Crosby and Malkin Keep Penguins Afloat in Center Rankings

The Pittsburgh Penguins remain one of the strongest teams down the middle of the ice.

"Strength down the middle."

It was more than just a slogan. It was the formula for the Pittsburgh Penguins through most of the Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin era. It began in 2006 when Jordan Staal stormed into the league, scoring 29 goals as a rookie.

While Staal was the most talented center to play in that role for the Penguins, the centers that followed supplemented the team's two generational talents well as the organization continued to build from the center position outward.

The organization has since gotten away from that formula, eventually leading to last season's musical chairs act in the bottom six. But even with a lack of support from centers Jeff Carter, Teddy Blueger, Mikael Granlund, and Ryan Poehling, the Penguins' star centers kept the team afloat in the Eastern Conference wild card race.

The arrival of Lars Eller and Noel Acciari this summer should provide more aid to Crosby and Malkin next season, with the former being considered "key" to the Penguins' offseason plan, according to President of Hockey Ops Kyle Dubas.

Still, the Penguins will live and die on the backs of Crosby and Malkin, who have shown no signs of slowing down to this point in their careers. Crosby finished last season with 93 points (33G-60A) and received votes for both the Hart and Selke Trophies. 

Meanwhile, Malkin had his best season since 2017-18, scoring 83 points (27G-56A) in 82 games. It was the first time the Penguins duo played in all 82 games in a season together.

Entering their 18th season together, Crosby and Malkin remain one of the best center duos in the NHL.

Metropolitan Division Positional Rankings (Center)

1. New Jersey Devils (Hischier-Hughes-Haula-McLeod)
2. Pittsburgh Penguins (Crosby-Malkin-Eller-Acciari)
3. New York Rangers (Zibanejad-Trochek-Chytil-Bonino)
4. Carolina Hurricanes (Aho-Kotkaniemi-Staal-Drury)
5. New York Islanders (Horvat-Nelson-Pageau-Cizikas)
6. Washington Capitals (Kuznetsov-Backstrom-Strome-Dowd)
7. Columbus Blue Jackets (Jenner-Fantilli-Sillinger-Kuraly)
8. Philadelphia Flyers (Frost-Couturier-Cates-Poehling)

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