Penguins Preview: Jake Guentzel Trade Effecting Sidney Crosby?

The Pittsburgh Penguins are in the midst of a dreadful stretch and set to host the Edmonton Oilers.

PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Penguins put together another stinker of a game against the Boston Bruins. Now, with a 1-5 record in their last six games, their playoff hopes are on even thinner ice, and the challenge will only get tougher with the Edmonton Oilers in town.

On the second half of a back-to-back, the Penguins will look to squeak out a win over one of the most threatening teams in the NHL. Here’s what to watch for between the Penguins and Oilers.

Ever since the Penguins returned from their Western Conference road trip, Sidney Crosby has not looked like his usual self. During the Penguins’ poor six-game stretch, Crosby has only picked up two assists and has been invisible on more than one occasion.

It’s possible the Jake Guentzel trade contributed to this skid, but if the Penguins are to make the playoffs, they’ll need Crosby to find MVP-caliber play. This current stretch has been abnormal for him,

Any time the Penguins take on the Oilers, you’ll want to watch what Connor McDavid does. He’s such a special player that even when he’s not scoring goals, he’s still torching the NHL. McDavid just had a 13-game point streak come to an end, but the numbers might not be what you expected.

In 13 games, McDavid recorded a whopping 29 points but only two goals. One of those goals came against the Penguins in their 6-1 routing of the Penguins. McDavid is always a threat and has gone scoreless in back-to-back games just once this year, in mid-November.

The Penguins were expected to have a busy trade deadline, with over 10 players appearing in the rumor mill. With the deadline behind us, possible trade assets like Reilly Smith, Lars Eller, Rickard Rakell, and a few others are still in Pittsburgh.

With no moves for those players, seeing how they specifically respond will be interesting. The Penguins still have hopes of the playoffs, and those names that didn’t leave will need to be key figures in that push.

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