Will the Bruins or Penguins hang around in the playoff conversation longer?

The 2024-25 season did not go as the Pittsburgh Penguins or Boston Bruins initially hoped, but things have started on a better note early in the 2025-26 schedule. 

While the Stanley Cup Playoffs are likely still out of reach for either team, they are showing that they could be in contention for longer than many may have predicted. The Bruins have started with three straight wins, and the Penguins grabbed victories in their first two games before losing to the New York Rangers on Saturday night. 

On Friday’s episode of Daily Faceoff Live, Tyler Yaremchuk and Carter Hutton dove into their thoughts on both teams and how long the two could stay in the Eastern Conference playoff hunt. 

Yaremchuk: Two teams are 2-0-0 to start the NHL season. With the Penguins or the Bruins, which one do you give a better chance to? I’m not going to say, make the playoffs, I’m not going to get crazy, but which one do you give a better chance to at least hang around longer in the playoff conversation?

Hutton: This is a tough one, and I went back and forth trying to think about this. I think I’m going to go with the Penguins. The Metropolitan Division is just an easier one for me this year, and I think the Atlantic is still star-studded. 

I think with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and where these guys are at, you still have enough firepower and offensive ability, but this conversation is going to come down to goaltending in an Olympic schedule when it’s compressed. 

How good are these guys going to be down the stretch? Is Tristan Jary Jari going to be able to be better in that role, and how about Arturs Silovs? That’s been the biggest question mark for me…I look for the Penguins to be pretty good here in this compressed schedule, and the fact that they have two guys who are going to be battling for that starting job.

You can catch the full segment and the rest of the latest episode of Daily Faceoff Live here…