As long as the Pittsburgh Penguins have had Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin on the roster, the inevitable comparisons came. Who would be Batman and who would be Robin? The indomitable pair has dominated up the middle of the ice while general manager Ray Shero has surrounded the dynamic duo with talent on the wings and on the blue line.

James Neal came over a few years ago from the Dallas Stars. He was a talented power forward who took off when he was put on the wing of Evgeni Malkin. The rest of the Penguin forwards hardly jump out at you. Pascal Dupuis, Tyler Kennedy, Matt Cooke and Craig Adams are anything if not ordinary players. Dupuis has seen his star rise on the Penguins top line with Crosby, but the player that has taken his game to the next level is Chris Kunitz.

Granted, playing on the wing of the best player in the world should boost your offensive production to a certain level, but Kunitz offensive explosion has been astounding. After setting career highs in goals and points last year (26 goals and 61 points) Kunitz has exploded this year on Crosby’s left wing. Through Pittsburgh’s first 36 games Kunitz is only six goals from besting his goal total from last year in less than half as many games.

Kunitz began his career in Atlanta and Anaheim, winning a Stanley Cup with the Ducks in 2007. He was sent to Pittsburgh with Eric Tangradi in 2009 for defenseman Ryan Whitney. He would help the Penguins win the Stanley Cup after switching coasts and conferences for the last 20 games of the regular season. The chemistry with Crosby was immediate and Kunitz took a liking to the left wing along the Penguins' captain.

Last year was the first complete season in the Pittsburgh black and gold, no coincidence that Kunitz dropped his highest career numbers. The lockout-shortened season this year seems to have given him the spark to be an elite forward at over a point-per game clip. With the Pens chasing history in the form of their current winning streak, Kunitz will have to keep his production going without Crosby. The Penguins' captain is currently listed as out indefinitely, which probably translates into keeping Crosby as healthy as possible until the playoffs.

Pittsburgh fans should hope that their team isn’t peaking too early. The Chicago Blackhawks have played some gritty hockey since their “streak” ended and Pittsburgh knows that the real prize sits at the end of the playoff rainbow.

If you were fortunate enough to pick up Chris Kunitz early, enjoy the fruits of his labor, for now at least. His production might dip without injured Crosby in the middle. Or Chris Kunitz will show the Penguins’ brass that he is worth keeping around. With a contract set to expire in the summer of 2014, Kunitz will certainly want to stay in the city that has seen his best years. A lucrative extension could be on the table with a big playoff run, and no one deserves it more than Kunitz.