Pittsburgh Penguins: 7 Reasons Why They Are Destined to Win the Stanley Cup

It's early, but the Penguins have looked pretty much flawless thus far. 

No one should crown them as champions yet because there are 80 games left on the schedule. However, if this is what's to come for the next six months, then Penguins fans should expect a deep run in the playoffs.

From coaching to offense to defense to goaltending, the Pens have done it all. Here are seven reasons why they are destined to win the Cup. 

Stifling Defense

Despite allowing six goals in the first two games, the Penguins defense has been remarkable, especially in the first two periods. 

They limited the Flames to just 20 shots Saturday night and the Canucks only had 19 shots after two periods on opening night. 

They could improve on their third-period defense. They've come close to blowing two leads and if it's one flaw the Pens have, it would be their lack of ability in holding leads. That being said, Brooks Orpik has been out of the lineup and his return will be very helpful. 

Power Play Is Clicking

It's remarkable what Evgeni Malkin being added to the mix can do to a team's power play. Last year the Penguins finished 25th in the league in terms of power-play efficiency. 

This year it's been a whole different story. The Pens have been highly efficient on the man advantage, scoring four goals already in their first two games on the power play.

Not only that, they just look more confident when they have the man advantage. They're getting more shots off and it has fans wondering how much more dangerous this power play will be when Crosby returns. 

Unbelievable Penalty Killing

Last year the Penguins finished first for the first time in franchise history in penalty-killing efficiency. Despite losing Max Talbot, they have carried the momentum to 2011-12. 

They have killed off the first six penalties this year and against strong teams. The Canucks have plenty of stars like the Sedin twins on their power play, and the Flames have sniper Jarome Iginla. The Penguins have played shutdown defense in their own end when being a man down. Success on the special teams means more momentum swings in favor of the Penguins.

Neal-Malkin-Sullivan Meshing Well Together

James Neal may have been acquired by the Penguins last season, but he never played a game with Evgeni Malkin or Sidney Crosby. Because of this, he only scored one goal in 20 regular season games last year.

Neal scored his first goal in the first game of the season. He also assisted on a huge Malkin goal in Calgary which turned out to be the game winner. 

Steve Sullivan, despite not scoring yet, has contributed, too. He's getting his chances but has not capitalized yet. His speed on the ice shows that he's not ready to retire yet and wants to be a factor on this team. 

Matt Cooke Providing Value

Matt Cooke scored two goals in the first game of the season and has really shown that his main goal this season is to change his playing style. 

Ironically, he was on the other end of a dirty hit from Cory Sarich last night. Luckily, he was OK, but maybe now he knows how dangerous those type of hits can be and it'll be just another reminder for him to keep it clean. 

Most importantly, Cooke has been a key reason why the Penguins are 6-for-6 on the penalty kill. 

Shootout Domination

The Penguins lost the Atlantic Division last year because of a tiebreaker with the Flyers last season. Although wins in the shootout aren't worth as much as wins in regulation, the Penguins will undoubtedly find themselves in plenty of shootouts. 

They've been on fire on shootouts as of late. Marc-Andre Fleury seems to love the shootout and rises to the occasion each and every time like he did in Vancouver earlier this week. 

Guys like Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby thrive in the shootout, too. Finally, Geno Malkin showed that he's focused on improving his shootout numbers after scoring the game clincher in Vancouver. 

If the Penguins can dominate on the shootout, they may be able to steal some points in games that could otherwise be overtime losses. This could give the Pens the push they need to get past the Flyers and win the Atlantic. 

All of This Without the Best Player in the World

Sidney Crosby is progressing and will definitely play at some point this season. No one knows for sure, but realistically it can be said that he'll play at least half the season. In 40 games, it won't be shocking if Crosby puts up over 70 points, which would be a huge midseason addition for the Penguins.

It will put them over the top and make them a completely different animal to be reckoned with. Let's not forget. This Pens team wouldn't lose last year with Crosby and Malkin both healthy. They had a 12-game winning streak, and Crosby had a 25-game point streak. 

Both are now in their prime and thought of them playing together along with Jordan Staal makes the entire league shudder with fear.