TEAM EDITORIAL

The Pittsburgh Penguins have opened the 2026–27 regular season with two wins, but their 6–5 overtime victory over the Montreal Canadiens revealed both their attacking promise and defensive vulnerability. After a dominant 7–0 road win over Philadelphia, Pittsburgh built a four-goal lead against Montreal before allowing the Canadiens to force overtime. Tommy Novak ultimately scored his second goal of the night 1:33 into the extra period, preserving the perfect start. Evgeni Malkin supplied a goal and two assists, while Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang each contributed two assists. Arturs Silovs made 20 saves in goal.

The early results suggest a team capable of generating offense from several lines and receiving meaningful production from its veteran core, while still needing greater consistency after gaining control of games. The return of Andrei Kuzmenko from personal leave and Ben Kindel from injured reserve adds forward depth, although Pittsburgh has also placed David Gustafsson on waivers. Bryan Rust, Justin Brazeau and Ryan Graves remain listed as unavailable, creating additional pressure on the active group.

The Penguins are also beginning their 60th-anniversary season, lending added significance to their home opener and the franchise’s celebration with Mario Lemieux. Their next test is a regular-season home game against the Winnipeg Jets on October 5.