Penguins Near League Lead in Unexpected Category

The Pittsburgh Penguins are one of the NHL leaders in an unexpected category.

Nov 7, 2024; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) and center Evgeni Malkin (71) skate up the ice against the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images / James Guillory-Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh Penguins are one of the worst teams in the NHL this season. It's a phrase never before stated during the Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin era, but it's the reality of the organization. They have the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference and staring down a top-10 or possibly top-5 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

The one area the Penguins continue to excel is in chance and shot generation. Credit to Crosby and Malkin's elite play at their veteran ages because they have led Pittsburgh to the top of an unlikely category in the NHL.

According to NHL EDGE advanced statistics, the Penguins are one of the best teams this season at generating high-danger shot chances and opportunities. NHL EDGE defines high-danger as "the area within 29 feet of the center of the goal and bound on both sides by an imaginary line drawn from the faceoff dot to 2 feet outside the goalpost."

The Penguins have recorded 541 high-danger shots so far this season. That ranks fourth in the NHL, behind only bonafide Stanley Cup contenders the Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Stars, and Tampa Bay Lightning. It also puts them ahead of other playoff teams like the defending champions, the Florida Panthers, Winnipeg Jets, and Vegas Golden Knights.

It's an incredibly surprising statistic to see, and it's even more surprising when you look at how poorly the Penguins convert. Despite averaging the fourth-most high-danger chances, they rank 21st in goals per game. They average 2.82 goals per game while surrendering 3.57.

The lone bright spot for the Pens this year is the incredible play of their captain and future Hall of Famer, Sidney Crosby. He recorded the 600th goal of his career this season and moved into ninth place on the NHL's all-time scoring leaderboard. Through 65 games, he has 23 goals and 47 assists for 70 points as he closes in on a 20th straight season averaging a point-per-game. The Penguins might not be in the playoff race, but they are still generating chances in every contest.

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