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

1. The Pittsburgh Penguins have the defense

The Penguins have one of the NHL’s most explosive scoring offenses, so it’s easy to overlook what they do defensively. They’ve gotten better as the year has gone on. Overall, the Pens rank sixth in fewest 5v5 scoring chances against per hour. But since the start of March, they’ve been playing even better.

Much like the Capitals, their goaltending hasn’t been great, but it’s been good enough. Plus, Tristan Jarry has been playing better as of late and you could do far worse than having Casey DeSmith as your backup.

But also like the Capitals, I think their defense is going to make things much easier for their goalies. Because of this, the Penguins won’t need Jarry or DeSmith to carry them or constantly bail them out. With Brian Dumoulin back in the lineup, the Pens have their elite top pairing of Dumoulin and Letang back. That should make an already good blueline even better.

Marino had an outstanding rookie season but has suffered from a bit of a sophomore slump. That said, he has still been good and he’s been better as of late. If Marino and Pettersson continue to improve together, they’ll be a pretty solid second pairing.

Mike Matheson is overpaid, but as long as he’s in a third-pairing role, he’s not going to hurt you too much. Cody Ceci has been surprisingly effective. The Penguins defense might not get the credit their offense does, but they’re still a pretty impressive group.