After a grueling road trip, the Pittsburgh Penguins have had a little extra time to regroup before facing the Winnipeg Jets this Saturday afternoon at PPG Paints Arena. The Penguins, sitting at 34-18-16, are neck-and-neck in the Eastern Conference playoff race, which is as tight as ever.
The puck drops just after 1 p.m., with the anthem being performed by the ever-reliable Jeff Jimerson.
Wednesday's clash with the Carolina Hurricanes was one for the history books, featuring a rare occurrence of four blown leads in the third period. The Hurricanes led three times, while the Penguins had the lead once. It all ended in overtime with Carolina's Sean Walker scoring the decisive goal against Stuart Skinner with under 30 seconds left.
The game also marked the return of Sidney Crosby, fresh from the Olympics, who wasted no time making an impact by scoring the Penguins’ first goal. Erik Karlsson was in top form, racking up three points, including two goals. Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust also added to the scoreboard, though the Penguins fell to 4-6 in overtime games this season.
Despite Skinner's impressive saves, he allowed six goals on 44 shots, a tough night for the Penguins’ netminder.
Currently, the Penguins trail the Hurricanes by 10 points for the Metro Division lead but hold a game in hand. They sit in second place in the division with 84 points over 68 games, just ahead of the surging Columbus Blue Jackets by one point. The wild-card race is equally fierce, with the Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings matching the Penguins at 84 points, albeit in 69 games.
The New York Islanders are right on the cusp with 83 points, while the Ottawa Senators are making a late push, having picked up points in eight of their last 10 games.
The Winnipeg Jets, meanwhile, have had a challenging season, holding a 28-29-11 record. Despite their struggles, they're only five points shy of a playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Coach Dan Muse is expected to rotate Arturs Silovs into the starting goalie position for the Penguins, while the Jets will likely counter with Connor Hellebuyck, fresh off his gold medal win.
Sam Girard is anticipated to return to the Penguins' lineup alongside Kris Letang. The duo had a rocky start but hopes to find their rhythm again after Girard's injury.
Expected Penguins Lines:
- Rickard Rakell-Sidney Crosby-Bryan Rust
- Egor Chinakhov-Tommy Novak-Evgeni Malkin
- Anthony Mantha-Ben Kindel-Justin Brazeau
- Elmer Soderblom-Connor Dewar-Noel Acciari
Defense:
- Parker Wotherspoon-Erik Karlsson
- Sam Girard-Kris Letang
- Ryan Shea-Connor Clifton
Goalie: Arturs Silovs
Expected Jets Lines:
- Kyle Connor-Mark Scheifele-Alex Iafallo
- Cole Perfetti-Adam Lowry-Gabe Vilardi
- Gustav Nyquist-Jonathan Toews-Isak Rosén
- Cole Koepke-Morgan Barron-Brad Lambert
Defense:
- Josh Morrissey-Dylan DeMelo
- Dylan Samberg-Elias Salomonsson
- Haydn Fleury-Jacob Bryson
Goalie: Connor Hellebuyck
Special Teams:
The Penguins boast a formidable power play at 25.1%, ranking third, and lead the league in penalty killing at 84.2%. The Jets, on the other hand, have a 23rd-ranked power play at 18.0% and a 19th-ranked penalty kill at 79.7%.
Penguins Game Notes:
The Penguins have been dominant against the Jets, winning 17 of their last 25 meetings. Egor Chinakhov is on the brink of matching his career highs in goals and points.
Erik Karlsson's recent performance puts him among the top Penguins scorers this season. Noel Acciari and Bryan Rust are also on hot streaks, contributing significantly to the team’s recent success.
As the Penguins prepare for another crucial matchup, fans can expect a high-energy game with playoff implications hanging in the balance.