The Pittsburgh Penguins started the 2026-27 season with a 7-0 thrashing vs. the Philadelphia Flyers. Defensively, they haven’t done much since.
Pittsburgh has now allowed 13 goals in its first four games, following Wednesday night’s loss to the Washington Capitals. Take out their season-opening shutout win, and Pittsburgh has allowed those 13 goals in its previous three contests (4.33 per game). Since the Penguins shut out the Flyers, they have also scored 11 times (3.66 per game).
While the Penguins have 80 games to look more like the team fans saw in their opening matchup, there also needs to be an early-season sense of urgency. This core stat may be the most troubling: Pittsburgh has allowed five goals in two of its last three games, and three goals to the Winnipeg Jets.
How The Pittsburgh Penguins Got Here
In the second game of the season, the Penguins led the Canadiens 5-1 before Montreal scored four unanswered goals and forced overtime. Two of those goals came in the final 68 seconds, putting momentum at the Canadiens’ backs. Pittsburgh, however, got its act together in overtime and escaped with a win when Tommy Novak scored.
Then Winnipeg turned a Penguins lead into yet another defensive collapse. The Penguins had the Jets shut out until the 4:43 mark of the third period when Alex Iafallo drove one home for Winnipeg. It was the first of three goals the Penguins allowed in the final period, and they skated away with the loss.
Finally, the Capitals made the trend harder to ignore. Washington built a 4-1 lead come the 13:14 mark of the second period. While Pittsburgh clawed its way back and cut its deficit to one, Ryan Leonard scored on the power play at the 3:55 mark of the third, making the score 5-3. Washington did not look back.
The Season Opener Is Starting To Look Like The Outlier
Even without the seven goals Pittsburgh scored in the season opener, 3.66 goals per contest is a solid number. At an 84-game pace, that’s 308 goals. More than enough to prove they are an offensive powerhouse.
Still, if Pittsburgh can’t improve defensively, 3.66 goals per game won’t be enough on many nights. It also raises the burning question: Was the 7-0 opener evidence that the Penguins improved defensively, or was it just one dominant night against a heated rival?
Right now, the evidence shows the latter. Pittsburgh hasn’t given its fans a reason to believe that it turned a corner defensively. And going forward, figuring out a way to thrive when they don’t have the puck is a question the Penguins must answer. If they don’t, then they will let a lot of winnable games slip through the cracks.
Given their offensive firepower, the Penguins have more than shown they’re capable of keeping pace with the NHL’s best teams. You don’t score seven and six goals in two of the first four games of the season if that wasn’t the case.
As the Penguins head into mid-October, they must answer their first critical question of the season. They can start searching for answers starting on Friday when they face the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Pittsburgh Penguins’ Defensive Numbers Have Taken Sharp Turn Since Opener