaffe didn’t result in a goal, passing the puck to the guy who currently sits atop the NHL in scoring with eight points is going to make for some long nights.
There have been positive developments over the Penguins’ first four games, namely Malkin’s chemistry with Smith, Crosby’s reliable production, and the awakening offense from Karlsson. But there are some red flags waving, specifically that bottom six, which may be a greater albatross this season than last.
The Penguins take their 2-2-0 record to St. Louis on Saturday, Oct. 21. There they will face off against a St. Louis Blues team that currently has a 1-0-1 record.
