The Pittsburgh Penguins must be better when facing their top rivals in the Metropolitan Division.

As members of the Pittsburgh Penguins, both returning and new, begin trickling into UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry this month, one challenge will be thrust upon them. Win a championship. That directive is easier made than fulfilled, especially for a team that has failed to win a playoff series since 2018.

There are several ways the Penguins will hope to improve upon from last season. After all, they did miss the playoffs for the first time since 2006. 

But when you reflect on the 2022-23 season, the most glaring issue that team had was their performance against the top teams in their division. The Penguins went 2-10-4 against the four teams that finished above them in the Metropolitan Division. 

The Penguins got swept in their season series against the Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils, and New York Islanders. Some games were competitive, but the Penguins lost seven of those 16 games by two or more goals and gave up a third-period lead in five games.

Success inside the division is more important than ever for a Penguins team that went all-in with the acquisition of Erik Karlsson during the offseason. 

Since the current playoff structure took over in 2014, wild card teams are 12-20 in the first round of the playoffs. Of those 12 teams to advance, only the Nashville Predators (2017) and Florida Panthers (2023) qualified for the Stanley Cup Final. Neither were able to finish the job once they got there.

The Penguins will need to finish the season as one of the top three teams in the Metro Division to have a shot at a sixth Stanley Cup. To do that, they need to improve against their biggest divisional opponents.

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