With the trade deadline approaching - and the Penguins likely sellers - where will defenseman Marcus Pettersson end up? Just when it seemed that the Pittsburgh Penguins would finish up their most extended road trip in decades on a sour note in Salt Lake City, captain Sidney Crosby powered his team to a much-needed 3-2 overtime win [https://news.google.com/topics/CAAqJQgKIh9DQkFTRVFvSUwyMHZNR2h1Tm1RU0JXVnVMVWRDS0FBUAE?ceid=CA:en&oc=3]. After failing to score more than one goal in the past two games, the Penguins found two goals to get to a fourth period, where Crosby lit the lamp in his 43rd arena to become the game's active leader in that statistic. PENGUINS OVERCOME EARLY ADVERSITY In an all-too-familiar storyline, the Penguins fell behind 1-0 when Utah scored on a first-period power-play tally from Mikhail Sergachev. Considering how much trouble the visitors have had scoring lately, a one-goal deficit felt as daunting as climbing the Rocky Mountains unprepared. Pittsburgh was dominated in shots 12-4 but flipped the script in the middle period with a game-tying goal from an unlikely source: Marcus Pettersson. Despite outshooting Utah 15-7, the home team found another goal, a breakaway lamplighter from Michael Carcone. The two teams played competitively in the third before Erik Karlsson tied things with an unassisted goal. Crosby ended the game with a classic backhand tally, sending the boys home happy. NEDELJKOVIC FINISHES THE JOB Alex Nedeljkovic began the seven-game road trip by scoring a goalie goal [https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-goalie-goals-all-time-313758920] in Buffalo. As the bona-fide number one in Pittsburgh, it wasn't surprising to see him earn back-to-back starts to finish the trip. Jan 29, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic (39) blocks a shot by the Utah Hockey Club during the second period at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEyNDg0MDk5OTE3NDg5Njcz/nedeljkovic.jpg] Jan 29, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic (39) blocks a shot by the Utah Hockey Club during the second period at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images Considering the pressure on the team and their goalies to scrape together two points to help their slim playoff odds, Nedeljkovic was up to the task after a recent loss to the San Jose Sharks on Monday. He finished the night with 27 saves for a .931 SV%, the third-best total on the trip, where he finished 3-2-0 with 11 goals against. Since being trusted into the leading role, he's given up more than two goals in only one contest, producing a .930 SV% and 2.20 GAA. NOT OUT OF THE WOODS YET The Penguins return home with a 21-24-8 record after 53 games, meaning there are 29 games left to salvage the season. Despite sitting last in the Metro Division, there's still hope for a wildcard spot, as they are only five points out. According to MoneyPuck [https://moneypuck.com/predictions.htm], the Penguins' odds of clinching a playoff spot at 1.7% are much lower than their 7% winning the upcoming NHL Draft Lottery. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQD0wSmzAfY[/embed] Unfortunately, their upcoming schedule may not do them any favors. Seven out of their next eight games, with the 4 Nations Face-off break wedged in between, are against the Metro Division. As many fans know, Pittsburgh has lost every time it has faced a rival. This season, they have a 3-7-3 record within the division. Like this seven-game road trip, February will make or break the season. How the next eight games go could dictate how the team responds to the NHL deadline on Mar. 8. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEyMTYyNzc0NjIzNTk0MDE5/thnpitnews.png]
