The Pittsburgh Penguins are riding a six-game win streak, and while it hasn’t always been pretty, they’ve found ways to bank points-and in this league, that’s what matters. Their latest victories, a 6-2 win over Chicago and a wild 6-5 escape against the Rangers, were a tale of two very different efforts.
One started slow and finished with a bang; the other started with dominance and nearly unraveled. But in both cases, the Penguins walked away with two points, and that’s kept their momentum rolling.
Let’s start with Thursday’s game against the Blackhawks. The Penguins looked flat in the opening period, but once they settled in, they completely overwhelmed Chicago.
The final 40 minutes were all Pittsburgh-fast, physical, and efficient. That’s the version of this team that looks like a real threat in the East.
Saturday’s matinee against the Rangers flipped the script. The Penguins came out flying, building a 5-1 lead early in the third period.
Then came the unraveling. Four goals against in the final frame turned a comfortable afternoon into a nail-biter.
That third period raised some red flags, especially for a team that’s been generally solid defensively this season. But again-they held on.
They found a way. And that’s what winning teams do.
They now head into a pivotal week having won six straight, seven of their last eight, and with at least a point in nine consecutive games. That run has them sitting with the sixth-best points percentage in the NHL and third-best in the Eastern Conference.
They’ve been taking care of business against teams below them in the standings. Now comes the real test.
This week, the Penguins face three Eastern Conference opponents-each with playoff aspirations-and it’s their final stretch before the Olympic break. The margin for error is getting thinner, and the stakes are getting higher.
First up: Ottawa on Monday night at home.
On paper, the Senators have taken a step back this season after making the playoffs in 2024-25. But don’t let their record fool you-this team can play.
They’re top-10 in goals per game (ninth, to be exact) and rank fourth in expected goals share at 5-on-5. That tells you they’re controlling play more often than not.
Their Achilles’ heel? Goaltending.
It’s been brutal. The Senators have the worst team save percentage in the NHL (.868), and it’s not close.
That kind of number sinks even well-structured teams. But lately, they’ve started to get some saves-and the results are showing.
Ottawa enters Monday on a three-game win streak, outscoring opponents 16-4. Two of those wins came against heavyweights in Vegas and Colorado.
This is not a game the Penguins can afford to take lightly.
Also worth noting: Ottawa blanked Pittsburgh 4-0 in their first meeting back in December. That should be fresh in the Penguins' minds.
Then comes a quick turnaround on Tuesday: a road game against the New York Islanders.
This one has major playoff implications. The Penguins currently sit two points ahead of the Islanders for second place in the Metropolitan Division-and they’ve got two games in hand. But both teams are playing Monday night, and depending on how those games go, Tuesday could swing the standings in a big way.
A Penguins win and Islanders loss on Monday? That gives Pittsburgh a four-point cushion heading into Tuesday. But flip that scenario, and the Islanders could pull even in points and take the edge with a win on home ice.
The Islanders are staying in the hunt the only way they know how-by leaning on their goaltending. They’re dead last in expected goals against per 60 at 5-on-5, and near the bottom in expected goal share.
But Ilya Sorokin is erasing a lot of those issues. After a couple of seasons where he looked human, Sorokin is back in elite form, and he’s been the backbone of this team.
And then there’s Matthew Schaefer. The No. 1 overall pick has stepped into the NHL at 18 years old and is already playing like a top-pair defenseman.
His impact has been immediate and massive-something we haven’t seen from a teenage blueliner in a long, long time. He’s the real deal.
The Penguins edged the Islanders 4-3 in their home opener earlier this season. Tuesday’s rematch could be one of the most important games of their season so far.
Finally, the Penguins wrap up the week-and the pre-Olympic schedule-on Thursday in Buffalo.
Earlier this season, this looked like a game you could circle as a likely win. Not anymore.
The Sabres have flipped the switch. They’ve been one of the hottest teams in the league lately and are now playing like a legitimate playoff squad.
Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin are driving the bus. Thompson’s blend of size and skill makes him a matchup nightmare up front, while Dahlin continues to evolve into one of the league’s most dynamic defensemen. The Penguins did beat Buffalo earlier this season, but it wasn’t a clean performance-and this version of the Sabres is playing with a lot more confidence.
The schedule is no joke this week. Three games in four nights, two on the road, and a back-to-back against playoff-caliber opponents. It’s a stretch that’s going to test the Penguins’ depth, structure, and stamina.
The good news? Reinforcements are coming.
Bryan Rust is expected back for Tuesday’s game against the Islanders. His return adds a proven scorer and two-way presence to the lineup, even if it means Rutger McGroarty likely comes out.
That’s the kind of lineup crunch coaches like to have.
If the Penguins can come out of this week with three or four points, that would be a strong result-especially considering the quality of competition. More importantly, it would keep their momentum intact heading into the Olympic break and solidify their position in a tightly packed Eastern Conference playoff race.
This is where the grind starts to separate contenders from pretenders. The Penguins have been on the right side of that line lately. Now, they’ll have to prove they can stay there.