As new years celebrations begin, let's remember the highs and lows of 2022 for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
With a new year upon us, and the Pittsburgh Penguins getting ready to kick off 2023 in style at the Winter Classic, let’s take a look back at some of the best and worst moments of 2022.
It was a year with plenty of ups and downs for the Penguins organization, but let’s get the bad out of the way first.
Worst
Seven-Game Losing Streak
A recent entry to the list, the Penguins endured a losing streak not seen since Sidney Crosby’s rookie season.
After starting the 2022-23 season 4-0-1, the Penguins lost their next seven games getting outscored 33-16 in that span.
A horrendous looking penalty kill and Tristan Jarry dealing with ‘physical issues’ played big roles in this stretch and if the Penguins don’t find more consistency, this stretch could prove to be costly.
Kris Letang’s Stroke
Thankfully, the second stroke of Kris Letang’s life wasn’t too severe and he was able to return to the ice after missing only five games, but it was a frightening moment.
Like Mike Sullivan said, stroke is a scary word, but the Penguins did everything in their power to make sure the health of Letang the person came first.
Postseason Loss to the New York Rangers
The hardest pill to swallow of the year 2022 has to be the defeat from the New York Rangers in the opening round of the postseason.
The sting of this series loss intensifies when you look back and realize the Penguins were arguably the better team hit with unfortunate circumstances.
The Penguins had to play with a third string goalie, didn’t have their captain in Game 6, and were getting the better of a Vezina-winning goaltender.
With the loss in seven games, the Penguins extended their streak of first round defeats to four straight years.
Best
Emergence of Good Young Defense
The Penguins entered the 2022-23 season as the oldest team in the NHL, but there has been growing hope for the future.
During the of-season, the Penguins acquired Ty Smith from the New Jersey Devils and drafted Owen Pickering with their first round pick.
Tack on the growth of P.O. Joseph as an NHL regular and there’s a formula for a solid core of defensemen down the line.
Evgeni Malkin’s 1,000th Game and Celebration
An achievement only ever seen by only one player before him, Evgeni Malkin joined Crosby as the franchises only two players to play in 1,000 career games with the Penguins.
And it wasn’t just a milestone game in Chicago for Malkin, the events and moments surrounding a pair of games made for a lifetime of memories.
Malkin’s son reading the starting lineup in Chicago, followed by a goal in game 1,000, a surprise visit from Sergei Gonchar in Pittsburgh, and Malkin sealing a shootout victory against the Calgary Flames.
It was a perfect few days for Malkin and the Penguins as they climbed back from that tough seven-game losing streak.
Re-Signing Kris Letang and Evgeni
It was a summer filled with uncertainty in Pittsburgh when both Letang and Malkin were due for new contracts.
As the draft and free agency closed in, there were still no deals signed and many fans began preparing for the worst.
Then, at what felt like the last possible second, Letang and Malkin signed new contracts that would keep them in Pittsburgh for the entirety of their careers.
Letang’s lasting for six more season and Malkin’s for four, both at $6.1 million per year.
The Penguins handed out a number of lengthy contracts during the off-season, but these two were arguably the most important.
Letang and Malkin will remain with Crosby solidifying the Penguins iconic trio as one of the most successful in NHL history.
Here’s to a new year and hopefully a 2023 with more positives than negatives for the Penguins.
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