The Pittsburgh Penguins head into the last stretch before the Olympic break on fire. They won both of their games this past week (Jan. 26- Feb. 1) and are currently on a six-game win streak (points in nine straight games). Here are a few storylines to keep an eye on in the Penguins’ last three games before the break.
Depth Showing Up
The Penguins are obviously led by players like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Rickard Rakell, but over the past few games, the depth in the lineup has shown up in a big way. Players like Noel Acciari, Connor Dewar, and Blake Lizotte had strong showings, leading to depth scoring in the team’s two wins. The top players continue to do their jobs, but with the added help from the bottom six of the forward group is a great sign for a team looking to stay in the thick of the playoff hunt.
Along with Acciari, Dewar, and Lizotte, 2025 first-round pick Benjamin Kindel continues to impress with his offensive production lately and will continue to be a big factor for the Penguins as they look to stay hot this week.
Third Period Struggles
The Penguins have had a season full of letdowns when it comes to holding leads in the third period. They have been a lot better as of late with this, but almost had one against the New York Rangers when they squared off on Jan. 31. The Penguins held a 5-1 lead halfway through the third period before letting the Rangers get within two in the final minutes of the game.
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The Penguins will need to continue to keep the pedal down when they have a lead in the third period if they want to stay away from getting into overtime or shootout games. Getting regulation wins will go a long way toward any tiebreaker if it comes to that at the end of the regular season.
Letang Injured & Out
Veteran defenseman Kris Letang will be out for at least the next four weeks with a fracture in his foot. While he may not be having the greatest of seasons, it will be interesting to see how head coach Dan Muse helps fill Letang’s spot in the lineup. The injury comes at a good time (if there is such a thing), since the Penguins will be off until near the end of the month due to the Olympic break.
So far, the likes of Parker Wotherspoon, Brett Kulak, and Ryan Shea have taken on a bit more ice time already and have done an admirable job, so the Penguins should be in good hands until Letang does return from his foot injury.
Looking to Stay Hot Heading into the Break
Given how the Penguins have performed offensively and their continued ability to pull out wins, keeping things rolling as they head into the break will be a major goal. While Crosby (Canada), Erik Karlsson (Sweden), Rakell (Sweden), and Arturs Silovs (Latvia) are going to be headed to the Olympics, the majority of the Penguins’ roster will have a nice break after the three games this week. Giving it everything they have to keep their hot streak intact will likely be priority number one, aside from staying healthy.
Penguins Schedule Feb. 2- Feb. 8
| Date | Opponent | Time | Venue | Game Notes |
| Feb. 2 | vs Ottawa Senators | 7:00 p.m. | PPG Paints Arena | 2nd meeting of the season (4-0 loss on Dec. 18) |
| Feb. 3 | @ New York Islanders | 7:30 p.m. | UBS Arena | 2nd meeting of the season (4-3 win on Oct. 9) |
| Feb. 5 | @ Buffalo Sabres | 7:00 p.m. | KeyBank Center | 2nd meeting of the season (4-2 win on Nov. 26) |
