The Pittsburgh Penguins' five-game road trip is already a success, despite having one game left.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are set to wrap up their toughest road trip of the season on Wednesday in Raleigh against the Carolina Hurricanes.
The road trip started there last Tuesday, resulting in a 5-4 shootout loss for the Penguins. It looked like the Penguins weren't going to get a point out of that game until they scored two goals in the final three minutes of regulation to send it to overtime. They stole a point, even though they had chances to win the game in overtime.
Since that loss, the Penguins have won two of their last three games on the trip, including Monday's 7-2 thrashing of the Colorado Avalanche. They're 2-1-1 and have earned five points heading back to Raleigh, with a chance to reach seven on Wednesday.
Going into the trip, five points seemed reasonable given several players were missing. Sidney Crosby and Sam Girard have missed all four games, while Malkin and Brazeau each missed three before returning on Monday.
Despite the injuries and the suspension of Malkin, the Penguins have stayed in a playoff spot and have a lot of players to thank, especially defenseman Erik Karlsson. Karlsson has been excellent all season, but has gone nuclear since the NHL players returned from the Olympics.
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson (65) celebrates his goal in the second period against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn ImagesIn 11 games since the end of the Olympic break, Karlsson has recorded three goals and 14 points. He finished Monday's game in Denver with a goal and two assists, and was a menace all over the ice. He was a one-man breakout and also made some simple, yet very effective plays along the boards in his own zone. He finished the game with 21:43 at all situations and controlled 54.7% of the expected goals. He's been the Penguins' best player since Crosby went down.
Anthony Mantha has also been on another level during this road trip, racking up three goals and five points in four games. He has 26 goals and 52 points this season, both of which are career highs. He's been an unbelievable free agent signing by Penguins president/general manager Kyle Dubas and is shaping up to get a big payday this offseason.
Both goaltenders (Arturs Silovs and Stuart Skinner) have continued to push one another. The Penguins feel confident with either goaltender in the crease, and will have a tough decision to make in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs if they make it.
Bryan Rust continues to be a big game player for the Penguins and now has 25 goals and 53 points in 60 games this season. Four of those goals and seven points have come via this road trip so far.
The vibes continue to be through the roof with this team going into the final 15 games of the regular season, and no matter what happens on Wednesday, the Penguins will be in second place in the Metropolitan Division at the end of the trip. They have put themselves in a good position heading into a stretch in which they will play four of five games at home, starting on Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets. They control their own destiny to make the playoffs, which is all you can ask for during a playoff race.
What was originally seen as a fearful road trip has only fueled this Penguins team further.
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