Anthony Mantha Fades in First 3 Playoff Games After 33-Goal Season

anthony mantha has no postseason goals through Pittsburgh’s first three playoff games, and the Penguins winger has also taken costly penalties in that span. After a career-best regular season, his start has put a sharp edge on what looked like a strong fit on paper.

Mantha’s 33-Goal Peak

Mantha led the Penguins with 33 goals in the 2024-25 regular season, the kind of production that made him one of the most important finishers on the roster. That is why the playoff drop-off stands out so quickly: the regular-season scoring has not carried into the series opening stretch.

The first three games have brought the opposite of the finish Pittsburgh needed from him. Zero postseason goals and costly penalties are a rough return from a player whose job was to keep adding offense when the games tightened.

Pittsburgh’s Fit Question

The concern is not only the scoring drought. Mantha’s age, injury history, and lack of playoff impact all sit inside a broader roster decision for a team that needs to get younger and faster.

That puts his summer position in a difficult spot. Pittsburgh may be pushed away from re-signing him if the front office decides his regular-season output does not outweigh the playoff start and the longer-term roster direction.

Three Games, Zero Goals

Three playoff games is a short sample, but it is the only sample that matters right now. Mantha has not produced a goal, and the penalties have added extra weight to every shift he takes.

For the Penguins, the issue is simple: they got 33 goals from him in the regular season, but they have not gotten the same value when the postseason began. That gap is now part of the conversation about whether he stays in Pittsburgh this summer.