The week ahead: Penguins looking for just one win
Dec 30, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) skates up ice with the puck against the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images When the 2025-26 NHL season began the Pittsburgh Penguins were given, by most models, less than a 10 percent chance of making the Stanley Cup Playoffs. As they enter play on Monday, with game No.
79 on the schedule ahead, MoneyPuck has them at a 99. 9 percent chance to make the playoffs with an 8. 2 percent chance of reaching the Stanley Cup Final.
Needless to say, there has been a lot that has changed for this team over the past few months. Erik Karlsson looks like a Norris Trophy defenseman again. Anthony Mantha, Justin Brazeau and Parker Wotherspoon might have been three of the best value free agent signings in the entire NHL.
Ben Kindel and Egor Chinakhov look like potential long-term building blocks. The core veterans are still outstanding. The team has its flaws to be sure.
They still give up too many goals, with both the defense and the goaltending sharing some responsibility in that. The forwards, however, are tremendous. This team is going to be the highest-scoring Penguins team of the Sidney Crosby era, and it is the second-highest scoring team in the NHL this season behind only the Colorado Avalanche.
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