SUNRISE, Fla. — One of the benefits of 18-year-old Ben Kindel staying with the Pittsburgh Penguins all season is that he can learn a thing or two from Sidney Crosby.

There’s no question that Kindel will learn plenty from the Penguins’ captain, but he’s already so advanced, perhaps he’s just going to join forces with Crosby in helping the Penguins win right now.

That’s what happened on the road against the defending champion Florida Panthers on Thursday. Kindel and Crosby both scored goals during stretches when the Penguins were back on their heels, and Tristan Jarry otherwise held down the fort in a 5-3 victory.

Crosby scored two power-play goals and added an assist. Kindel was outstanding again and Jarry put on a show as the Penguins beat the Panthers despite being outshot 37-16.

The Penguins were outplayed for large stretches during the game, though probably not quite as badly as the shots would indicate. They actually outplayed the Panthers in the first period. The remainder of the game, however, saw the Panthers possess a huge territorial advantage, attacking in waves in their home building, a third-period staple of Paul Maurice’s team. Jarry never blinked, however, making a number of stellar saves as the Penguins allowed only one five-on-five goal.

“They’re a great team and they’re going to control play at times,” Rickard Rakell said. “But you know what? We didn’t break.”

They certainly did not.

The Penguins felt like they were in a particular amount of trouble after each of Brad Marchand’s goals. Marchand scored in the second period to give Florida life, pulling within a goal after Crosby and Rakell had scored to put the Penguins up 2-0.

Following Marchand’s goal, the Panthers were coming at the Penguins in waves and the equalizer felt inevitable. Then, Tommy Novak found Kindel on a give-and-go, and the rookie buried it.

THIS KID CAN PLAY 🤩 pic.twitter.com/ar7RBC33Fp

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 24, 2025

“This kid is so good,” Rakell said. “You can see he’s going to be a great player.”

Then, Rakell reevaluated what he had said.

“He already is a great player,” Rakell concluded. “He doesn’t look out of place at all.”

Then, there is the master.

The Penguins were clinging to a 4-3 advantage after Marchand’s second goal with half of the third period remaining. Aaron Ekblad interfered with Bryan Rust to give the Penguins a chance.

Crosby required only 15 seconds of power-play time to bury his second goal past Sergei Bobrovsky.

Tic, tac, toe.

That’s another power-play goal! pic.twitter.com/BsH4RFATfT

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 24, 2025

“Sid’s pretty good, too,” Rakell said with a smirk.

Right now, the Penguins are pretty good. They’re not only 6-2 but also a very impressive 4-1 on the road. All six of their wins have come in regulation.

It’s still exceedingly early in the season. The Penguins are eight games in, which means 74 games remain. Dan Muse is hardly getting ahead of himself. Still, the first-year Penguins coach is quite pleased.

“Winning’s not easy in this league,” Muse said. “They’re (his players) doing it in different ways. Even when there were breakdowns, it wasn’t for a lack of effort. I don’t take it for granted. Winning is very, very hard in this league. But it’s still early.”

Ten postgame observations 

• There was a great sequence late in the game. The Penguins were called for icing, which means you must keep the same five players on the ice.

Muse wanted Crosby on the ice, but it was ruled that Kindel was still on the ice when the infraction occurred. So, instead of having his best faceoff man on the ice, Muse had to rely on an 18-year-old.

No matter.

Kindel won the draw cleanly. Then, after the Penguins were unable to clear the puck against the surging Panthers, who were down two goals, Kindel got possession and cleared it himself.

Just another day at the office for a teenager who doesn’t play like one.

“Just in those moments, you have to have confidence in yourself to get the job done,” Kindel said, “and just get the puck out any way you can.”

Muse noticed what he did.

“He’s been in that situation before,” Muse said, referencing a preseason game when Kindel was on the ice for an extended shift in his own territory.

This youngster keeps getting better and better. Tonight was just another example.

• This was Crosby’s finest game of the season, and not just because of the three points.

He looked more crisp and more engaged than at any point in the young season. He also looked a little annoyed all night with Anton Lundell. Crosby and the Florida center battled relentlessly all night, with Crosby initiating most of the contact. He was credited with a team-high four hits.

In the first period, Lundell and Bryan Rust had a battle and the Penguins saw Lundell throw a punch at Rust when he was down and unable to protect himself.

This is why Crosby was going after him all game. Crosby loves playing in this building and was in vintage form. For the season, he now has six goals and 11 points in eight games.

• Jarry was once again outstanding. Florida threw the kitchen sink at him during the final two periods.

The Penguins didn’t play poorly, per se, but they were back on their heels most of the game. They played a relatively smart game and, in what has become a theme, didn’t allow an exorbitant amount of odd-man rushes. That helped.

So did Jarry’s performance. The Panthers were simply superior physically to the Penguins most of the night and they have this uncanny ability to overwhelm teams in the third period. The Penguins have experienced this many times in this building.

Jarry simply stood tall.

“It’s big,” Jarry said. “It’s another chance to have fun and just kind of show who I am. That’s kind of what I want to do this year, put my best foot forward.”

So far, so good.

• Erik Karlsson was simply outstanding in this game, especially at even strength. He had a couple of assists, and that’s great, but I’m talking about his decision-making and his work in the defensive zone.

Karlsson is so gifted that he’s always going to put up some points. We have learned with him that, when he’s off in the defensive zone or in terms of the decisions that he makes, he can be a train wreck.

He held up nicely against the NHL’s most physical team, skating circles around it at times. Really good stuff from him.

• Connor Dewar scored his third goal in eight games, and it was a big one.

It was also a sensationally awful one for Bobrovsky to allow.

Let him Dew his thing 👏 pic.twitter.com/EMoR1twKaL

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 24, 2025

Bobrovsky is a no-doubt Hall of Famer. But the Penguins have long been his kryptonite. That was the case again. He stopped only 11 of the 16 shots he faced and basically scored on himself against Dewar.

• I had an interesting conversation with Ekblad before the game. He spoke of how difficult it is to handle Crosby, and commented on something that you don’t hear very often.

Crosby is only 5-11. Ekblad stands at 6-4. You’d think his size and reach would give him an advantage, but you’d be wrong, according to Ekblad.

“He really hasn’t changed,” Ekblad said. “He’s always been one of the best players in the world. He still is. Those cutbacks are still incredible, a very dangerous part of his game.”

Then, there is Crosby’s relative lack of height.

“He’s three-quarters of the size I am,” Ekblad said.

That, he said, is a problem.

“Shorter, stronger guys are the hardest in the league for us big guys to play against,” he said. “Sid is stronger than anyone, still one of the best players in the world. Quite a challenge, just like it always has been.”

• Consider Maurice impressed with the Penguins under Muse. He noted that he sees “less stretch” in their game, explaining that he sees more speed and more puck support, as opposed to stretch plays and trying to win one-on-one battles.

“They’ve earned it,” Maurice said. “They haven’t been lucky.”

• Connor Clifton replaced Harrison Brunicke, giving the rookie a night off. I thought Clifton was their most ineffective defender and also took the penalty in the second period that gave the Panthers life.

I’d be quite surprised if he were back in the lineup on Saturday when the Penguins host the Columbus Blue Jackets.

• Caleb Jones, playing against his brother, Seth Jones, for the second time in his career, left the game in the third period with what appeared to be a foot injury.

He returned to the bench but didn’t take another shift. Muse said there wasn’t an update on Jones, and there won’t be one until Saturday, because the Penguins are off Friday.

• Here’s hoping for a good crowd at PPG Paints Arena on Saturday against Columbus. Eddie Johnston, Scotty Bowman, Ron Francis and Kevin Stevens are being inducted into the Penguins’ Hall of Fame. It should be a special night.

And right now, this hockey team is worth watching.