The Pittsburgh Penguins play their second game on back-to-back nights against the Los Angeles Kings.
The Pittsburgh Penguins continue on their four game road trip with a matchup against the Los Angeles Kings. After a battle against the basement dwelling Anaheim Ducks, the Kings are a playoff contending team returning from a lengthy, 11-day break. Here's what to watch for in the second matchup of the season between the Penguins and Kings.
1. Bottom Six Coming Alive?
The biggest issues of late for the Penguins are goaltending and bottom six offense. The goaltending issues have been minimized with Casey DeSmith's two impressive starts since the All-Star break and Tristan Jarry nearing his return.
The bottom six of the Penguins suddenly came to life in Anaheim, with Jeff Carter, Kasperi Kapanen, Teddy Blueger, and Josh Archibald all pitching in on the score sheet. The Penguins desperately need consistent production from their bottom six, and perhaps their performance in Anaheim is a sign of good things to come.
2. Rested or Rusty?
The Kings haven't played since January 31st, when they lost in overtime to the Carolina Hurricanes. It will be interesting to see how long it takes the Kings to find their legs. Will they have any trouble after the almost two week layoff?
Contrarily, the Penguins are playing in their second game in 24 hours. While they may be more locked in, will this veteran team have the legs to keep up with a fully rested and rejuvenated Kings team?
3. Penguins Top Six Finding Success Together
Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan has juggled the right wingers on his top two lines constantly, with Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust alternating spots throughout the season. Since the break, Rakell has rejoined the first line with Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel, and they are already looking as dynamic as they did when first put together.
This move also allows for the second line of Evgeni Malkin, Jason Zucker, and Bryan Rust to continue to gel. This matchup in Los Angeles will be a great test for the top two lines to continue building that chemistry.
The Penguins and Kings face-off at 10:30 p.m.
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