The Pittsburgh Penguins head into this week (March 9- March 15) coming off a week in which they earned three points in the four games they played and are keeping themselves in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race. This week will be yet another pivotal one for the Penguins.
Big Road Trip
The Penguins are on the road for all three games this week after finishing this past week on the road with an overtime win against the Boston Bruins on March 8. They will have a six-game road trip before they return home to PPG Paints Arena, and each one of those six games is going to be a big one for the team if they want to stay towards the top of the Metropolitan Division and in a playoff spot as the regular season gets closer to its end.
The Penguins have had strong success on the road this season, going 16-8-6, and will need to ride the momentum and energy from their last win in Boston into this week’s action as they play three teams who will prove to be tough tests (Carolina Hurricanes, Vegas Golden Knights, and Utah Mammoth).
Quiet Trade Deadline
With the trade deadline in the rearview mirror, it was not expected that general manager (GM) Kyle Dubas would go out and make an earth-shattering move, and that proved to be the case. The only move he made on deadline day was acquiring winger Elmer Soderblom from the Detroit Red Wings. The young winger has shown flashes of being an everyday NHL player, but has not been able to find a real footing in the league. In his first action with the Penguins in their win against the Devils, Soderblom looked solid in the ice time he did get.
Related: 2026 NHL Trade Deadline Tracker
With Dubas getting ahead of the game with the trade deadline with the acquisition of goaltender Stuart Skinner and defenseman Samuel Girard, the hope is that maybe Soderblom can turn into another player acquired that proves a change of scenery was all that was needed to help unlock his talent. Egor Chinakhov did this after being acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets earlier this season and Soderblom doing the same thing would be a major win for the Penguins.
How Will They Hold Up Without Crosby and Malkin?
The Penguins have been without captain Sidney Crosby since the Olympic break after a lower-body injury sidelined him, but they will also be without Evgeni Malkin for the next three games as well. Malkin received a five-game suspension from the league after his penalty against the Buffalo Sabres on March 5. The Penguins will need the rest of their lineup to step up in both players’ absence to stay where they want to heading into the dog days of the regular season.
So far in the absence of Crosby, there have been a few players who have stepped up their play, including Anthony Mantha, Tommy Novak, and the aforementioned Chinakhov. Chinakhov’s game continues to impress, and he has truly become the player that the Blue Jackets were hoping he could be. These players, along with the younger players like Benjamin Kindel, Avery Hayes, and recently called-up Ville Koivunen, will need to hold down the fort as the Penguins await the return of their long-time veterans.
Penguins Schedule March 9- March 15
| Date | Opponent | Time | Venue | Game Notes |
| March 10 | @ Carolina Hurricanes | 7:00 p.m. (EST) | Lenovo Center | Second matchup vs the Hurricanes (5-1 win on Dec. 30) |
| March 12 | @ Vegas Golden Knights | 10:00 p.m. (EST) | T-Mobile Arena | Second matchup vs. the Golden Knights (5-0 win on March 1) |
| March 14 | @ Utah Mammoth | 9:00 p.m. (EST) | Delta Center | Second matchup vs. the Golden Knights (5-0 win on March 1) |
