The currently sit second in a tightly contested Metropolitan Division. Despite doubts about injuries and age, Coach Dan Muse has forged the proper rotations so that his players could shine enroute to winning more games. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have been a large reason for their succe s but the head coach points to someone else when it comes to breaking out of the mold while also leading them to victories Anthony Mantha. Why does the Pittsburgh head coach value him so much? For starters, no one wanted to take a gamble on Mantha after suffering an ACL tear in November of 2024. NHL teams were primarily considering his very small sample size of 13 games throughout his single-season run with the . When the Penguins started to show interest and a long-term future, this is when things started to change. Coach Muse has managed to pull Mantha out of his injury slump while also making him produce bigger numbers for the Penguins. He outlined why he's the biggest factor in winning games for the Penguins, "I think he's attacking the game with the puck, attacking areas. He's putting Allen Iverson Jersey himself in good positions on the inside, whether it's in the 5-on-5 in the offensive zone or on the power play. He's a big body with really good hands. Good offensive instincts. So I think when he's at his best he's getting into those spots, he's making himself available around the net, he's driving play with the puck, driving his legs without the puck, and so I think that's what he's doing at his best," he declared. As of the moment, Mantha has now played 60 games for the Penguins and will likely be producing more time on the ice. He has notched 21 goals while also dishing out 24 a sists. These 45 points are the most that he has ever scored since consecutive 48-point seasons for the from 2017 up to 2019. Malkin and Crosby clearly still contribute a lot for Muse and Pittsburgh. However, Mantha's ability to deliver despite overcoming a huge injury while also notching new career-highs remains to be very impre sive. Will he be the key for the Penguins to win the Stanley Cup? More NHL News: Nik Stauskas Jersey