The Pittsburgh Penguins have exceeded expectations through the final month of 2024 and since the end of November, they have been playing good, consistent hockey. Their defense has been performing well, and they are getting good production from their special teams. There are some big games coming up and the Penguins will be tested as they enter 2025. Will they rise to the occasion or has their recent surge been a streak of luck?
Will the Penguins Find Success in 2025?
There is no doubt the Penguins have massively improved since the start of the season. One big reason for this improvement is Sidney Crosby. He was a little quiet to start the season, going 10 games without a goal. However, the captain has more than made up for lost time scoring nine points in his last five games. He also just recorded his 1,034th NHL assist during the game against the New York Islanders on Dec. 29, passing Mario Lemieux for most assists in franchise history. In 37 games this season, he has 39 points. At 37 years old, it is clear he has no plans to slow down just yet.
Crosby’s linemates are another huge reason the team has been finding success. Currently, Rickard Rakell has 17 goals in 38 games which is already more goals than he scored last season. If the Penguins are going to make a legitimate playoff push in 2025 they will need him to continue producing. Bryan Rust has also been outstanding with nine goals in his last 13 games.
Pittsburgh’s special teams have also made a huge improvement from where they were last season. Currently, the Penguins have the eighth-best power play in the league at 24.5%. They also have the seventh-best penalty kill at 83%. Along with special teams, head coach Mike Sullivan has made a few more positive changes and seems much more flexible. Assistant coach David Quinn could have something to do with that. Sullivan and Quinn have a history that dates back to the 1980s when they were teammates at Boston University.
There is no doubt the head coach has a lot of faith in Quinn’s leadership abilities and it has shown this season. The power play no longer looks like a chaotic mess and the defense has gotten back on track. It seems there may finally be someone on the coaching staff who has Sullivan’s ear.
One thing the Penguins are still struggling with is consistently playing a full 60 minutes of hockey. In the game against the Philadelphia Flyers on Dec. 23, Pittsburgh played extremely well through the first period, being heavy on the forecheck and hardly giving up anything in the neutral zone. However, they looked like a completely different team in the second period, not skating well and completely slacking off as the Flyers scored two goals. They went right back to work in the third period though, blocking shots and clogging up the neutral zone.
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For the majority of the game against the Flyers, the Penguins were the aggressors. They were playing a very physical game and were rewarded with a 7-3 victory. However, they laid back in the second period because they had a three-goal lead, which is something they have done a lot of this season. The road to the playoffs is still very much an uphill battle for Pittsburgh, and if they can’t play for a full 60 minutes, they will not see the postseason in 2025.
Penguins Still Have Work To Do
Pittsburgh is currently holding an Eastern Conference wild-card spot, but they will have their work cut out for them to start the new year. They will face the Florida Panthers, the Carolina Hurricanes, and the Edmonton Oilers all within the first 10 days of January. Have they just been riding a string of luck or have they legitimately improved? Now is the time for them to prove themselves.
