All things are leaning into the Pittsburgh Penguins favor and they need to take advantage.
PITTSBURGH - The Pittsburgh Penguins are getting set to take on the New York Islanders for the second time in three nights.
It should have been a runaway victory for the Penguins on Long Island, but three unanswered goals gave the game to the Islanders.
As the teams meet again in Pittsburgh, it’s the home team that are emerging as favorites.
Like mentioned, in their last meeting, it was the Penguins who looked like the better team by putting up almost twice as many shots and dominating the pace of play.
The Penguins liked the way they played for a majority of the game on Long Island, and they hope they can bring that compete level for an entire 60 minutes.
“We got to be more resilient,” Bryan Rust said “Next game, next shift mentality and take it into this one.”
More than looking like the better team last time and hoping to carry that same momentum, the Penguins are getting starting goalie Tristan Jarry back into the fold.
When Jarry is between the pipes for the Penguins, he plays like a top goalie in the NHL, and that’s exactly what the team needs; a top tier netminder who can bring a more consistency than the roller coaster ride of Casey DeSmith.
The Islanders will also be without one of their leading scorers in Mat Barzal who suffered a lower-body injury and will be out indefinitely.
Multiple Islanders usually take their game to another level against the Penguins and Barzal is one of them.
Without him in the lineup, that opens up an opportunity for the Penguins to be the more offensive squad.
Despite no Barzal, that won’t change the Penguins mindset, but they have an open door.
If the Penguins are a for real team that can make a final push for the playoffs, they’ll need to take this game over the Islanders.
The two teams are tied in the standings and the Penguins need to start putting some separation between them and the rest of the pack.
The best teams in the league take advantage of the opportunities presented, and this is one of them for the Penguins.
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