Evgeni Malkin is just a shot away from his 400th career goal, and Jake Guentzel has a ways to go before reaching that milestone. But heading into tonight's game against Los Angeles, the Penguins' leading scorer is just five goals away from reaching 100 halfway through his third full season in the league.
That's not record quickness given his 236 games played, as 11 players for the Penguins have reached 100 faster. And he won't be the youngest, either. But considering that he has a shot to reach 100 quicker than wingers Jaromir Jagr, Alexei Kovalev and Rick Kehoe, among others, Guentzel is still on the cusp of a notable achievement.
Sure, it helps having guys like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin playing alongside you, but let's keep in mind that as recently as January and February of 2018, he was playing almost exclusively with center Riley Sheahan and also spent some games in that timeframe at center – he can play there, as he demonstrated Thursday against Columbus, but it's not his best position – with Conor Sheary and Phil Kessel.
Let's also consider this: of the 32 players to reach 100 goals in a Pittsburgh sweater, only seven have done so with more even-strength goals than Guentzel (76), and he could pass three of those players on his way to 100. Of the Pens' top 16 all-time goal-scorers, only Rick Kehoe (82) and Martin Straka (80) scored more even-strength goals among their first 100, and Guentzel could still overtake Straka.
Finally getting regular first unit time this season, Guentzel is on pace to produce more power play goals this season than in any other, as you would expect. And those numbers will obviously be expected to continue rising, despite the up-and-down nature of power play units. But Guentzel has demonstrated his ability to score will not be hampered by those inconsistencies because he will produce at five-on-five, where all players spend most of their time.
Guentzel's consistent even-strength performance – he has 13 of his team-high 17 goals there this season – has reinforced the notion that he can read the game, he can think the game, understanding the differences between playing with Crosby and Malkin, for example, and he can and will go to the front of the net despite not exactly being the biggest player out there. On top of that, he's been incredible durable.
It's difficult to over-estimate the importance of these qualities in a winger. Similarly, it was easy to suggest in the preseason that Guentzel would be expected to match his career-high 40 goals last season; yet here he is, on pace to score 43 this season despite his regular linemate now missing 15 games. Yes, it's an absurd luxury to go from Crosby to Malkin, but again, it's not an automatic and simple adjustment for all players.
40 goals in consecutive seasons? The only wingers in Pens' history to do this were Jean Pronovost (3 straight 1974-76), Kevin Stevens (four straight 1991-94) and Jaromir Jagr (three straight 1999-01 and, separately, two straight 1996-97).
By the way, the fastest players in Pens' history to 100 goals are Mario (159 GP), Rob Brown (186), Pierre Larouch (187), Mike Bullard (206) and Dan Quinn (209). Malkin did so in 210 games, Crosby in 219. The most even-strength goals among their first 100 goals in a Pens' uniform belong to Bob Errey and Pascal Dupuis (90 each).
