If there was one sports betting team that has shown that they have the depth to compete for a Stanley Cup championship this season, it is the Pittsburgh Penguins. Even without captain Sidney Crosby and for the most part of the early year no Evgeni Malkin, the Penguins have started strong with eight wins through their first 11 games to take over first place in the Eastern conference. Malkin has drawn into the lineup in recent games although the team isn’t pushing him while Crosby is expected to be back soon, and when you consider the play of some of their depth performers there really is little doubt that Pittsburgh is once again a Stanley Cup contender out of the NHL Eastern conference.

While Crosby and Malkin are considered to be two of hockey’s biggest pay head offensive stars, the Penguins still rank 10^th in the NHL in goals per game without them as they have scored an average of 2.8 goals. Their powerplay and penalty kill percentages both rank in the top-10, while defensively they are third in goals against with an average of just 2.1 against. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury has been sporting an incredible 1.96 goals against average in a strong start, while James Neal and Kris Letang have provided a boost in scoring with nine goals and 11 assists respectively. There is still a long way to go before the playoffs even get underway, but with a ton of depth and their two superstars ready to make an impact in the lineup, the Penguins could be the team that lifts the Stanley Cup this season.