Penguins vs. Maple Leafs: Need To Steal Wins

The Pittsburgh Penguins take on the Toronto Maple Leafs in a Saturday night showdown.

The Pittsburgh Penguins dropped below .500 with a loss to the Buffalo Sabres last night. Over in Chicago, the Toronto Maple Leafs lost to the Blackhawks in overtime. The two teams each head into the second half of a back-to-back looking for better outcomes than the night before. Here's what to watch for as the Pens battle the Leafs.

1. Crosby's Goal Pace 

This season is a blast from the past for Pittsburgh's captain, Sidney Crosby. At age 36, Crosby looks better than ever, especially in the goal scoring department. His 13 goals through his first 19 games is the second best scoring pace he's ever begun a season with. It's also the best scoring start to his season since the last time he won the Maurice Richard Trophy in 2016-17. Just a couple of goals off of the league lead, Crosby's play is leading the Penguins and among some of the best in the NHL.

2. Nylander Leading Leafs

Toronto's lineup sports some of the most elite forwards in the league. Between Auston Mathews and Mitch Marner, two of the NHL's premier scorers get to show for the Leafs every game. 

But, the start of this season has been the William Nylander show in Toronto. The 27-year-old is enjoying his most prolific start, leading the Leafs in scoring through the team's first 18 games. He has 12 goals, 15 assists, and 27 points so far, outscoring Mathews and Marner by six and seven points, respectively. 

The Penguins' defense could struggle against the high powered offense of Toronto, but they must pay special attention to the red-hot William Nylander.

3. Can Jarry Steal A Win?

The Penguins played terrible team defense in their loss to the Sabres, surrendering three goals in the third period. Backup goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic played well, but wasn't enough to overcome the porous defense in front of him.

With Toronto next on the schedule and playing for the second night in a row, the Pens' defense will likely be shaky yet again. Because of this, starter Tristan Jarry must steal a win for the Penguins if they are to get two points against the Leafs. 

The Penguins and Leafs face-off at 7:00 p.m. at PPG Paints Arena. 

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