Mark Madden: Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang provide needed synergy for Penguins

So far, so good for the Penguins. Well, except for that opening-night debacle vs. Chicago, a sure-shot draft lottery team. But two out of three ain’t bad. MA! THE MEAT LOAF!

The most encouraging development might be the synergy between defensemen Kris Letang and new boy Erik Karlsson.

They will rarely be on the ice together, but one will almost always be. That duo will do more to control games than any other factor.

Karlsson was vintage in Friday’s 4-0 win at Washington. He made two stellar keeps at the blue line, both leading to Penguins goals. Karlsson found such a groove that the mere threat of his skating and playmaking paralyzed the Capitals. The power play has performed OK, but not near what it can be if they put it in Karlsson’s hands. Where should we be, what should we do?

Letang has been strong almost every shift, a hard-skating juggernaut whose oft-underrated defensive skills have sparkled. Letang isn’t upset by Karlsson’s arrival, but here’s betting he feels challenged by it. He wants to be top dog till proven otherwise.

The tandems at the blue line appear solid.

Letang and Ryan Graves are a work in progress but look promising. Karlsson and Marcus Pettersson are a perfect match. The season is just three games in, but Pettersson has a near-flawless read on Karlsson’s tendencies. (That’s not easy. Karlsson has paralyzed the occasional partner, not just foes. He’s here, he’s there, he’s everywhere.)

Up front, the big revelation is the chemistry between linemates Evgeni Malkin and offseason get Reilly Smith.

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Malkin has had a revelatory start to the season, racking up two goals and four assists. Smith has netted in each of the last two games and should have more.

Malkin’s energy has been palpable. Of special note are the passes he’s made through the neutral zone. Malkin often tries to lug the puck between the blue lines, even when space isn’t there. But lately he’s picked the lock by passing the puck, and to great effect.

Malkin is 37. Does he have one more 90-point season (or better) left in him?

It’s tough to predict. Letang and Sidney Crosby have prepared to play into their 40s since they were in their teens. Malkin has hardly been derelict in his training but hasn’t done what those two have.

A somewhat overlooked improvement is the Penguins’ goaltending depth thanks to the addition of Alex Nedeljkovic.

Nedeljkovic had a superb rookie year with Carolina in 2020-21 but has stumbled since, spending time in the minors. But the talent is clearly present, and Nedeljkovic is just as obviously better than Casey DeSmith, his predecessor as the team’s No. 2 goalie.

If DeSmith is in goal instead of Nedeljkovic, the Penguins lose Saturday night vs. Calgary. The Penguins were outshot 26-16 through two periods but trailed by only 1-0. Nedeljkovic made just enough good saves. (Not that DeSmith hasn’t played OK for his current team, Vancouver. He made 37 stops to beat Edmonton on Saturday, 4-3.)

The plan is supposedly to play Jarry a little over 50 games by way of shielding him from fatigue and injury. That would give Nedeljkovic a healthy chunk of action. It will be interesting to see what he can do with that.

The method of Saturday’s victory was a godsend after Tuesday’s 4-2 loss to Chicago, which saw the Penguins bow after holding a third-period lead. That happened nine times last season. Ugh.

The Penguins netted twice in the first 41 seconds of the third period, turning a one-goal deficit into a one-goal advantage, then scored again 5:09 later to make it 3-1. These Penguins are built to score and not necessarily do much else, so that outburst was markedly welcome (as were two additional red lights before game’s end). Pittsburgh 5, Calgary 2.

The fans at PPG Paints Arena deserved honorable mention for one of that game’s three stars: When the bro nimrods present started a “Fire Canada” chant, those there to watch hockey drowned it out with a “Let’s Go Pens” chant.

These are my people.

Just let the hockey folk have hockey, their night at the game. Your precious football team will finish in the middle soon enough, and that’s regardless of who the offensive coordinator is.