Steeltown Lockdown: Pittsburgh Penguins Ride Defense To Winning Streak

With Sidney Crosby riding a 12-game scoring streak to the top of the NHL scoring race and the once-sluggish power play gulping espresso, the Pittsburgh Penguins' current six-game streak could be easily attributed to the manifestation of offensive might.

The Penguins—with the combination of Crosby, former scoring champion Evgeni Malkin, rapidly improving Jordan Staal and offensively-gifted defensemen Kris Letang and Alex Goligoski—were expected to burn out a few bulbs on the scoreboard this season.

They largely have delivered on that promise, netting an average of 3.0 goals per game, the 10th best mark in the NHL, even though Staal has yet to take the ice due to various injuries.

Even the power play, which once ranked in the bottom third of the league, has begun to contribute regularly in the last two weeks. The Penguins have scored six man-advantage goals in the past five games, boosting their conversion rate to 16.2 percent, 16th in the 30-team circuit.

But for those seeking for a reason why Pittsburgh has gone 9-1-1 since a loss in Anaheim Nov. 5, climbing to within two points of Atlantic Division-leading Philadelphia, the answer is simple: goal prevention.

In what is sure to seem foreign to longtime followers of the flightless birds, the Penguins (15-8-2, 32 points) have leaped into the Eastern Conference's top three due to defense. By the simple measure of goals against, Pittsburgh is the fourth-best defensive squad in the league, surrendering 2.4 per contest.

The Penguins' superb defensive ranking is the direct result of success in two areas: preventing shots and killing penalties.

One of the key benefits of coach Dan Bylsma's puck control philosophy is that it keeps opponents from racking up greater than average shot totals, reducing stress on team defense and goaltending. Judging by the fact that the Penguins are allowing 28.0 shots against per game, the fourth-lowest average in the NHL, it seems Bylsma's players are executing the game plan well.

While shorthanded, the Penguins have shut it down even better. After killing 84.1 percent of opposition power plays last season using an aggressive approach, Pittsburgh has reached a new stifling stratosphere through 25 games this fall, canceling a league-leading 90.2 percent.

As the Penguins have started to string wins together in recent weeks, the PK unit has gone from very good to beyond belief, exterminating 28 consecutive power play chances after Saturday's win over Calgary. This remarkable run has been half of a special teams resurgence, as the power play's awakening has helped make up for the recent lack of even-strength scoring (just four in the last four games).

With all due respect to the exploits of the power play and captain Crosby (a league-leading 40 points entering Monday's game in New York), the Penguins' November surge has been primarily a defensive accomplishment.

Franchise goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury has certainly played a role as well, going 7-0-1 in his last eight decisions. The seventh-year pro was at his best this past week, stopping 88 of 92 shots en route to three wins, including a shutout Wednesday at Buffalo and a season-high 43 saves Friday versus Ottawa.

With Fleury back in top form, the special teams revitalized, Crosby playing the best hockey of his career and Staal poised to return soon, the Penguins appear in prime position to make a run for division and conference championships this regular season.

Whether the Black and Vegas Gold ultimately reach those heights depends on continued defensive excellence. For a franchise famous for offensive magicians, that concept seems counter-intuitive, but the results of the last three weeks are impossible to ignore.