The Pittsburgh Penguins welcome the Pacific Division leading Vancouver Canucks to PPG Paints Arena.

PITTSBURGH - The Pittsburgh Penguins picked up another impressive win over the Philadelphia Flyers, continuing their push for a playoff spot. Their play keeps improving, but making up ground is continuing to prove difficult for the surging Penguins. Their next challenge is the Pacific Division-leading Vancouver Canucks. Here’s what to watch for. 

1. Reilly Smith Due for Breakout

Penguins’ forward Reilly Smith is currently stuck in a nine-game scoring drought and has been pointless in his last five games. He’s dropped down to the third line without success, and opinions of him are starting to sour after a blistering start to the season. 

This matchup against Vancouver could be a kismet for Smith and his struggling game. He’s historically dominated the Canucks, with 21 points in 24 career games. Going back to his time with the Vegas Golden Knights, Smith is also riding an active nine-game scoring streak against Vancouver. In desperate need of a goal, watch out for Smith to continue dominating the Canucks and break out of his slump. 

2. Best of the West

The Western Conference is the superior conference in the NHL this year, and the Canucks are the cream of the crop halfway through the season. At 27-11-3, the Canucks are one of the odds-on favorites to win the President’s Trophy with the league’s best record. 

The roster is exceeding expectations in a way that hardly feels sustainable. They have seven players with 10+ goals, and three players with 50 or more points. They have been firing on all cylinders through 41 games, and the Pens will have to bring a complete team effort to knock off the best team in the 

3. Defensive Collision

Not only do both Pittsburgh and Vancouver boast impressive offensive players, both of these teams are sporting top-five defenses this year. The Penguins have given up the fourth least amount of goals in the NHL. Following right behind in fifth place are the Canucks. 

In addition to strong defense, both the Penguins and Canucks are getting incredible goaltending from their pair of netminders. While both teams haven’t had trouble scoring of late, this matchup could be a different story

The Penguins and Canucks meet at PPG Paints Arena for a 7:00 p.m. face-off. 

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