The losing streak is over but the Pittsburgh Penguins still need all the help they can get.
PITTSBURGH - The Pittsburgh Penguins found the win column again, but the victories haven’t been consistent.
While the Penguins still struggle to find their way back up the Metropolitan Division rankings, there are some new winners and losers to be noticed.
Winners
Evgeni Malkin/Jason Zucker
The duo that make the Penguins second forward line shine are obvious choices for the first winners.
Even in the games where the rest of the team isn’t performing around them, Evgeni Malkin and Jason Zucker continue to produce at standout paces.
Malkin is currently riding a four-game point streak and is tied for the team lead in points with 17 in only 16 games played.
Not only is Malkin putting up great numbers, but he has helped bring Zucker back from a brutal couple of seasons.
Zucker is also in the midst of a four-game point streak and that was highlighted with a three assists performance against the Montreal Canadiens.
It’s poetic that these two are the ones leading the Penguins charge as it would have made plenty of people happy to see them both leave Pittsburgh during the offseason.
Losers
First Line
While the second line of Malkin, Zucker, and Rickard Rakell has done a lot of heavy lifting, the Penguins first line has taken multiple steps back.
Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel, and Bryan Rust used to be one of the most feared lines in the NHL; now, they’ve just looked limp and unable to play competitive hockey.
Rust hasn’t recorded a point in six games while all three have been on the ice for a large number of goals against.
Guentzel registered a -5 rating against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Rust and Crosby both a -4.
Kris Letang
The Penguins signed Kris Letang to a six-year deal worth $6.1 million annually, and so far they are far from getting their money’s worth.
Through 16 games, Letang is yet to score a goal or pick up a point on the power play, all the while sitting at a -10 rating.
Letang was kept around by the organization to be an elite level defenseman and he hasn’t brought that to the table yet.
Eight assists on the year isn’t bad and is still one of the top numbers on the Penguins, but Letang needs to be so much better both offensively and defensively.
The Penguins are set to embark on another three game road trip after a brief stop at home; if they want to turn around their fortunes they’ll need a return to form from some of their best players.
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