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Pittsburgh Penguins 2024: Scoring Surge Boosts Playoff Hopes Despite Defensive Struggles

   

Last year, the Pittsburgh Penguins had one 40-goal scorer, captain Sidney Crosby, and three other 20-goal scorers, including Bryan Rust (28), Evgeni Malkin (27), and Jake Guentzel, who had 22 before his late-season trade.

Predicting the Pittsburgh Penguins' Opening Night Lineup

It was a step back for the Penguins, who had six 20-goal scorers in 2022-23. Realistically, the team finished with half of the previous season's totals since Guentzel left after 50 games. Overall, Pittsburgh scored 253 goals (18th), a decrease of eight from the 2022-23 season. 

Only 11 players reached double digits in goals, and four of those skaters are no longer with the organization: Guentzel (22), Lars Ellers (15), Reilly Smith (13), and Jeff Carter (11). 

However, those departures have not slowed the Penguins down. At their 2024 Christmas break, Pittsburgh had 111 goals, good for 10th overall in the NHL.

Offensively, they rank 15th with 3.08 goals a game but defensively have the league's second to last goals against per game, ranking 31st at 3.64. 

After 36 games, Pittsburgh has three players who have already reached double digits in lamplighters: Rickard Rakell (16), Rust (15), and Crosby (10). 

Ultimately, Rakell and Rust will reach 20 goals, most likely in January, but what about the rest of the team?

According to projections available at Elite Prospects, Pittsburgh could have five 20-goal scorers this season, which is one more than they employed last season.

  • Bryan Rust: 39 goals
  • Rickard Rakell: 36 goals
  • Blake Lizotte: 26 goals
  • Sidney Crosby: 23 goals
  • Michael Bunting: 21 goals

Moreover, several players are on pace to reach double digits in goals, including Kris Letang (17), Anthony Beauvillier (16), Malkin (16), Kevin Hayes (13), and Philip Tomasino (13). 

Despite the increase in scoring this season, the Penguins are still chasing a wild card spot and sit one point behind the Ottawa Senators for the last playoff spot. 

Pittsburgh's season resumes on Saturday, Dec. 27, against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on Long Island.

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