There's one glaring issue with the Pittsburgh Penguins defense.

We are two weeks into the 2023-24 NHL season, and the Pittsburgh Penguins haven't met their lofty preseason expectations. They are 2-3-0 through five games despite not having faced a single team that qualified for the playoffs this past spring.

The Penguins experienced tremendous roster turnover on their blue line, bringing in top four options in Erik Karlsson and Ryan Graves, and have gotten volatile performance from that entire unit. 

Statistically, the Penguins have defended well early on and are currently fifth in the NHL in expected goals allowed per 60 minutes and eighth in shots allowed per game. The problem doesn't lie with the quantity of opportunities they allow but the quality of those chances. 

The Penguins have given up four goals in their previous two games, excluding empty netters. Of those eight goals, three were due to odd-man rush opportunities, and two more from just outside Tristan Jarry's crease.

Another early tendency,  that has hurt the Penguins has been turnovers. They rank 23rd in the NHL in giveaways, led by Graves, who has made eight on his own.

The Penguins need more from their defense as the competition begins to heat up. They welcome Stanley Cup contenders, Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche to Pittsburgh to open a four-game homestand. 

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