The Pittsburgh Penguins path to the division, and possibly Stanley Cup, run through Carolina and New York.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have enjoyed a December to remember, playing some of their best hockey after an inconsistent and disappointing start to the year. Going 8-1-1 since the month began, the Penguins only two losses came at the hands of their divisional opponent Carolina Hurricanes. Sandwiched in between those two losses was a fierce match-up against the New York Rangers.
With the halfway point of the season rapidly approaching, it seems the rivalries between the Penguins and Rangers and Hurricanes have reached new heights.
Penguins and Hurricanes: Two-Team Race for the Metro?
Over the past few seasons these two teams have played some entertaining games, but it's lacked that tenacity Metropolitan Division matchups tend to have. This season, however, is a different story.
The Penguins and Hurricanes have met three times this season. Each game has been decided by only one goal, with the Canes victorious in all three meetings. The games between these two teams makes evident they are the best teams in the Metropolitan Division, and it very could come down to these two teams for the division championship. And in every game so far, the intensity is dialing up. The physicality is picking up. What was once a cordial relationship is quickly evolving into a much more competitive and intense rivalry .
The Penguins will meet the Canes once more this regular season in January. After that, they will only meet again in the playoffs. The Pens have a chance to avoid being swept in the season series and both teams will undoubtedly take this rivalry to the next level with their remaining matchup.
Bad Blood with New York
The Penguins and Rangers battled through an intense seven game series in the first round of the 2022 NHL Playoffs. The series featured surprising storylines with the Penguins goaltending carousel and a physical battle between the two teams. The Pens lost Rickard Rakell to a late check from Rangers' defenseman, Ryan Lindgren, in the first game of the series. Captain Sidney Crosby also received a high elbow from Rangers' captain and new arch-nemesis of the Penguins fan-base, Jacob Trouba, resulting in Crosby missing a game and a half with concussion-like symptoms. The Rangers ultimately took the series, but the biggest takeaway was the growing dislike between these two teams.
Fast forward to their first meeting of the 2022-2023 season on December 20th, and it's clear how much tension remains between the Penguins and Rangers. The matchup had a playoff atmosphere from the first shift, and both teams were happy to engage in some post-whistle scrums. The Penguins, a team not associated with physicality, registered 32 hits in the contest, led by Kasperi Kapanen's eight hits. The Rangers were bringing that physicality and intensity right back.
The highlight of the night, and perfect microcosm for where this rivalry is at, was Bryan Rust's goal. After tipping in a point shot from PO Joseph, Rangers' defenseman Ryan Lindgren cross-checked Rust in the back and knocked him to the ice. Rust collected himself and made a move to retaliate against Lindgren, but was held back by his teammate, Kapanen. The heads up play by Kappy saved both teams from devolving into playoff-level antics and kept the Penguins out of the penalty box.
The bad blood almost boiled over, but that will have to wait until the playoffs. The Pens are bound to meet the Rangers or Hurricanes, perhaps both, in the postseason. The Metropolitan Division easily boasts the toughest group of teams in the league, and the path to a Stanley Cup goes right through the Penguins division. The bad blood will continue to bubble and intensify in the regular season. When the playoffs arrive, however, expect it to boil over. After all, that's what rivalries are all about.
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