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Penguins Defenseman Bounces Back Amidst Criticism

After some harsh critiques, a Pittsburgh Penguins superstar defenseman answered back with a huge game.

Nick Horwat

Oct 26, 2024; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson (65) skates during warm up prior to a game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Oct 26, 2024; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson (65) skates during warm up prior to a game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images / Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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The Pittsburgh Penguins have gotten off to a horrid start to the 2024-25 season with a 5-8-2 record, sitting near the bottom of the Metropolitan Division standings. Superstar defenseman Erik Karlsson has been especially bad, holding the Penguins back in multiple areas of the ice and costing them multiple losses.

Karlsson previously said he believes he’s been playing great hockey, but many Penguins fans and head coach Mike Sullivan have said the exact opposite. Sullivan didn’t single out Karlsson by name, but there were harsh criticisms made towards a specific player.

With Karlsson being the presumed target of the verbal lashing, he needed to put together a huge performance to show he’s still at the top of his game. A nationally televised contest against the rival Washington Capitals was the perfect spot for Karlsson to have that sort of night.

It didn’t take Karlsson long to make a difference, either. Just under three minutes in, Karlsson snuck into the Capitals' offensive zone and found some open ice. Evgeni Malkin found Karlsson without any pressure, and Karlsson ripped a perfect shot for his second goal of the season.

Karlsson usually takes high-risk pinches looking for scoring opportunities, but this one paid off for him.

Just the one goal wasn’t enough for Karlsson, as he quickly tacked on an assist for his second multi-point performance of the year. Karlsson laid a perfect pass for Michael Bunting to just swat at and put the Penguins up 2-0.

Bunting had also been struggling to produce, with that being his second goal of the season.

The Penguins went on to secure a 4-2 win over the Capitals, pulling their record to 6-8-2, and it all started with Karlsson in a big bounce-back performance.

Heading into the contest against the Capitals, Karlsson had played in each game this year, but has not looked anywhere near himself. In 15 games played, he had just one goal and seven assists for eight total points.

After some stern criticisms, Karlsson responded in a huge way. It was a much-needed performance for not only him, but the team as a whole.

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Nick Horwat
NICK HORWAT

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