Penguins Today: Could Erik Karlsson be a short-term Superman?

Look up!

OK, that was a not-subtle reference to the fantastic trailer for the next Superman movie. And though the Penguins can’t afford to look up at the Metropolis — er, Metropolitan — Division’s three top teams, they are positioned to solidify their newfound status as a playoff contender between now and the NHL’s Christmas break.

They’re in this spot because of an old-school victory last night in Nashville: They won one they probably shouldn’t have the stars did everything.

You can read more about it here from Josh Yohe. (Thanks for the assist yesterday, my dude!)

The star I’ll focus on is Erik Karlsson, who wasn’t around when Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Bryan Rust were taking runs at the Stanley Cup last decade. Quite the opposite; Karlsson was stuck in Ottawa, where he and the Senators lost to the Penguins in the 2017 Eastern Conference final.

That’s the closest Karlsson has come to playing for the Cup.

He’s a Penguin because he and Kyle Dubas hoped he might be the player Crosby needed to go on another Cup ride. It hasn’t worked out as planned, but …

Look, I’m not putting the Penguins in the Cup Final. I’m not even saying they’re going to make the playoffs.

But have you watched the rest of the conference? Other than the Florida Panthers, does any team look that much better than the Penguins have over their 8-2-1 run?

Not to me.

Karlsson was great in the win last night. He’s been a lot better for about a month.

It’s worth considering how a motivated Karlsson could impact a short series. Could playing in the postseason for the first time since 2019 (and only the seventh time in his future Hall of Fame career) make him more inclined to reduce his defensive lapses?

Give it some thought. It’s all fair game with how things are going for the Penguins lately.

Numbers n’at

.696 — Penguins’ points percentage in December under coach Mike Sullivan.

Something about Santa Claus’ month turns the Penguins into a version of his sleigh on Christmas Eve since Sullivan took over in December 2015. That stat is deceptive because Sullivan lost his first four games with the Penguins, all of which were in December.

The Penguins’ remaining December schedule isn’t filled with heavyweights. If anything, it provides an opportunity for them to build some distance between themselves and Eastern teams behind them in the wild-card standings.

Milestone watch

Crosby now has 35 points in 34 games. He’s slightly ahead of the pace needed to break a tie with Wayne Gretzky for the most consecutive seasons averaging a point per game.

Though the points-per-game mark is hardly the NHL’s most well-known record, it is the one that speaks to Crosby’s unique spot in league history. To average a point per game in two decades of games would be something else, even though when Crosby pulls this off — it’s a when not if, right? — it probably won’t move the needle much outside of Pittsburgh.

Song of the week

“Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”

Performer: Darlene Love
Songwriters: Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry and Phil Spector

Also known as the annual Christmas song on any late-night show hosted by David Letterman, Love’s classic is my second favorite holiday tune. (“Snoopy’s Christmas” by The Royal Guardsmen will always top the list.)

I am quite obviously going with a theme here. Monday’s Penguins Today will be the last of this calendar year. We’ll be back on Jan. 2.

So, in the comments section, please share, if you’re so inclined, your favorite Penguins/hockey gift from holidays past — or one you’d like to see under the tree or at your Hanukkah celebration.

Have some fun. Keep it clean. I’ll share some responses in Monday’s edition.

Don’t miss

• My forever favorite hockey tournament is the World Juniors, which is upon us. Have a look at the top 25 prospects in this year’s event.

About a month ago, I would have suggested paying attention to it for far different reasons. Now, I can’t in good conscience recommend putting too much focus on 2025 draft-eligible prospects.

Fun fact: Team Canada’s captain at the World Juniors is Brayden Yager, whom the Penguins shipped to the Winnipeg Jets for Rutger McGroarty over the summer. McGroarty’s breakout came as captain of Team USA’s gold-medal team at last year’s World Juniors.

You can’t make this stuff up.

• NHL Rules Court is back with some intriguing proposals. The ongoing tax debate is addressed straight away, and it’s the idea that has me most intrigued.

Though, full disclosure: As a hockey reporter, I’m against any idea that makes the NHL’s cap, which is fairly easy to understand for everyone from GMs to fans, more complicated. That’s a self-serving stance because math is not my friend.

• James Mirtle’s dive into the designs of NHL arenas is well-timed, as the Capitals (and NBA’s Wizards) announced yesterday they’ve secured funding for significant renovations to their arena in Washington.

You might wonder why I’m bringing this up. Well, Capital One Arena is the latest from the 1990s to be either renovated or replaced at a big cost. It opened in 1997 — 27 years ago.

PPG Paints Arena is in its 15th season. If the renovation-or-replacement game happens around the 30-year mark, we’re halfway there. A lot happened in these first 15 years. What memories will the next 15 bring?

(Photo of Erik Karlsson: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)