Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the NHL match.
Few would have expected the Pittsburgh Penguins to sit inside the top three of the Eastern Conference this early in the season. Yet the rebuilding franchise is there on merit — and the St. Louis Blues should be wary of a side playing with this level of confidence and rhythm.
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins’ strong start has been driven by the league’s most efficient power play. After two and a half weeks of the regular season, the Penguins have converted 33.3% of their opportunities (eight goals from 24 attempts). The veterans continue to lead by example: captain Sidney Crosby tops the team in power-play goals (three), while Evgeni Malkin leads in total points (five). In their latest outing — a 4:5 shootout defeat to the Columbus Blue Jackets — the Penguins still converted once on the power play, with Kris Letang scoring off a clever assist from goaltender Arturs Silovs.
St. Louis Blues
The Blues’ special teams tell a different story. Their power play ranks only tenth (25%), while their penalty kill is far less reliable at 72% — 25th in the league. That inconsistency explains why they’ve dropped to 14th in the Western Conference. A week ago, they were still within the play-off zone, but recent defeats have hurt their momentum: a 1:2 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings, followed by high-scoring defeats to the Utah Mammoth (4:7) and the Detroit Red Wings (4:6).
Pittsburgh Penguins vs St. Louis Blues Prediction
Starting goaltender Jordan Binnington has struggled for consistency, saving just 81.5% of shots against the Detroit Red Wings. Combined with the team’s defensive lapses and penalty-kill issues, this trip to Pennsylvania looks daunting. The Penguins are the more cohesive and confident team right now, and it’s hard to look past them extending the Blues’ poor run.
