It's the NHL All-Star break, and that means it's time to check in on every NHL team and see how they are doing. The Pittsburgh Penguins are tied for fifth in the Eastern Conference's Metropolitan Division at the break, with a 22-17-7 record through 46 games. The team has 51 points. While that number isn't eye-popping, some of the team's stats are. The Penguins are having an outstanding season defensively, and that's keeping them afloat in the Eastern Conference. Here are the team's grades as the NHL All-Star break is underway.
Offense: C-
The Pittsburgh Penguins won three Stanley Cup championships in the last 15 years because of a strong mix of potent offense with solid defense. The Penguins haven't been able to find that winning formula on offense this season. Despite having one of the league's best centers in Sidney Crosby, the team is lagging in scoring goals. It's the team's greatest weakness.
The Penguins are averaging 2.96 goals per game this season, near the bottom of the NHL. Only 11 clubs are averaging fewer goals than Pittsburgh. One of the reasons why is the power play. The Penguins are almost at the bottom in the NHL in terms of power play percentage, with a 13 percent percentage. Only the Chicago Blackhawks are worse in the NHL in that category. The team is just struggling to take advantage of the opportunities presented to them.
Sidney Crosby is doing what he can for the club. He leads the Penguins in points with 50, and he also leads the team in goals with 27. Unfortunately for Crosby, that's far behind several other players in the league. The Toronto Maple Leafs, for example, have three players with more points than Crosby. So do the New York Islanders. Crosby just doesn't have the help around him that he's used to, despite having long-time teammate Evgeni Malkin on the ice.
There are currently nine teams in the Eastern Conference with more points than the Penguins. That's not great news, but there is a silver lining here for the club. The Penguins are within 6 points of having the seventh most amount of points in the Eastern Conference. There's room for the club to climb if they can start scoring more goals.
Defense: A-
The team needs more goals because the defense is having a campaign to remember. The Penguins have undoubtedly been led by their defense so far this year. The Penguins' goalie Tristan Jarry is a huge part of that success. Jarry is pushing opposing attackers around, with his stellar play in net. Unfortunately, his offense isn't always helping him.
Jarry's overall record as goaltender this season is nothing to write home about. His mark is 13-14-4, but digging deeper into his stats reveals how much more he's giving this club. The Penguins are tied for first in the NHL with 6 shutouts, the most of any team in the Eastern Conference. The other teams that have that many are the Vancouver Canucks and the Arizona Coyotes. Jarry has five of those shutouts, tied for the most in the NHL.
The Penguins are also right near the top of the league in save percentage. The team is fourth in that category in the NHL, with a .915 percentage. Again, that's largely due in part to Jarry. He's got a save percentage in net this season of .913, while allowing an average of 2.53 goals per game, which is sixth in the NHL. Jarry is having a season to remember, but the rest of his team is certainly not keeping up with him.
Overall, the Penguins are sixth in goals allowed per game this season. The team gives up 2.70 goals per game. That's definitely good enough to keep the team in the running for a playoff spot, if this play continues. Jarry's a force to be reckoned with and he's clearly playing with a lot of heart and effort this season for the team.
The Penguins have the defense to compete for an Eastern Conference championship, especially with Jarry in net. The team's success for the rest of the season depends on how many more goals they can get in the opposing net per game. A stronger offense to compliment this defensive play will make the Penguins a dangerous team to contend with in the East.
The Penguins next play the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday in Pittsburgh. The puck drops at 7:00 Eastern.
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