The first week of the NHL season has already given the Pittsburgh Penguins a pretty clear identity. When the puck is moving and the structure holds, they can light it up. When it slips, the whole game can turn into a mess in a hurry.
That contrast was on full display in the first two games. Pittsburgh rolled to a 7-0 road win over the Philadelphia Flyers, a performance that showed just how dangerous this group can be when the defensive details are sharp.
Then came Saturday’s home opener against the Montreal Canadiens, and the story flipped fast. The Penguins watched a comfortable lead get away in the third period, surrendering three straight late goals before Tommy Novak finished it off in overtime for a 6-5 win.
Even with the win, the defensive issues were hard to miss. Pittsburgh gave up four unanswered goals in the final period, and that put Artūrs Šilovs in a tough spot against a string of high-danger rush chances late in regulation.
At the same time, the offense has already shown real depth. Through two games, the Penguins haven’t had to lean on just one line to carry the load. Novak’s two-goal night against Montreal, along with goals from Evgeni Malkin and Samuel Girard, pointed to a bottom-six group that can chip in and finish chances.
Andrei Kuzmenko was back in the lineup for the home opener after taking time away following his father’s death, and he gave Pittsburgh another option on the power play out on the wing. With a heavy road stretch coming later in the week, keeping that scoring balance intact will matter.
There were also some roster changes heading into the weekend. Ben Kindel was activated off injured reserve after missing opening night and played more than 13 minutes on Saturday. To make room, David Gustafsson was moved to non-roster status and placed on waivers after sitting as a healthy scratch in the season opener.
The bigger concern remains what happens in the defensive zone. Scoring 13 goals over two games gives Pittsburgh a strong early base, but the breakdowns against Montreal exposed the risk.
Transition defense and late-game puck management need to sharpen up quickly before the team heads into a three-game divisional road swing. The blue line will have to tighten its neutral-zone spacing and make sure top-line forwards aren’t walking into the zone untouched.
Here’s what’s ahead for Pittsburgh in the week of Oct. 4-11, 2026:
- Mon, Oct. 5 vs. Winnipeg Jets at PPG Paints Arena, 7:30 PM ET, ESPN+
- Wed, Oct. 7 at Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena, 7:30 PM ET, TNT
- Fri, Oct. 9 at Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena, 7:00 PM ET, ESPN+
- Sat, Oct. 10 vs. Dallas Stars at PPG Paints Arena, 7:00 PM ET, Prime Video
In Other News...
Penguins Win Exposes One Early Problem Fans Can't Ignore
The Penguins got the result they wanted in their overtime win over Montreal, but it was anything but a clean night. Pittsburgh had to battle back from an early hole, leaned on Evgeni Malkin for multiple goals and still found itself staring at a game that kept slipping toward the Canadiens before the final push. Even in victory, the pace and the swings made it clear there are still parts of this roster that need tightening up.
Montreals comeback in the third period was made even more frustrating when a coachs challenge wiped away what looked like a go-ahead Penguins goal, adding another jolt to a game already full of momentum changes. The finish eventually swung Pittsburghs way, but the kind of defensive breakdowns and near-misses on display are the sort of early-season warning signs the Penguins cant afford to shrug off, especially after a night that was supposed to feel a lot more settled than it did. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Blow Big Lead Before Escaping In A Wild Opener
The season opener had all the hallmarks of a comfortable night for Pittsburgh, with Evgeni Malkin setting the tone and the Penguins building what looked like a commanding cushion against Montreal. Malkin logged a power-play goal and two assists while moving past Dale Hawerchuk into 22nd place in NHL history with 1,411 points, a milestone that underscored how much he still drives the offense even as the roster around him continues to evolve.
Instead, the game turned into a survival test, as the Canadiens kept pressing and made the Penguins sweat deep into the night. Montreal clawed all the way back to force overtime, with Cole Caufield striking twice and Ivan Demidov providing the late equalizer before Tommy Novak finally ended it for Pittsburgh in the extra period, a wild finish that left the opener feeling more like a warning than a statement. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Overtime Win Came With One Ugly Moment Fans Will Debate
The Penguins overtime win over Montreal came with the kind of moment nobody in the building wanted to revisit once the final horn sounded. Canadiens defenseman Alexandre Carrier had already been an important part of their recent stretch and a steady presence in earlier seasons, which made his exit all the more unsettling for Montreal in a game that was supposed to be decided by speed, structure and special teams, not a dangerous collision.
Carrier was knocked out of the game after a sequence involving Pittsburgh forward Egor Chinakhov, and the hit quickly shifted attention from the result to the condition of the Canadiens blueliner. Because he is in the final year of his contract, every game carries a little more weight around his role and future, and this one left a lingering question mark long after the Penguins celebrated the two points. [Read more 🡒]