The Pittsburgh Penguins look to conclude their homestand with a victory over the Anaheim Ducks.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are off to one of their poorest starts to the season in the Sidney Crosby era. Recording just three wins through the team's first eight games, the Penguins sit dead last in the Metropolitan Division. They end a four-game home stand with a Monday night showdown against the Anaheim Ducks. Here's what to watch for when the Pens take on the Ducks. 

1. Guentzel Nearing Milestone

Jake Guentzel notched his second goal of the season in the Penguins' 5-2 loss against the Ottawa Senators. The goal was the 199th career goal for Guentzel, putting him just one tally away from an impressive career milestone.

Guentzel is set to become the eighth player in Pittsburgh history to reach 200 goals. Furthermore, Guentzel will achieve this at a faster pace than organizational legends like Rick Kehoe and Jean Pronovost.

Tied for the team lead in points so far this season, look for Guentzel to continue putting the puck in the net and hit the 200 career goal mark against the Ducks. 

2. Special Teams Failures

The Penguins are struggling to score consistently. One way they can alleviate this issue would be to get their power play going. It has looked pedestrian through eight games, even with head coach Mike Sullivan making tweaks already. 

One element that stands out about the fledgling power play is their offensive zone time. The team struggles to gain the zone and establish possession when they do eventually gain entry. 

It's not just the eye test that reveals the team's inability to set up their power play. According to the NHL's player data tracking system, EDGE, the Penguins are spending just 57% of their power play time in the offensive zone. That metric puts them below the 50th percentile across the league. If they want to find more success with the man advantage and improve their offensive output overall, they need to improve their zone entries and increase their offensive zone time.  

3. Youth Movement in Anaheim

It's an exciting time to be an Anaheim Ducks fan due to the wealth of young players in their organization. Players like Trevor Zegras and Troy Terry have already made a name for themselves in the league, but it doesn't end there. 

Two other highly touted youngsters will also make their first appearances against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The number two pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, forward Leo Carlsson, 10th overall pick in 2022, defender Pavel Mintyukov, and goaltender Lukas Dostal are providing the next wave of the Ducks' core. Through eight games, the team is 4-4 and they have beaten the Columbus Blue Jackets, Boston Bruins, and Philadelphia Flyers, in their last three contests. 

The Penguins will have their hands full with this high energy lineup, but they may not have an answer for the games of Carlsson and Mintyukov.

The Penguins and Ducks face off at 7:00 p.m. at PPG Paints Arena.

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