NHL Playoffs 2021: 3 reasons Penguins will win the Stanley Cup

Led by star center Sidney Crosby, the Pittsburgh Penguins appear poised to challenge for their fourth Stanley Cup of the Crosby and Evgeni Malkin era.

It’s been a tough four years for the Pittsburgh Penguins since they won their second straight Stanley Cup in 2017. They were eliminated by their archrival Washington Capitals in 2018 and had to watch them win their first Stanley Cup. The following year, they were swept by the New York Islanders in the first round. In 2020, the Montreal Canadiens kicked them out in the play-in round of the postseason.

After a few changes this offseason, the Penguins are right back where they always have been with Sidney Crosby as their captain — near the top. Despite suffering numerous injuries and playing in the very competitive MassMutual East Division, the Pens enter April 29 as the second-best team in the division and just one point shy of the Capitals with two games remaining against their archrival.

Following the trade deadline, the Pens have, on paper, one of the most talented forward groups they’ve ever had. It might even rival their teams in 2016 and 2017. Jeff Carter is no Phil Kessel, but he’s won two Stanley Cups and he should be able to feast on lesser competition.

If the Penguins can get healthy (which is certainly not a given), few teams will be better suited for a postseason run than them. They’ve got a strong offense, a strong defense, and good goaltending. The Penguins have always been a resilient bunch and this year is no different.

Should Pittsburgh win the Stanley Cup, it will cement Crosby as an all-time great with his fourth Stanley Cup. The same could be said for Malkin and even Kris Letang to some degree. A lot is on the line for the Pens this postseason. Let’s look at why they have the goods to win the Stanley Cup.