Empty-Net Lab · Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins Goalie Pull Tracker
When the Penguins pull the goalie down one and down two, how that compares with the rest of the league and with past coaches, what happens while the net is empty at both ends, and who is on the ice for it.
When the Penguins pull the goalie, 2025-26
Share of late deficits with the goalie pulled, by time left in the 3rd period
When the Penguins pull the goalie, 2025-26. PIT down 1: half pulled by 2:14 remaining, 60% pulled with 2:00 left (22 trailing spells); PIT down 2: half pulled by 3:35 remaining, 100% pulled with 2:00 left (13 trailing spells); NHL down 1: half pulled by 2:00 remaining, 51% pulled with 2:00 left (831 trailing spells).
Penguins goalie pulls by coach
| Coach | Seasons | Median pull, down 1 | Pulled by 2:00 | Median pull, down 2 | Tied it, down 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dan Muse | 2025-26 | 2:14 (22) | 60% | 3:35 (13) | 5 / 15 |
| Mike Sullivan | 2017-18 to 2024-25 | 1:42 (176) | 26% | 2:42 (142) | 16 / 112 |
Regular season since 2017-18, every club of the franchise. In brackets: late deficits behind the median; coaches with fewer than 10 are a small sample.
Penguins season by season
| Season | Median pull, down 1 | Median pull, down 2 | 6v5 time | GF pulled | ENG against | ENG for | GA vs extra attacker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | – (0) | – (0) | 0:00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2025-26 | 2:14 (22) | 3:35 (13) | 48:58 | 8 | 15 | 16 | 6 |
| 2024-25 | 1:42 (23) | 2:39 (26) | 33:05 | 4 | 21 | 14 | 6 |
| 2023-24 | 1:47 (29) | 2:53 (19) | 39:09 | 5 | 7 | 20 | 2 |
| 2022-23 | 1:46 (29) | 3:02 (16) | 29:25 | 2 | 14 | 14 | 5 |
| 2021-22 | 1:54 (22) | 3:18 (17) | 33:43 | 8 | 14 | 22 | 6 |
| 2020-21 | 1:47 (12) | 2:39 (13) | 19:36 | 3 | 7 | 16 | 4 |
| 2019-20 | 1:27 (15) | 2:28 (17) | 24:09 | 2 | 11 | 12 | 3 |
| 2018-19 | 1:37 (17) | 2:14 (17) | 33:43 | 3 | 13 | 13 | 6 |
| 2017-18 | 1:38 (29) | 2:51 (17) | 35:30 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 2 |
Who is on the ice for the Penguins, 2025-26
Extra attacker (6-on-5)
- Erik Karlsson40:22 · 92%
- Kris Letang33:43 · 78%
- Rickard Rakell31:50 · 83%
- Bryan Rust30:08 · 76%
- Anthony Mantha29:17 · 61%
- Sidney Crosby27:18 · 91%
- Evgeni Malkin18:41 · 78%
- Ben Kindel16:35 · 35%
Empty-net defense
- Parker Wotherspoon18:31 · 56%
- Bryan Rust15:23 · 53%
- Erik Karlsson15:18 · 48%
- Connor Dewar15:11 · 47%
- Blake Lizotte14:47 · 58%
- Noel Acciari13:16 · 51%
- Sidney Crosby13:02 · 44%
- Kris Letang12:40 · 44%
Empty-net goals
- Connor Dewar4 G, 3 A
- Blake Lizotte3 G, 2 A
- Evgeni Malkin2 G, 1 A
- Ben Kindel2 G, 0 A
- Erik Karlsson1 G, 2 A
- Sidney Crosby1 G, 2 A
- Anthony Mantha1 G, 1 A
- Justin Brazeau1 G, 1 A
% = share of the team's time in that situation in the games the player dressed. Empty-net defense time is where empty-net goals come from.
Recent Penguins goalie pulls
| Date | Opponent | Down | Pulled with | Time pulled | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 14 | STL | 1 | 3:03 | 1:20 | Empty-net goal against |
| Apr 14 | STL | 2 | 1:24 | 1:10 | No goal |
| Apr 12 | WSH | 2 | 3:35 | 0:51 | Empty-net goal against |
| Apr 11 | WSH | 2 | 4:32 | 0:54 | Empty-net goal against |
| Apr 2 | TBL | 3+ | 5:19 | 0:37 | Empty-net goal against |
| Mar 28 | DAL | 1 | 3:14 | 0:06 | Empty-net goal against |
| Mar 28 | DAL | 2 | 2:19 | 1:09 | Empty-net goal against |
| Mar 24 | COL | 3+ | 3:50 | 0:10 | Empty-net goal against |
| Mar 22 | CAR | 3+ | 4:10 | 3:06 | Empty-net goal against |
| Mar 12 | VGK | 3+ | 7:39 | 6:40 | Empty-net goal against |
| Mar 10 | CAR | 2 | 2:28 | 0:20 | Scored |
| Mar 10 | CAR | 1 | 1:43 | 1:07 | Scored |
FAQ
When do the Penguins pull their goalie?
In 2025-26 under Dan Muse, the Pittsburgh Penguins had pulled their goalie in half of their late one-goal deficits with 2:14 left in the 3rd period, and in 60% with 2:00 or more left (22 games trailing by one in the last 10 minutes).
How many empty-net goals have the Penguins allowed?
With their goalie pulled in 2025-26, the Pittsburgh Penguins scored 8 and allowed 15 empty-net goals in 48:58 of 6-on-5 time. Defending an empty net, they scored 16 empty-net goals and allowed 6 goals to the extra attacker.
How is goalie pull time measured?
From the NHL shift charts: the first moment in a deficit when the team had no goalie on the ice, excluding delayed penalties. The curve counts every late deficit, including ones erased before a pull, so it is not biased toward long deficits.