Can the Penguins aging trio Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang get team back into 2024 playoff mix?
So far the Penguins have kept their trio as the central force of the team. But can this strategy bring them Stanley Cup Playoff chances in 2024?
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Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang, Evgeni Malkin [Image Credit: Twitter - Pittsburg Penguins]
After missing the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoff race, fans fumed over the Penguins’ management for failing to add young players to their roster. The team, for the first time in 16 years failed to make it into the race, following Alex Ovechkin’s team Washington Capitals.
Now with the 2023-24 regular season starting in October, players and fans are excited to see a new team with players joining their roster. Although, the Pittsburgh Penguins core remains to be the same, with – Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang as star players.
The team emptied its front office after their failure in playoffs by firing GM Ron Hextall, assistant GM Chris Pryor, and President of Hockey Operations Brian Burke. The question that at least haunted fans prior to the regular season is whether their aging core can help the team in acquiring a Stanley Cup Playoff spot.
Related: When will ‘The Great Eight’ Alex Ovechkin reach 1,500 NHL career points?
Is depending on Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang the right strategy for Penguins in 2023-24 season?
![Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang [Image Credit: Pensburgh]](https://firstsportz.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Untitled-design-12-28-1024x768.png)
It’s no doubt that “The Next One” Sidney Crosby (35), Evgeni Malkin (37), and Kris Letang (36) are still top in their forms and have delivered significant results in the 2022-23 regular season. Although Letang dealt with health issues, including going through his father’s passing, the defenceman recorded 12 goals and 29 assists in 64 games.
With the belief that their core members will help them get back into the Stanley Cup Playoff mix, the Penguins’ new team president Kyle Dubas has been adding supporting players to their roster. Although fans are hoping their optimism will get them back into the race, it’s also notable that the team failed to do so last season.
Not only were they unable to make the struggle down the stretch, but the Pens also didn’t deliver many new winning strategies. Even years prior to the 2023 playoff, the team was effortlessly thrown out of the race in the first round. Fans are yet to see the remarkable 2016 and 2017 performances where they won back-to-back Stanley Cups.
Crosby, Letang, and Malkin have been phenomenal players in the NHL since their debut on the ice. No one believes they’ll succumb to age anytime soon as they showcased extraordinary plays even last year. But relying solely on them would definitely hurt the team in the new season.
Significant changes needed in Penguins’ goaltending and defensive zone
![Pittsburgh Penguins [Image Credit: NHL]](https://firstsportz.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Untitled-design-11-36-1024x768.png)
Their defense and goaltending need serious consideration, as both positions play huge roles in team success. Goalies Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith failed to produce consistent results last year and allowed their opponents to loot scores in a jiffy.
They did indeed produce some star plays, but they failed to assure the team that they’re the backbone of the roster. Jarry started 47 games with 24 wins and 13 losses with a 2.90 goals-against-average and .909 save percentage in the 2022-23 regular season.
On the other hand, started 33 games with a 3.17 goals-against-average, .905 save percentage in 15 wins and 16 losses. The defensive side is expected to be strong with the player combo of Kris Letang, and Ryan Graves.
While this duo is better at offensive strength than shutting down players, the 2nd duo of Marcus Petterson and Jeff Petry are decent defensively, with less offensive factor. Their defense zone will be strengthened if the Penguins can acquire San Jose Sharks, Erik Karlsson.
As for forward players, Crosby is still the best. He can not only make godly pinpoint passes but also possess enough offensive strength. The top line of Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel, and Bryan Rust can be a very effective unit as per reports.
Evgeni Malkin, Reilly Smith, and Richard Rakell make up fairly for the 2nd line while Noel Acciari, Drew O’Connor, and Lars Eller stand strong on the 4th line. Jeff Carter being on 3rd is still a question to many, as he is yet to produce records resembling his golden years.
With all said and done, the 2023 roster will determine whether the Penguins have a chance at the 2024 Stanley Cup race or if will it be yet another dream. New challengers and players will be waiting to take them down, and results will solely depend on the team’s overall effort as much as focusing on the trio.
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Kaushani Chatterjee
(2162 Articles Published)