Pittsburgh Penguins defenceman Erik Karlsson is heating up at the perfect time. In the last 14 games, the Pittsburgh Penguins have a record of 10-3-1 and he has a huge part in it. During the Penguins 11 game stretch where they were 8-2-1, Karlsson had 10 points and had a +/- of +8.
During that span, amongst 129 defenceman with at least 150 minutes played, he was 12th in expected goals forced percentage and third in expected goals for per 60 minutes. Also amongst defenceman, Karlsson was tied for second most points at five on five play.
Karlsson’s rise in offence has for sure helped the Penguins during their impressive hot stretch. Some of those wins have been against some good teams such as the Vancouver Canucks, Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers, and Toronto Maple Leafs.
After this impressive stretch, the Penguins currently have 37 points placing them fourth in the Metropolitan Division. They are also just one point out of a playoff spot behind the Ottawa Senators for the last wildcard spot.
In Karlsson’s last five games, he has five points including two, two point performances against the Nashville Predators and the Philadelphia Flyers. Karlsson now sits at 24 points in 36 games and has a +/- of -4.
Still A Disappointing Season For Erik Karlsson
Despite a recent hot surge from the Penguins defenceman, this is still a disappointing season for himself and what Penguins fans have hoped for. Everybody knows Karlsson is not a good defenceman by any means. However, people were able to move past that due to his elite offensive abilities. His elite offensive talent was evident in the 2022-2023 season where he had 101 points. That 101 point season was under David Quinn who is now reunited as the Penguins defensive and powerplay coach.
However, as a Penguin, the offence has not been good enough to make up for his poor defensive play. In his first season with the Penguins last year, he had 56 points in 82 games. This year the offensive struggles continue as he has just 24 points in 36 games. Also, even though it has been somewhat better lately, he is still turning over the puck frequently as he has 59 times this season.
Before his and the Penguins hot streak, Karlsson’s play was very disappointing. In 24 games, he had just two goals and 13 assists for a total of 15 points. Also at that time, he had a +/- of -13 and is one of the worst defenceman in the league in expected goals against.
Despite still getting top defenceman minutes per game, Karlsson’s 22:46 minutes per game this season is the lowest minutes per game average since his rookie season (20:07).
Also, during this hot stretch from Karlsson, his defense for the most part has been better as well. In his last five games, four out of his five games, he had a +/- of either zero or higher. His lone game with a negative +/- was -1 in the shutout loss against the New Jersey Devils.
Expectations From Penguins Defenceman Erik Karlsson The Rest Of The Season
Penguins defenceman comes with expectations. Karlsson especially at 34 years old, may never have a 90+ point season again in his career. However, both the Penguins fans and coaching staff still expect better offensive numbers from him. Assuming he stays healthy, if he can finish with the season with at least 65 points (and not just because that is his number), that will be a successful season for him.
Another expectation/wish for Karlsson is for his defence to improve with his offence. Last season his +/- was positive for the first time in his career since the 2018-19 season. If that can be positive once again and his defensive IQ and positioning continue to improve, that is another positive. Also, if Karlsson can play better around the puck on both sides of the ice in terms of creating turnovers on the defensive end and not giving away the puck on the offensive end.
If Karlsson’s hot streak can become more permanent, the Penguins might win themselves enough games to get back into the postseason. With the tons of veteran leadership and big names on the team such as Karlsson, they could potentially get in the playoffs.
Main Photo: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
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