Beating the New Jersey Devils will be more than just a bounce back win for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
PITTSBURGH - As the Pittsburgh Penguins get ready to do battle for the final time in the year of 2022, there is a sudden vibe of desperation for the team.
The first two games out of the Christmas break were absolute clunkers for the Penguins and everyone around the team knows the standards are much higher.
The players are focused on bouncing back and what better way to do it than against a divisional opponent?
Not just any divisional opponent either; the New Jersey Devils started the season red hot, rifling off 13 straight wins.
The Devils have come back to Earth quite a bit by going 2-7-1 in their last 10; this is a perfect opportunity for the Penguins to pounce on a statement win.
The kind of win that shows the Penguins can still be a dominant force in the NHL after losing in historic fashion.
“Right now, we’re focused on New Jersey,” forward Jason Zucker said. “These guys have been playing really well this year, and we got to come out and play strong.”
Ideally, the Penguins would have gotten their statement win against the Detroit Red Wings as a bounce back from their tough loss to the New York Islanders.
They seemed to be on their way with a four-goal first period, but they let that slip away into an overtime loss.
While the Penguins hope to gain a ton of momentum against the Devils, they alsos hope to learn from the mistakes made in their last two games.
“We need to turn the page and get ready,” Zucker said. “But, at the same time we got to learn from these lessons.”
Evgeni Malkin spoke after blowing the 4-0 lead and said that the veterans in the room need to do a better job at leading the way and not letting games like that happen.
Zucker made a similar statement saying that the team knows they can be better.
“We’ve been around long enough,” Zucker said. “We’ve got a pretty old team. We know that it’s unacceptable. We know we need to be better.”
The Devils may be on a cold spell, but they still sit above the Penguins in the standings; the Penguins are within striking distance, however.
If the Penguins pull out a win in regulation, they will leapfrog the Washington Capitals and tie the Devils with 46 points.
The Metropolitan Division is a tight race where six of the eight teams will be fighting for playoff spots for the rest of the year.
It’s crucial for the Penguins to take every divisional win they can, and that continues against the Devils.
Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more!
- Subscribe to Inside the Penguins on YouTube
- Follow Inside the Penguins on Twitter: @InsidePenguins