The Penguins are the opposite of their cross-state rivals: they are mostly outstanding in games decided in regulation and pretty hopeless in games that go beyond regulation.
Entering play on Tuesday, they have the seventh-best points percentage in the NHL, the third-best in the Eastern Conference, and the fourth-most regulation wins in the NHL (13), despite being tied for the fewest games played in the league.
They are 13-7 in games decided in regulation, but only 1-6 in games that go beyond regulation, including 0-4 in shootouts. That is a lot of points left on the table.
Even so, this is a team that everybody in the NHL expected to be in the Gavin McKenna derby this season, and instead, they are starting to look like a playoff team.
The core veterans and future Hall of Famers (Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Erik Karlsson) still have some juice to them, and an influx of young talent (Ben Kindel, Ville Koivunen, Rutger McGroarty) and fresh faces (Justin Brazeau, Anthony Mantha, Parker Wotherspoon) have brought new energy to the lineup.
Add in some better-than-expected goaltending, and you have one of the league’s biggest surprises.