Pittsburgh Penguins: The Washington Capitals’ worst nightmare?

If any Eastern Conference team has what it takes to bring down the Washington Capitals, it’s the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

The Pittsburgh Penguins exited last season as a team in transition. That changed when they traded for Toronto Maple Leafs forward Phil Kessel. Immediately, the Pens were entered into the Stanley Cup contender conversation. A rough start quickly had them out of it.

Thanks to the expected brilliance from center Sidney Crosby and defenseman Kris Letang partnered with some quality production from some unexpected sources, the Pens are back in the Stanley Cup picture. And they could be the last team that the Eastern Conference favorites Washington Capitals want to face in the playoffs because they have what it takes to at worst give them an epic run for their money in a seven-game series.

What will it take to beat the Capitals?

To beat the Capitals, a team will have to be well balanced. They have to be able to withstand their forward depth and the eighth wonder of the world that is a determined and motivated Alex Ovechkin. That team will either have to be able to outscore that dynamic offense or find a way to consistently limit it. They will have to have at least average goaltending (most likely above average), but above all else, they have to have a defense good enough to limit the Capitals inevitable scoring and an offense that can best it should the defense fail. The Pens have each of these things.

Pittsburgh’s Offense

Though the Penguins have recently lost star center Evgeni Malkin until at least the second round of the playoffs, they have what it takes to challenge the Capitals even if they get unlucky and have to face them in the first round. Captain Sidney Crosby is a man possessed and has personally made up for Malkin’s absence. Despite teams honing in on stopping him, Crosby has an impressive 23 points in the 19 games that Malkin has been injured in 2016. Centers Nick Bonino, Eric Fehr, and Matt Cullen represent an unheralded but solid center group that is good enough to go places thanks to Crosby.

Crosby’s dominance allows the Pens to shelter the second forward line that features Phil Kessel and Carl Hagelin as the wings and Nick Bonino as the center. That’s a very scary thought as Kessel has proven to be a dynamic goal-scoring threat when utilized correctly. Kessel has been heating up as of late as well, which should concern whoever they have to face in the playoffs. Carl Hagelin fits in nicely with the Penguins with his speed.

While the Pens rely quite heavily on their top two forward lines, don’t sleep on their third line, which features Matt Cullen as the pivot for Bryan Rust and Tom Kuhnhackl. Rust has been as solid of a top nine forward as the Penguins could have expected, and Cullen is a veteran who can make plays.

A fourth line that features Eric Fehr and Conor Sheary makes things a lot easier for everyone else since they gobble up defensive zone starts and still maintain respectable possession numbers. Beau Bennett might not bring much to the table offensively, but he has proven to be quite impressive defensively. He’s a flawless fit for a fourth line often asked to take the tough defensive zone face-offs.

Getting Malkin back would obviously be ideal for Pittsburgh should they take on the Capitals in the postseason. Even if they don’t get him back before then, the Pens offense has what it takes to challenge them.

The Penguins Defense

The Penguins defense has gone from old and slow to young and fast in roughly a nine-month span. Switching Rob Scuderi for Trevor Daley was a trade that proves Pittsburgh’s commitment to speed. Pittsburgh is fast and, for better or for worse, the Penguins have to rely on that speed moving forward. Jim Rutherford is often criticized, but give him props from the Daley trade. Trading for Justin Schultz, in a small sample size, has worked well too. Rutherford noticed his team needed to go all-in with speed and he made the moves necessary for it to happen.

While the Pittsburgh Penguins might deserve a bit of criticism for letting defensive stalwart Paul Martin go to San Jose (where he is flourishing), the Penguins had to create a blue line that would suit their forwards. As great in the defensive zone as Martin was and still is, he couldn’t keep up with all the speed. It was a tough loss but it was the correct decision. Daley’s presence has helped to make up for his departure.

Kris Letang was expected to be the anchor of the Penguins defense, and thus far, he hasn’t disappointed. He drives possession like few can and creates offense like even fewer can. His health will always be a question moving forward, sadly, but when he is healthy, few are better than him at generating offense and pushing puck possession. The Penguins blue line has to get Olli Maatta back to be optimal, but Letang and Pittsburgh’s overall speed gives them enough of a shot to win on his own.

The Penguins Goaltending

Until Marc-Andre Fleury puts up solid numbers for more than one magical postseason run, he will face questions about his production in the playoffs. However, Fleury doesn’t have to be outstanding for Pittsburgh to beat the Caps. He will likely merely need to be solid and keep his team in a position to win. That’s something that he has proven that he is capable of doing.

Even should Fleury fail, top goaltending prospect Matt Murray, who the Pens value very highly, lies waiting for his chance to play. He might not be as proven as Fleury, but his track record in the AHL and his limited NHL sample size suggests that he could be a difference maker in the postseason for the Pens.

Hopefully goaltending will be secondary for the Pens. They have the talent necessary for Fleury or Murray to not have to carry their team throughout the playoffs, but rather, just make the saves necessary for them to win.

What could go wrong?

Several things could go wrong for the Pens if they face the Caps. The first thing is something that they might not have much control over. When they face the Caps is important. If Pittsburgh avoids the eighth seed, they won’t have to face the Caps in the first round. Should they advance past their first round opponent, they could be facing the Caps with Malkin and Maatta healthy. Pittsburgh stands a better chance at beating the Capitals with them than without them.

The Pens have had injury concerns for the past few years. They already have Malkin and Maatta out. Should they lose someone else important, that could be too much for the Pens to overcome. Should they stay healthy and if they face the Caps at just the right time, it’s not hard to imagine the Pens having the best chance of any Eastern Conference team of beating the Capitals.

All stats and graphs courtesy of War-On-Ice.

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