Bryan Rust discusses playing more time on the penalty kill and building momentum from with a second consecutive multi-point game. PITTSBURGH - After playing 13 of their first 21 games on the road, the Pittsburgh Penguins finally hit a stretch of games they can play regularly on home ice. The Penguins embarked on a five-game home stand and it was head coach Mike Sullivan’s plan to be a ‘stingy’ team to play against at PPG Paints Arena. “I think it’s important for us to establish ourselves as a stingy team at home,” Sullivan said ahead of the first game in the stretch. “We want to be a team that utilizes home ice advantage to the best of our ability.” The start of the five-game stand wasn’t great as the Penguins went 0-1-1 in the first two, dropping their home record on the season to 4-3-2. From that moment on though, the Penguins have looked like a much better team, rattling off three straight wins to wrap up the home stand 3-1-1. Those wins not only improved the Penguins’ home record to 7-3-2, but also helped push them up the rankings. The Penguins currently sit third in the Metropolitan Division and have elevated themselves out of a wild card spot. Some would say it’s still a touch early to be looking at standings, but these are important points to collect, especially after suffering a seven-game losing streak. Speaking of the Metro, the Penguins have been outstanding against division rivals. Following their most recent win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Penguins hold a 4-0-1 against their Metropolitan counterparts. No matter the time of the season, those are huge point swings and important for the Penguins to take advantage of. The Penguins are set to hit the road for their next game, but they still have plenty of home game to finish out the calendar year. Only four of their last 10 games in 2022 are on the road; and even more importantly, half of the 10 games are against Metro teams. December is a massively important month for the Penguins, and luckily they have plenty of home ice to work with. Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins [http://insidethepenguins.com/]for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more! A Change is Needed for Penguins and Jeff Carter [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/podcasts/pittsburgh-penguins-jeff-carter-change-needed] Mike Sullivan Speaks on Sidney Crosby's Play this Season [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-mike-sullivan-speaks-sidney-crosby-play] Bryan Rust Sees Time on Penguins Penalty Kill [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-bryan-rust-penalty-kill] Penguins Show Resilience in Victory Over Blue Jackets [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-resilient-victory-over-columbus-blue-jackets] Mike Sullivan Hopes to See Both Power Play Units Gain Momentum [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-mike-sullivan-power-play-units-momentum] * undefined * undefined
