The Penguins Have Finally Found Their Edge - And It Shows
For years, the Pittsburgh Penguins were known more for their finesse than their ferocity. Sure, they had the star power - Crosby, Malkin, Letang - and a trio of Stanley Cups to show for it.
But somewhere along the way, the grit that once balanced their skill started to fade. Opponents pushed them around.
Games slipped away in the trenches. And when the postseason got rough, the Pens too often came up short.
That narrative? It’s changing fast.
Thanks to a roster overhaul engineered by Kyle Dubas, Pittsburgh suddenly looks like one of the tougher outs in the league - not just in terms of talent, but in the way they battle. This team isn’t just skilled.
They’re tough. They compete in the corners, win puck battles, and make you earn every inch of ice.
It starts at the top. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang may be in the latter stages of their careers, but they’re still setting the tone.
They’re not just producing - they’re grinding. Digging.
Leading by example. And the rest of the roster is following suit.
Take 18-year-old rookie Ben Kindel. At 5’11”, 182 pounds, he’s not the biggest guy on the ice, but you wouldn’t know it by the way he plays.
He’s fearless in traffic, always willing to go to the dirty areas. Then there’s Tommy Novak, once labeled a perimeter player, now embracing the physical side of the game like he’s been doing it for years.
Up front, the Penguins have added size and snarl. Justin Brazeau and Anthony Mantha bring a bruising presence that’s tough to match up against.
Neither is a pure enforcer, but both use their size to wear down defenders and create space. They’re the kind of forwards that make you feel every shift.
The fourth line? A buzzsaw.
Noel Acciari, Blake Lizotte, and Connor Dewar have been relentless. Dewar, with 107 hits, is a wrecking ball on skates.
They might not light up the scoresheet, but they bring energy, edge, and a whole lot of sandpaper.
Even the skill guys are getting their hands dirty. Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust have been grinding away, doing the little things that don’t always show up in the box score but make a big difference over 60 minutes.
And then there’s the blue line - maybe the most physical Pittsburgh has iced in years. Parker Wotherspoon leads the team with 119 hits and doesn’t shy away from contact.
Connor Clifton has racked up 107 hits in just 26 games and isn’t afraid to drop the gloves when needed. Before his injury, Jack St.
Ivany was showing some bite, and Ilya Solovyov brings more of the same. This group doesn’t let opponents set up shop in front of the net without a price.
Gone are the days when Marcus Pettersson, as valiant as he was, had to take on the heavy lifting alone. Now, there’s a collective willingness to push back - and push first.
Sure, the Pens don’t have a classic heavyweight roaming the lineup, but in today’s NHL, that role is fading. The game is faster, more skilled, and less tolerant of one-dimensional enforcers. That said, if things ever get out of hand, Boko Imama is just a call away in Wilkes-Barre.
The key difference now? Pittsburgh doesn’t feel defenseless.
Acciari, Dewar, Mantha, Wotherspoon, Clifton - they’ve all shown they’re ready to stand up for teammates. Just ask Buffalo’s Peyton Krebs, who found out the hard way after taking a run at goalie Arturs Silovs.
Clifton didn’t hesitate to make him answer for it.
This team isn’t just harder to play against - they’re harder to intimidate. And that’s a massive shift from recent seasons, when opponents too often dictated the physical tone.
Dubas didn’t just add grit for grit’s sake. He built a roster that blends toughness with talent - a group that can skate, score, and stand its ground. It’s a throwback to the kind of championship DNA that’s won Cups in the past, both in Pittsburgh and elsewhere.
Meanwhile, in Olympic Action…
The 2026 Winter Olympics are officially underway, and both North American powerhouses came out swinging.
Team Canada, led by captain Sidney Crosby, cruised past Czechia with a 5-0 shutout. Crosby notched two assists in the win, and with linemates like Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon - plus rising star Macklin Celebrini - Canada looks every bit the juggernaut they were expected to be.
Team USA, coached by former Penguins bench boss Mike Sullivan, opened their tournament with a dominant 5-1 win over Latvia. Arturs Silovs entered in relief and allowed one goal on six shots, but the outcome was never really in doubt.
One notable absence? Russia. Politics have kept them out of the Games, which is a loss for the competition - but it does give Evgeni Malkin some time to rest and recover from a nagging shoulder injury.
Bottom Line
The Penguins are no longer the pushovers of years past. They’ve found their edge - and they’re playing with purpose.
It’s a group that can skill you, hit you, and grind you down. And if this new identity holds, they might just be built for the kind of playoff hockey that’s eluded them in recent years.
Let the games begin.