The Pittsburgh Penguins top players excelled in a losing effort against Carolina.
PITTSBURGH - The Pittsburgh Penguins seven-game win streak ended on Sunday as the team fell short of a comeback against their division rivals, the Carolina Hurricanes. While the entire team has been playing well, they are being led by their veteran star players.
The Penguins haven't been using training wheels on defenseman Kris Letang. Since he returned to the lineup following a stroke on November 28th. In his four games since the return, Letang is averaging 25:57 of ice time.
Not only is he playing more minutes, but he is playing better than before he left the lineup. His 85.83% expected goals share against the Florida Panthers on Thursday led the team and was his best performance since October. He followed it up in Carolina with his fifth-best game of the season, with 68.44% of the expected goals share.
Letang isn't the only veteran leader who is on a roll. Evgeni Malkin extended his season-long point streak to eight games with an assist on a Rickard Rakell power-play goal in the second period.
Malkin has two goals and 12 points during this streak and is halfway to tying his career-long point streak of 15 games. Will he be able to reach it? And what are the biggest obstacles in his way?
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cX1CbvQY62c[/embed]
Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more!
Despite Going 1/5, Mike Sullivan isn't Critical of Penguins Power Play
Evgeni Malkin Has Been Penguins Most Productive Player
Penguins Winning Streak Ends at Seven, Drop Battle to Hurricanes
Why Sidney Crosby is a Top 5 All-Time Player
Evgeni Malkin Practices with Penguins Following Injuries
- undefined
- undefined