Chemistry and stacks · 2025-26
Pittsburgh Penguins line chemistry and DFS stacks
Every Penguins pair with 50+ minutes together at 5v5: how their expected-goal share changes together vs apart, and how closely their DraftKings points move game to game. Check tonight's Penguins lines before you stack.
Showing the full 2025-26 season. 2026-27 pairs do not have enough games together yet; the page switches over once they do.
Best Penguins stacks
| Pair | 5v5 min | xG% lift | xGF/60 lift | DK corr. (raw) | Stack |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sidney Crosby + Bryan RustF–F · PP | 768 | +1.5 | +0.33 | .41.22 to .58, 60 GP | 6.9 |
| Bryan Rust + Egor ChinakhovF–F | 135 | +0.6 | −0.31 | .33−.24 to .73, 11 GP | 6.2 |
| Sidney Crosby + Rickard RakellF–F · PP | 523 | −1.6 | −0.06 | .15−.11 to .40, 40 GP | 6.0 |
| Evgeni Malkin + Anthony ManthaF–F | 305 | −0.6 | −0.19 | .33.00 to .59, 27 GP | 5.8 |
| Bryan Rust + Rickard RakellF–F · PP | 551 | −1.7 | −0.20 | −.06−.30 to .20, 44 GP | 5.7 |
| Evgeni Malkin + Egor ChinakhovF–F | 272 | +5.2 | +0.59 | −.20−.52 to .16, 23 GP | 5.6 |
| Evgeni Malkin + Justin BrazeauF–F | 141 | −2.8 | −0.12 | .14−.39 to .60, 12 GP | 5.2 |
| Evgeni Malkin + Tommy NovakF–F | 393 | +2.5 | +0.35 | .36.09 to .59, 34 GP | 5.1 |
| Anthony Mantha + Justin BrazeauF–F | 489 | −0.0 | +0.00 | .54.34 to .69, 48 GP | 5.0 |
| Anthony Mantha + Ben KindelF–F | 256 | +0.5 | −0.02 | .22−.18 to .55, 20 GP | 4.5 |
Forward pairs
| Pair | 5v5 min | xG% lift | xGF/60 lift | DK corr. (raw) | Stack |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sidney Crosby + Bryan RustF–F · PP | 768 | +1.5 | +0.33 | .41.22 to .58, 60 GP | 6.9 |
| Noel Acciari + Connor DewarF–F | 596 | +6.0 | +0.32 | .34.14 to .51, 63 GP | 3.3 |
| Bryan Rust + Rickard RakellF–F · PP | 551 | −1.7 | −0.20 | −.06−.30 to .20, 44 GP | 5.7 |
| Sidney Crosby + Rickard RakellF–F · PP | 523 | −1.6 | −0.06 | .15−.11 to .40, 40 GP | 6.0 |
| Anthony Mantha + Justin BrazeauF–F | 489 | −0.0 | +0.00 | .54.34 to .69, 48 GP | 5.0 |
| Connor Dewar + Blake LizotteF–F | 475 | +1.5 | +0.11 | .58.40 to .71, 51 GP | 3.1 |
| Evgeni Malkin + Tommy NovakF–F | 393 | +2.5 | +0.35 | .36.09 to .59, 34 GP | 5.1 |
| Noel Acciari + Blake LizotteF–F | 388 | +1.1 | −0.08 | .27.01 to .49, 41 GP | 2.9 |
| Anthony Mantha + Tommy NovakF–F | 332 | −2.4 | −0.06 | .50.22 to .70, 29 GP | 4.5 |
| Evgeni Malkin + Anthony ManthaF–F | 305 | −0.6 | −0.19 | .33.00 to .59, 27 GP | 5.8 |
| Tommy Novak + Egor ChinakhovF–F | 287 | +3.9 | +0.41 | .17−.19 to .48, 24 GP | 4.5 |
| Justin Brazeau + Ben KindelF–F | 286 | −1.1 | −0.04 | .28−.05 to .55, 27 GP | 4.1 |
| Evgeni Malkin + Egor ChinakhovF–F | 272 | +5.2 | +0.59 | −.20−.52 to .16, 23 GP | 5.6 |
| Anthony Mantha + Ben KindelF–F | 256 | +0.5 | −0.02 | .22−.18 to .55, 20 GP | 4.5 |
| Ville Koivunen + Ben KindelF–F | 228 | +7.3 | +0.38 | .57.27 to .77, 22 GP | 3.0 |
Defence pairs
| Pair | 5v5 min | xG% lift | xGF/60 lift | DK corr. (raw) | Stack |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erik Karlsson + Parker WotherspoonD–D | 1077 | +3.0 | +0.11 | .11−.08 to .30, 75 GP | 1.7 |
| Kris Letang + Ryan SheaD–D | 572 | −4.3 | −0.10 | .08−.19 to .35, 38 GP | 1.2 |
| Connor Clifton + Ryan SheaD–D | 309 | +2.3 | −0.14 | .07−.29 to .41, 23 GP | 1.0 |
| Kris Letang + Brett KulakD–D | 278 | +3.4 | +0.04 | −.12−.51 to .31, 17 GP | 1.2 |
| Kris Letang + Samuel GirardD–D | 265 | +0.6 | −0.09 | .47.09 to .73, 18 GP | 1.3 |
| Connor Clifton + Ryan GravesD–D | 190 | +6.7 | +0.19 | −.00−.46 to .46, 14 GP | 0.9 |
| Ryan Shea + Jack St. IvanyD–D | 148 | +3.2 | +0.22 | .80.47 to .93, 11 GP | 1.3 |
| Connor Clifton + Ilya SolovyovD–D | 94 | +2.7 | +0.31 | .01−.58 to .59, 9 GP | 0.9 |
Forwards with defencemen
| Pair | 5v5 min | xG% lift | xGF/60 lift | DK corr. (raw) | Stack |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sidney Crosby + Erik KarlssonF–D · PP | 451 | −6.5 | −0.20 | .17−.07 to .38, 52 GP | 2.1 |
| Sidney Crosby + Parker WotherspoonF–D | 444 | −6.9 | −0.10 | .15−.09 to .37, 51 GP | 1.6 |
| Erik Karlsson + Bryan RustF–D · PP | 442 | −5.5 | −0.16 | .30.06 to .50, 49 GP | 2.5 |
| Bryan Rust + Parker WotherspoonF–D | 439 | −6.6 | −0.15 | .17−.08 to .40, 46 GP | 1.7 |
| Kris Letang + Bryan RustF–D | 366 | −0.4 | −0.06 | .35.07 to .58, 33 GP | 2.0 |
| Sidney Crosby + Kris LetangF–D | 365 | +0.9 | +0.06 | .16−.12 to .42, 37 GP | 1.7 |
| Tommy Novak + Ryan SheaF–D | 361 | +9.4 | +0.82 | .14−.16 to .41, 33 GP | 1.1 |
| Anthony Mantha + Ryan SheaF–D | 353 | −1.0 | +0.03 | .41.10 to .65, 26 GP | 1.6 |
| Rickard Rakell + Parker WotherspoonF–D | 339 | −1.7 | +0.18 | −.23−.48 to .06, 34 GP | 1.1 |
| Kris Letang + Tommy NovakF–D · PP | 331 | +2.5 | +0.01 | .41.07 to .66, 24 GP | 1.4 |
| Kris Letang + Anthony ManthaF–D | 330 | −2.4 | −0.05 | .23−.10 to .52, 27 GP | 1.5 |
| Erik Karlsson + Rickard RakellF–D · PP | 330 | −2.2 | +0.15 | .34.07 to .57, 35 GP | 2.3 |
Power-play partners
Pairs with 30+ minutes together on the power play, most PP time first. Power-play partners share the same goals, so they are the strongest stacks when both are on PP1 tonight.
| Pair | 5v5 min | xG% lift | xGF/60 lift | DK corr. (raw) | Stack |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erik Karlsson + Bryan RustF–D · PP | 442 | −5.5 | −0.16 | .30.06 to .50, 49 GP | 2.5 |
| Sidney Crosby + Erik KarlssonF–D · PP | 451 | −6.5 | −0.20 | .17−.07 to .38, 52 GP | 2.1 |
| Sidney Crosby + Bryan RustF–F · PP | 768 | +1.5 | +0.33 | .41.22 to .58, 60 GP | 6.9 |
| Erik Karlsson + Rickard RakellF–D · PP | 330 | −2.2 | +0.15 | .34.07 to .57, 35 GP | 2.3 |
| Bryan Rust + Rickard RakellF–F · PP | 551 | −1.7 | −0.20 | −.06−.30 to .20, 44 GP | 5.7 |
| Evgeni Malkin + Erik KarlssonF–D · PP | 236 | +2.4 | +0.25 | .18−.21 to .53, 20 GP | 2.1 |
| Evgeni Malkin + Sidney CrosbyF–F · PP | 53 | +6.7 | +0.27 | –2 GP, too few | 6.4 |
| Sidney Crosby + Rickard RakellF–F · PP | 523 | −1.6 | −0.06 | .15−.11 to .40, 40 GP | 6.0 |
| Erik Karlsson + Anthony ManthaF–D · PP | 275 | +1.6 | +0.02 | .52.16 to .76, 19 GP | 2.1 |
| Evgeni Malkin + Rickard RakellF–F · PP | 85 | +6.5 | +0.55 | .77−.14 to .97, 5 GP | 6.4 |
FAQ
Which Pittsburgh Penguins players have the best chemistry?
In 2025-26, Tommy Novak and Ryan Shea gained the most together: +0.82 expected goals for per 60 at 5v5 compared with apart (xG share +9.4 points), after shrinking for sample size, over 361 minutes together.
Which Pittsburgh Penguins players should I stack in DFS?
Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust have the top stack score (6.9): they combine for 23.5 DraftKings points a game over 60 games together, and like most linemates their points tend to arrive together (about .29 for this kind of pair; their raw 2025-26 value was .41).
Where are tonight's Pittsburgh Penguins lines?
Tonight's projected lines and power-play units are on the Pittsburgh Penguins line combinations page. Chemistry here is measured over the whole season, so check that the pair is still together before you stack it.