There has been no shortage of offense, and only a few teams have scored more goals per game. <\/p>\n
Despite being near the bottom of the league in total games played, the Pittsburgh Penguins<\/a> rank 10th in goals scored, and when they catch up, they\u2019ll be close to the top five. <\/p>\n The Penguins are no longer a team full of Hall of Famers, but Sidney Crosby still leads the\u00a0top line<\/a>. The second line still includes Evgeni Malkin<\/a>, though he\u2019s been playing on the wing, either for roster construction or because of a tender shoulder.<\/p>\n And there\u2019s Bryan Rust<\/a> and Rickard Rakell, too. <\/p>\n But the surrounding cast is more comprised of players who washed out elsewhere or are still have their rookie stripes. There are surprises and reclamations, but regardless of who, the goals have followed. <\/p>\n In fact, there are only a few poor grades on the Penguins\u2019 Olympic break report card. <\/p>\n Penguins Report Card: Forwards<\/p>\n Sidney Crosby: A<\/p>\n He\u2019s in line for yet another full season and a point-per-game pace. Crosby remains a dominant force below the dots, and his linemates are always on-call around the net. Perhaps he isn\u2019t the Selke-worthy defender anymore, but he remains in rare form with 27 goals and 59 points in 56 games. <\/p>\n Bryan Rust\/Rickard Rakell: A<\/p>\n In the games without Rust, the Penguins\u2019 lineup has suffered greatly. He adds the fizz to the top of the Penguins\u2019 lineup with puck retrieval, net-front battle, playmaking, and bursts of speed. <\/p>\n His three-game suspension for elbowing Brock Boeser limited the Penguins lineup<\/p>\n Rakell is not getting enough credit for his complete game. He\u2019s been physical at both ends, and his playmaking remains a step ahead of the opponents. <\/p>\n Evgeni Malkin: A+<\/p>\n He had 60 points last season, and he\u2019s close to eclipsing that already. He\u2019s skating better than he\u2019s skated in a few years. He\u2019s dealing, moving, and pushing for one more year.<\/p>\n Egor Chinakhov: A+<\/p>\n So, the Columbus Blue Jackets allowed coach Dean Evason to banish Chinakhov to limited fourth-line minutes, then fired Evason shortly after trading Chinakhov. <\/p>\n The young Russian winger must feel something akin to those freed inmates at the end of true crime podcasts. He\u2019s filled the net since arriving, scoring eight goals and 12 points in 18 games. He\u2019s shown elite speed, nice playmaking skills, and that shot. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s awesome, isn\u2019t it?\u201d Coach Dan Muse has asked rhetorically on multiple occasions.<\/p>\n Tommy Novak: B <\/p>\n Novak had a fairly uninspiring first six weeks of the season. Actually, he was bad. Missed defensive assignments were costly, including one game-winner, and his offensive output was more in keeping with the player that Nashville Predators GM Barry Trotz traded and then criticized.<\/p>\n Once finding his footing in mid-November, Novak has been a good center, showing playmaking and puck skills, as well as defensive acumen. <\/p>\n Ben Kindel: A++<\/p>\n We\u2019re grading on the curve because 18-year-olds are not supposed to assert themselves in the way Kindel has. He\u2019s increasingly adding offense to his game that already included shrewd defensive zone work. <\/p>\n He\u2019s shifty, zippy, knows how to avoid contact, and plays a step ahead of the game. He\u2019s got 14 goals and 13 assists in 53 games.<\/p>\n Remember when Kindel was supposed to be a frequent healthy scratch for development purposes?<\/p>\n Anthony Mantha: A+<\/p>\n Mantha, 32, played just 13 games last season, missing the rest due to knee surgery. Mantha has recovered well and is on pace to hit all of his performance bonuses, which would raise his yearly salary from $2.5 million to $4.5 million.<\/p>\n He\u2019s playing with an edge, impressive playmaking, and a healthy amount of finish.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was my goal to score 20 before the break. It was nice to get there,\u201d Mantha told us during an upbeat conversation in Buffalo, which PHN will publish in the coming days.<\/p>\n Justin Brazeau: A+ or B<\/p>\n If we\u2019re grading on the curve for a player who was a fourth-liner and trade fodder for the Boston Bruins last season, he gets a resounding A+ for destroying any and all expectations. <\/p>\n Brazeau, 28, has a career high 15 goals and 27 points in 42 games. He can play down low but has also shown surprising hands and playmaking. He could be stiffer on the walls and more physical, but he\u2019s a high-value third liner.<\/p>\n Fourth Line: Dewar-Lizotte-Acciari: A+<\/p>\n They have been getting more offensive zone shifts over the last month, in part because the Penguins are largely playing in the offensive zone. However, at one point, the line\u2019s offensive zone starts were in low single digits, yet they still managed a positive Corsi.<\/p>\n The line has a 14-7 positive goal differential and a 54% Corsi. They\u2019re also the Penguins\u2019 best penalty killers. They\u2019re one of the most valuable fourth lines in the NHL. <\/p>\n Rutger McGroarty: B-<\/p>\n A nagging upper-body injury cost him training camp, preseason, and the first couple of months of the regular season. However, he quickly rose from his assignment with the WBS Penguins back to the NHL.<\/p>\n McGroarty\u2019s play is a mixed bag. He\u2019s played well. He has had plenty of scoring chances, he\u2019s solid if not stout in the defensive zone, and competes well at the NHL level. So, why the C+? He has just five points (2-3-5) in 20 games. <\/p>\n Perhaps the grade should be a C+? If he finished some of the chances, he would probably shove aside one of the other wingers or put himself in a rotation with them. <\/p>\n Ville Koivunen: F<\/p>\n In his big chance to establish himself as an NHL regular, he \u2026 did not. Koivunen has a bad habit of resting on his laurels. One good moment or one good period is not followed by more. In 27 games, Koivunen scored two goals with five points, and on a team with a positive goal differential, is a minus-5.<\/p>\n He wasn\u2019t strong on his skates, not feisty, and very much not the same player who so very impressed at the end of last season. <\/p>\n Kevin Hayes: C+<\/p>\n There is a great misunderstanding of his role. He\u2019s the 13th forward. His job is to sub as a center when needed. A winger as needed. He\u2019s been capable and submitted a few above-average performances when called upon. His five points (3-2-5) in 24 games are indicative of a 13th forward.<\/p>\n He\u2019s handled his career slide very well. Just a few years ago, he was a second-line center, but as the game gets faster and faster, Hayes\u2019s future is increasingly murky. <\/p>\n Filip Hallander: B-<\/p>\n It\u2019s unknown if Hallander will play again this season. He was a surprise inclusion on the opening night roster but showed a solid game. He played 13 games, notched four points (1-3-4), and showed himself to be an NHL player, but his exclusion gave way to the fourth line with Connor Dewar-Blake Lizotte-Noel Acciari, which was much better.<\/p>\n He\u2019s currently rehabbing from and dealing with the results of a blood clot. <\/p>\n Avery Hayes: A+<\/p>\n Ok, it was one game, but he made a lasting impression on everyone with the way he scored two goals, including the head coach. Expect to see him soon. <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTags: Evgeni Malkin<\/a> Penguins Analysis<\/a> Pittsburgh Penguins<\/a> Sidney Crosby<\/a> <\/p>\n