The Penguins have been uneven through the first stretch of the season, but their place in the division looks a whole lot better when you glance across to Philadelphia.
Pittsburgh is 3-3-0 with seven points after six games, a mark that has them sitting third in the division standings with plenty of teams close behind. Still, no team in the division has stumbled out of the gate quite like the Flyers, and that has given Penguins fans plenty to smile about.
Philadelphia opened the season with a 7-0 loss to Pittsburgh at home on September 30, and the skid has only grown from there. Through seven games, the Flyers are 0-5-2 and have managed just two points. After knocking the Penguins out of the playoffs this past spring, that start has been especially sweet for the Pittsburgh side to watch.
The Flyers have been close to breaking through a few times, but the first win keeps slipping away. Three of their losses have come by one goal, and two of those were in overtime. That makes the record look even rougher, because the margins have been there without the result.
For Pittsburgh, the temptation is obvious: laugh at a division rival that has been stuck in neutral since opening night. But the Flyers did reach the playoffs last season after a late surge, and that run is a reminder that this group can still turn things around. They have enough talent to make games uncomfortable, and whenever these two meet, the pace usually picks up.
So while the Flyers’ start has been ugly, it is still way too early to bury them. They have done enough in the past to make a mess of things for the Penguins, and they could still climb out of this hole. For now, though, it’s a brutal stretch in Philadelphia, and Penguins fans are enjoying every minute of it.
In Other News...
Penguins Let Another Winnable Game Slip Away In Chicago
Sidney Crosby did his part in Chicago, scoring twice to keep the Penguins in the game, but it still wasnt enough to prevent a 5-3 loss to the Blackhawks at the United Center. Roman Kansterov matched that with a two-goal night for Chicago, and the teams traded blows in a game that kept feeling there for the taking before slipping just out of Pittsburghs reach.
The latest missed chance adds to the familiar frustration of a winnable night getting away, especially once the third period tilted and Chicago found the separating goal. Pittsburgh was left to sort through another result that had enough encouraging individual moments to feel close, but not enough finishing or late-game execution to turn Crosbys production into points. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Prospects Are Starting To Separate Themselves Fast
The Penguins prospect pipeline is getting a lot easier to sort through early in the season, and that is a good sign for an organization that needs young players to start pushing the conversation. Across the AHL, NCAA and WHL, several of Pittsburghs better-known prospects are showing why they remain part of the long-term picture, with production and consistency beginning to separate the top names from the rest of the group.
Bill Zonnon and Joel Blomqvist are two of the clearest examples of that trend. Zonnon has jumped out quickly in the AHL, while Blomqvists play has given Pittsburgh another reason to watch the goaltending depth chart closely. With roster spots never handed out lightly and organizational depth still a real issue, the next stretch matters for every prospect trying to turn a strong start into an NHL opportunity. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Open Road Trip With A Dahlin Problem Ruff Must Solve
Roster moves and injury updates kept trickling across the NHL on Tuesday, and the Penguins had a notable one of their own mixed into the league-wide shuffle. Pittsburgh placed defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk on injured reserve, another reminder that early-season depth is already being tested while teams try to settle in.
Justin Brazeau also remains part of the conversation around the Penguins, though his situation still has him skating on his own and not traveling with the team. For a club that is trying to keep its blue line and lineup options intact, those kinds of absences can pile up quickly, and the coming days should give a better read on how soon that depth might start to return. [Read more 🡒]