Penguins vs. Hurricanes: Holiday Hits in Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh Penguins welcome the Carolina Hurricanes for a holiday showdown.
It wasn't the prettiest victory for the Pittsburgh Penguins, but they pulled out two points from their matchup with the Minnesota Wild. Trying to build off of some positives shown in that game, the Pens face their Metropolitan Division rival, the Carolina Hurricanes. Here's what to watch for when the Canes come to town to battle the Penguins.
1. Karlsson's Offense Surging
After pushing through a bit of a cold spell, Erik Karlsson has had a stretch of five games that has gotten him back on path. He has three points in as many games and has been regaining his poise as the power play quarterback.
What stands out even more over his last five games is his willingness to get the puck on net in even strength and the man advantage. He's registered three shots or more over that span, and it's been critical in generating offense and scoring chances for Pittsburgh.
2. Hurricanes Forward Depth
The key to Carolina's success lies in the depth of their offensive personnel. Their defense is competitive and receives recognition constantly, but this team rolls four lines and can count on three of those lines to pitch in a goal or two on any given night. They have seven forwards with 16 or more points through 32 games, and that doesn't include the often injured but sensational Andrei Svechnikov, fresh off of the injured reserve again.
The Penguins were overly optimistic their off-season signings would turn their forward group into the same level as the Hurricanes. It hasn't worked so far, with the majority of the Pens' offense coming from the team's top two lines exclusively.
Looking towards this matchup, the Penguins will have their hands full with the speedy and well-rounded Carolina offense.
3. Power(ful) Play
The power play has been the Achilles heel for the Penguins this season, despite having a roster full of all-stars. All of a sudden, the Pens have come alive with the man advantage. In the last four games, they've converted on 37.5% of their chances on the power play.
What's been the catalyst for change? A ton of credit is owed to recent call up from the AHL, Valtteri Puustinen. He's had four points in five games, playing mostly on the second line with Evgeni Malkin. Working on the wing of the first power play unit also, he's looked perfectly in sync playing with some of the best players in the league. He also adds a determination and tenacity that only a recent call-up can provide, and it's paid off in droves for the Penguins power play.
The Penguins and Hurricanes face-off at 7:00 p.m. at PPG Paints Arena.
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