The Pittsburgh Penguins are off to a start that has turned heads early in the 2026-27 NHL season.
Through three games, they’re 2-1 and already up to 15 goals, which is the second-most in the Eastern Conference. That total includes the seven they hung on the Philadelphia Flyers on opening night, and they’ve done it while missing Justin Brazeau and Bryan Rust.
On Tuesday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, co-hosts Tyler Yaremchuk and Carter Hutton were joined by video analyst Steve Peters to sort out what’s driving the scoring surge.
Peters pointed first to the veteran spine of the roster, especially Evgeni Malkin. “Evgeni Malkin has been off to an unbelievable start to the season, and he’s got four points already and has been involved in the offense, both on the power play and off of the rush.
He’s able to distribute that puck to put up points. He’s going to be a key figure here.
But the key with Malkin is: can he stay healthy, and can he play enough games? He got 19 goals and then 16 goals in the last two seasons.”
Malkin hasn’t been doing it alone. Peters also singled out the impact of Sam Girard, who has helped give the blue line a different look alongside Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang.
“Then you’ve got to look at the addition of Sam Girard; you look at Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang, both starting to get a little older, and Girard has given them a bit of a jump. He’s been able to get pucks through the net; he’s got a little bit of speed off of the back end.
Can he be a guy that can add some offense from the back end?”
The Penguins are also getting production deeper in the lineup. Peters noted that the bottom six has chipped in, giving Sidney Crosby and Malkin some needed support from the rest of the forward group.
And there’s been a shift in goal as well. Peters said the team has moved through Stuart Skinner and Tristan Jarry, but Arturs Silovs appears to be settling in.
The 25-year-old has a 2.47 GAA through two games this season after playing 39 games last year. Behind him, 22-year-old Sergei Mirashov made 31 saves against the Winnipeg Jets earlier this week, giving Pittsburgh what Peters described as a solid tandem.
“Pittsburgh has done a lot of things right. They’re an older team, but they’re still putting those young players in through the bottom.
I think this is a well-balanced team. Once they get Rust and Brazeau back in the lineup, this team will be dangerous.”
In Other News...
Crosby And Ovechkin Get One More Penguins Chapter To Savor
Alex Ovechkins announcement that this will be his final NHL season gives every meeting with Sidney Crosby a little more weight, and the first of four remaining regular-season matchups between the longtime rivals now carries the feel of a farewell tour as much as a divisional game. For the Penguins, it also comes at a time when the roster is still in motion, with practice offering another look at how the forward group might be arranged around Crosby as the season wears on.
Bryan Rusts return is getting closer after he was a full participant in practice, a welcome sign for a Pittsburgh team that could use more stability and scoring touch as the schedule tightens. Even in a season that has already produced its share of odd side notes across the league, from the NHLs short-lived Hot for Hockey campaign to comeback stories elsewhere, the Crosby-Ovechkin chapter remains the one Penguins fans will circle first, because once Ovechkin is gone, these games will never quite feel the same again. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Suddenly Have A Roster Situation Fans Need To Watch
The Penguins forward group took on a different look this week after a trade with Edmonton brought in defenseman Spencer Stastney and sent Filip Hallander the other way. For a team still sorting out its lineup and trying to keep the back end stable, any move like that can ripple through the depth chart quickly, especially with the schedule moving fast and roles still being defined.
There is also a more immediate personnel wrinkle to monitor around Andrei Kuzmenko, who has returned from Russia and is with the club but will not play right away as he adjusts. Coach Dan Muse confirmed that part of the picture, and Bryan Rust is also a game-time decision for the upcoming game, leaving Pittsburgh with a little more uncertainty than usual as it tries to settle on who is available. [Read more 🡒]
Bryan Rusts Return Forces A Penguins Lineup Shakeup
Bryan Rust is back on the Penguins roster after being activated off injured reserve, bringing an end to the extended recovery from an upper-body injury he suffered in the preseason. His return gives Pittsburgh another veteran piece up front at a time when the lineup has already been shifting around, and it comes just as the schedule offers a familiar measuring-stick opponent in Washington.
The timing of the move also reflects a bit of roster reshuffling behind the scenes, with Pittsburgh making room by dealing Filip Hallander to Edmonton for Spencer Stastney. Rusts presence should immediately change the look of the forward group, and the next question is how the Penguins line combinations settle once hes back in game action. [Read more 🡒]