Pittsburgh Penguins forwards Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin as well as defenseman Kris Letang — commonly referred to as the franchise’s Big 3 — played in all 82 games during the 2023-24 season.
“It doesn’t surprise me,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said following the team’s season finale, a 5-4 road loss to the New York Islanders on April 17. “These guys, they’re in great shape. They train really hard. Their fitness levels are off the charts. That’s the foundation that allows them to play. They’re durable. They play a hard game too. They’re not perimeter guys. They’re getting inside and they’re playing in the battle areas. It speaks volumes for their passion and their fitness level and their determination to play this game.”
This is a look at how the trio performed.
Sidney Crosby
82 games, 94 points (42 goals, 52 assists), 20:05 of ice time per contest
Crosby was consistent from the opening of the season, even as other parts of the team — such as the power play and the bottom-six forwards — misfired.
In his first 58 games of the season, Crosby generated 63 points (32 goals, 31 assists). The high point of that stretch was an 11-game scoring streak between Oct. 24 and Nov. 18 when he posted 17 points (nine goals, eight assists).
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The low point of an otherwise fine season for Crosby came around the trade deadline, specifically when Crosby’s long-time linemate, Jake Guentzel, was dealt March 7. Between March 3-16, Crosby was limited to three assists.
After shaking off whatever malaise that was brought on by Guentzel’s departure, Crosby locked in and dragged the Penguins into playoff contention, racking up 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists) in his final 16 games of the season.
Evgeni Malkin
82 games, 67 points (27 goals, 40 assists), 18:35 of ice time per contest
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Malkin got off to a productive start to 2023-24 season. Finding chemistry with new left winger Reilly Smith, Malkin had 17 points (eight goals, nine assists) in his first 14 games.
But things really became stagnant for the next several months. As his linemates shifted and changed for reasons ranging from injuries to ineffectiveness, Malkin was limited to 31 points (10 goals, 21 assists) in his next 49 games.
Through Guentzel’s departure, the Penguins gained net-front presence Michael Bunting who found a home on the left wing of Malkin’s line. That led to Malkin enjoying a renaissance of sorts to complete the season. In his final 19 games, Malkin generated 19 points (nine goals, 10 assists).
Kris Letang
82 games, 51 points, 10 goals, 41 assists, 24:41 of ice time per contest
Considering all of the maladies Letang endured in 2022-23 — including a stroke — the notion of him playing a complete regular season is a resounding success.
With the presence of fellow All-Star right-handed defenseman Erik Karlsson, Letang took on a somewhat diminished role, particularly on the power play. Regardless, Letang posted solid figures with 37 points (seven goals, 30 assists) in his first 56 games.
At some point, Letang began to deal with some level of injury or fatigue and began to miss several practices and morning skates for what were termed as “maintenance days.”
Despite those impediments, Letang managed to generate 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) in his final 26 games of the season. Following the season, it was revealed Letang might need surgery to address what were termed “significant” — but still undisclosed — maladies.