Penguins Storylines to Follow in Second Half

The Pittsburgh Penguins will have plenty to watch for as the trade deadline and playoffs roll closer.

PITTSBURGH – As the Pittsburgh Penguins enter the back half of the 2023-24 season, they hold a 20-15-6 record and are multiple points back of a wild card spot. The Eastern Conference and Metropolitan Division are homes of huge dog fights for the playoffs and the Penguins are right in the thick of the action.

If they can maintain a level of consistency, the Penguins should have no problem finding their way into the postseason. However, there is a fine line between them reaching the playoffs and going on another run and missing out and essentially starting the rebuild.

Heading into the second half of the season, there will be plenty of storylines to keep an eye on.

Ever since Jake Guentzel entered the 2023-24 season without a new deal in place, it was clear there was going to be uncertainty about his future in Pittsburgh. As the trade deadline approaches, the Penguins likely want to extend him for another couple of seasons, but Guentzel might not fit with the Penguins’ plans.

If the wheels fall off the Penguins wagon, Guentzel is going to launch straight to the top of every trade board there is. Even if he makes it past the deadline, there will still be questions regarding his time with the Penguins.

It’s going to be fascinating seeing where the Guentzel saga goes, but at this very moment, there isn’t a clear answer.

Before you know it, a number of Penguins will surpassing some pretty big career milestones. Multiple players could hit 1,000 games played this season, while the two headed monster are targeting impressive offensive feats.

Lars Eller hasn’t been in Pittsburgh long, but he is just five games away from the 1,000 game mark. If all goes well, he will play in his 1,000^th game in the final match before the Penguins’ bye week, set to face off against the Montreal Canadiens. Eller played six years and 435 games with the Canadiens.

Erik Karlsson is a little further away from 1,000 but could still hit the number in the final games of the year. Sitting at 961, Karlsson is just 39 games shy of the mark.

Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are hunting down one more Stanley Cup, but along the way they are likely to hit some impressive numbers that will continue to solidify their greatness. Crosby is 26 goals shy of hitting 600 in his career and 28 assists away from notching 1,000. Malkin needs just 14 goals to hit 500 in his career.

Crosby will have to exceed his current goal scoring pace to hit the 600-goal mark, but even at the age of 36, nothing seems to be slowing him down and he looks determined to do whatever it takes to win.

Malkin hasn’t been totally on par this year, but only needing 14 for 500 career goals is reachable. He’s already hit 15 this season and might have another gear to hit in the back half of the season.

The biggest story of them all will be the Penguins final push to make the playoffs. If it wasn’t for a futile power play, they might already be holding down a spot, but they will have to fight for every inch.

At their 41-game mark, the Penguins have a 45% chance of making the playoffs, according to moneypuck.com. Their percentage peaked last week at over 80%, but with how tough both the Eastern Conference and Metro Division are, it won’t be an easy challenge for the Penguins.

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